Basel’s housing crisis forces families out as five-room homes vanish
Basel is facing a growing housing crisis, particularly for families needing larger homes. With vacancy rates for five-room apartments at just 0.3%, many are being pushed out of the city. At the same time, nearly half of all households now consist of just one person, driven by urbanisation and rising costs.
The shortage of family-sized housing has become severe. Only 0.3% of homes with five or more rooms are available to rent in Basel-Stadt, compared to 1.2% for two-room apartments. This scarcity, combined with soaring rents, is forcing families to relocate. The average monthly cost for a five-room apartment now stands at around 2,800 Swiss francs, a 5% increase over the past year.
The housing squeeze in Basel shows no signs of easing. High rents and limited availability of larger homes continue to push families towards the outskirts or out of the region entirely. Meanwhile, the city’s share of single-person households remains well above the regional average, reshaping its demographic makeup.
