Short term accommodation in Lausanne
I've been looking for short-term accommodation in Lausanne, Switzerland. It's virtually impossible to rent a long-term apartment in Switzerland from overseas, because it's a tight housing market, and you generally need a work contract, a living/work permit, a bank account, and various other papers that are not possible to supply until you're there in person. Plus, there is an astounding lack of photos of most long-term rentals - they are usually advertised with only a picture of the outside of the building, and I doubt many people would want to rent a place for a year or more without seeing it first.
Building with Pipes
This building is not in Lausanne, and nor is it for rent. But it has nice pipes on its wall.
Short term accommodation is a much simpler prospect, but the market really is tight and it's harder than it might sound to find somewhere to rent for a few weeks or a month. For future reference, I've cobbled together some of the places you could try if you are, like me, looking for such a place.
Airbnb is a great place to start, but I've found the calendars on the site often don't line up with real availability, so it's worth writing to hosts to ask if their place is free.
The Lausanne Tourist Office has a monthly-updated list of places available for rent. It's not presented in the easiest format, but there are lots of options there. Watch out for minimum rental times, some are quite long!
OK Logements offer various apartments throughout Lausanne.
Arc Lémanique Immobilier have an apartment block with studios for short-term rent.
Daniéle De Planta has a few apartments for rent, but almost no details online, so you need to email her to find out what is free.
EPFL maintains a list of real estate agents that do short-term rentals.
Vision Apartments is another rental agency.
Things to look out for - make sure you know whether final cleaning is included in the price or not, and whether you get wifi and cleaning included with the rental. Some studios only have a sofa bed, and some don't have a kitchen. Be warned that you may be charged an administration fee in the event that you ask to rent an apartment and then change your mind after contracts have been drawn up - even if they are not signed. Good luck!