Ultimate Blogging Challenge January 2026 - Greed

Photo by Damian Markutt on Unsplash

Guys, you know what I hate? 

Greed.

Rental prices in Davos are skyrocketing because of the WEF. Small apartments cost tens of thousands of francs, and tenants are being forced out of their homes. 

During the WEF, Davos landlords are in a gold rush mood.

But wait a minute, if you're not familiar, let's give you an introduction about this prestigious event:

The World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, is a private, invitation-only gathering where global political leaders, CEOs, academics, and civil society figures discuss major economic, political, and social issues. Participation is normally limited to heads of state, senior ministers, executives of WEF member companies, and selected experts — all formally invited by the Forum. Officially, that is. In some cases, the WEF appears to have been politely informed that a world leader would be attending via social media and has wisely chosen not to make a public fuss about it.

Photo by Evangeline Shaw on Unsplash

So next week, from January 19 - 23, 2026, the world will be watching the mountain village of Davos GR: the annual WEF gathering of the rich and powerful is about to begin. Most do not come alone, but with a whole entourage of managers, assistants, and security personnel. Anyone still looking for accommodation for the WEF week will have to dig deep into their pockets and not be claustrophobic. On the relevant portals such as Booking or AirBnb, only a few properties are still available at exorbitant prices.

For example, a small 32-square-meter two-room studio costs just under 60,000 Swiss francs (converted for my American friends: "A 345-square-foot, two-room studio costs just under $66,000 USD for the four WEF nights.") for the four WEF nights between January 19 and 23. A whole week at this price? No chance. If you want to arrive a day earlier, you'll have to pay an additional 6,000 Swiss francs, 6,600 Dollars. The only bright spot: the studio is within walking distance of the convention center.

Are they all slow sellers? No, within a day, four of the last eight offers on Booking disappeared, apartments for as much as 40,000 francs for a few nights in Davos. They have obviously found customers willing to pay.

The greed for money in Davos during WEF week seems boundless. This is also being felt by more and more Davos tenants who live in the mountain village all year round. Houses that are permanently rented by companies because it is cheaper are disappearing from the market. The vacancy rate in Davos is close to zero. This is something that is otherwise only seen in cities with housing shortages such as Zurich, Basel, or Geneva.

Finding affordable housing in Davos is becoming increasingly difficult for families, hotel and restaurant employees, and hospital nursing staff. On top of this, more and more rental agreements in Davos include a clause that is unique in Switzerland: the WEF clause! This means that anyone who rents an apartment can live there for 51 weeks of the year, but must vacate it during WEF week. Locals have to leave their homes so that landlords can rent the apartments to wealthy clients from abroad and really cash in.

The president of the Graubünden Tenants' Association has been fighting for years against what he considers to be an “unlawful and therefore void clause” under current tenancy law. Without success, as no tenants have yet been found who are willing to take legal action against it. “No one wants to permanently ruin their relationship with their landlord,” he says. It has been a very difficult week for many, “but in the current housing situation, people are accepting the lesser evil.”

Imagine this. You live in Davos, you work, say, as a maid for one of the many nice hotels. The WEF week is one of the busiest weeks, if not the busiest, you probably have to work overtime and don't get your day off. On top of packing up, scrubbing your apartment for your "guests" and commuting an hour away, some workers have children who miss school that week, adding another layer of stress to an already exhausting schedule.

Meanwhile you encounter hotel rooms used by pigs. 

During large, high-pressure events like the WEF, hotel staff quietly report a small number of extreme guest incidents, ranging from smoking in non-smoking rooms to rooms left in states that defy basic plumbing logic. High-end linens, towels, bathrobes and toiletries also have a habit of “relocating” themselves into suitcases. None of this is unique to Davos, it’s just that at Davos, the invoices and the discretion are on another level.

After cleaning up after these folks, you get to run to catch the last train to make it into bed, and tomorrow we will do it all again.

Davos likes to present itself as a place where the world comes together to solve big problems like inequality, sustainability, and social responsibility. Yet for one week every year, the people who actually keep the village running are asked to step aside, pack their bags, and make themselves invisible. Milking rich visitors and exploiting demand and supply may fill wallets in the short term, but it is neither ethical nor sustainable. The discussions in the conference halls may be global, but the consequences outside the doors are painfully local.

If you lived in Davos, would you pack up and give your apartment to make way for the rich and powerful for a week, or would you fight back?

On a positive note: ✈️ One of the most exciting weeks of the year for aviation fans is just around the World Economic Forum (WEF) will once again be bringing some very special aircraft to Zurich.