Tips to find housing to rent

Are you looking to rent an apartment? A house ? There are many candidates for hire and opportunities are quickly seized, especially in large Swiss cities. Here are some tips to save time and maximize your chances to find that rare gem in this particular market.

Prepare your file

Competition is fierce and the quality of your file is crucial. The parts listed below will be required. Some are compulsory. For others take the lead and be prepared to provide it just in case!

– A certificate of non-prosecution of less than 3 months (mandatory): this document, also called “Extract from the Office of Pursuits”, certifies to the lessor that you are not the subject of financial proceedings (debts, bankruptcies etc.) and that you are therefore solvent. It is issued by the Cantonal Prosecution Office and can be requested online, by mail or at the counter of the competent office.

–  A copy of your identity document (mandatory): this is the identity card for Swiss nationals, the passport for foreigners as well as a copy of the residence permit for non-Europeans.

– Pay slips for the last 3 months and your tax notice (not compulsory but …): your rent should theoretically not exceed on average 1/3 of your net income. Your pay slips will be used to prove your ability to pay the rent. If you do not yet have a pay slip you can provide a copy of your employment contract. If you are self-employed, you will need to provide a copy of your tax return and / or any proof of your income. Prepare these documents, but do not automatically send them all with your file. Provide them only if they are specifically requested.

– A guarantor: if you do not have sufficient income, you will be asked for a guarantor. This person must be resident in Switzerland and must provide the same documents as you (identity document, proof of income, extract from the prosecution office). Your guarantor will sign the lease with you, which commits him to paying the rent in the event of default on your part. If you arrive in Switzerland and do not know anyone, a surety is not always easy to find. If you come to work, be aware that some companies agree to vouch. Find out beforehand!

– A cover letter: it is not compulsory, but a few words written correctly and without any mistakes to accompany your file, will always be a little extra. Briefly say who you are and why this accommodation would suit you.

– The registration form: complete it correctly while being vigilant to the questions asked. Indeed, there is no standard form and the number and content of the questions is different from one agency to the other, from one owner to the other. According to the Federal Data Protection Commission, some questions are allowed and some are not.

The rental guarantee

It is mandatory. This amount corresponds to one, two or three months’ rent (at most) and is used to guarantee the payment of the rent in the event of a problem when you leave. This amount will be returned to you when you leave your rental if no problem is noted during the check-out inventory. This sum is deposited in a blocked bank account in the name of the tenant and neither he nor the lessor can touch it.

Where to look for rentals?

Do you want quick and easy access to a comprehensive, up-to-date and well-presented range of properties? This is normal, it is 2021. Then, to find the property that suits you, it is better to have access to a complete offer. In Switzerland, the real estate supply is fragmented. Tired of wasting time and energy browsing multiple sites? We’ve known that, and that’s why we created Lookmove.

Thanks to our listing indexing technologies, we offer the most powerful Swiss real estate search engine, with a comprehensive, up-to-date and well-organized offering. With Lookmove, research is simpler, more efficient and faster. You don’t need to go from one site to another any longer, all the listings are on Lookmove!

Be prepared to compromise

There is often a mismatch between dream, reality and perfection at a cost. Would you like a nice neighborhood in the city, modern accommodation, a balcony, a garage? Depending on your means, you may need to make choices. No need to try to negotiate the rent amount. Considering the shortage of rental accommodation, it does not work.

Make a good impression!

It can never be said enough that arriving on time for your visit, properly dressed and with a file that contains everything you are asked to do is essential. Try to keep smiling even if the steps are exhausting you… 😉

Finding a house or apartment-share

If you are single or a student and the principle of apartment-sharing works for you, it may be easier to find accommodation this way. Open your eyes and ears in case a room in a shared apartment becomes available. The resigning roommate will be able to propose your application to the owner who will in principle not be able to refuse it if you present all the guarantees. You will have to take over the lease from the previous roommate. Otherwise, there is a much easier way to find a roommate: use the Lookmove search engine! Select the city of your choice and « roommate » and you will have access to many roommate offers in the blink of an eye.

In case of emergency and for a defined period, opt for subletting

As the rental market is very tight in Swiss metropolitan areas, subletting is permitted there. Subletting an apartment (or a room in a shared apartment) where the official tenant is absent for some time is a troubleshooting solution that you should not hesitate to take advantage of while finding accommodation. You will need to sign a sublet contract with the tenant, who is required to inform their landlord. To find a sublet, the most effective is to survey your entourage via social networks. These offer interesting leads for this type of research, and many pages of the social network Mr. Zuckerberg created are devoted to sublets.

SEARCH PROPERTIES TO RENT ALL OVER SWITZERLAND