Letting your property in Switzerland correctly is the basis for the start of a good tenancy. In this article, you will find out what you should pay particular attention to when renting out your house or apartment in Switzerland without an estate agent.
Tip 1: Prepare the rental property and set the rent
Before you rent out your apartment or house in Switzerland, you should carry out certain minor renovations so that the new tenants can enjoy living in your property: repainting the home, sanding the floor, sprucing up the garden or replacing certain appliances. All of these small jobs add value to the property, but also lead to a faster rental. In addition to the minor cosmetic work, you should also take high-quality pictures of the property to present it in the best possible light – first impressions count! Good presentation can also sell the idea of beautiful living and attract potential tenants.
Before you rent out your property – be it a detached house or an apartment or similar – you should calculate what gross monthly rent you can obtain. The best way to do this is to use comparis.ch to carry out a competitor analysis with houses in the area. Of course, you can also have the rental price of your house or apartment calculated free of charge via properti.
Tip 2: Renting out a house or apartment through optimal presentation
In addition to the high-quality photos, it is important to present the property in the best possible way. This can be achieved on the one hand with a fresh and crisp text, but also by advertising the property on all online and offline channels and thus achieving the best possible response with the individual marketing package. It is certainly an advantage to advertise the property on all rental real estate portals as well as social media. You could work with bullet points on portals, which illustrate highlights of the property in a simplified way. Bullet points for a house would be points such as: spacious and bright detached house, large, insulated garden, ideal location, modern furnished detached house and renovated in 2020. If you also compare your advertisement with the latest offers, you will notice current trends and can adapt your advertisement accordingly and find the right tenant.
Tip 3: Carry out the inspection correctly
Do you have prospective tenants who would like to rent? As a future landlord, it is important that you are always on site a few minutes before the tour and briefly check whether the property is still “intact” – this is the only way you can guarantee beautiful living and easy renting. Air out the apartment briefly, open all the curtains and make sure that all the blinds are up so that the apartment or house is bright and welcoming. If the viewing is convincing, it can justify the specified rent and you as the landlord can also collect points.
Tip 4: Check the tenant’s creditworthiness and references
Before you rent out your house or apartment, you should make sure that the applicant is not in debt and has no debt collection records. It is therefore justified to ask for a current extract from the debt collection register. Make sure that you are presented with the original and current extract. If your applicant is from Germany, a Schufa certificate is equivalent. Your applicant should be able to show positive proof – you want to see that they can guarantee to pay the rent for your house regularly and on time.
To avoid problems such as rental nomads, we also recommend that you get to know the tenant well during the tour. Based on your gut feeling, you will be able to determine whether the tenant is a serious person or not. Ask for all important documents in writing, such as an identity card or a copy of the passport. A completed rental application with personal details, previous landlord’s details, salary details and employer’s contact details is recommended. Check the references carefully.
Tip 5: Agree a written rental agreement
The tenancy agreement is particularly important, as it protects you as the landlord. Although it is not compulsory to conclude a written tenancy agreement, we would strongly advise you to do so – it can only be worthwhile. With the help of your estate agent or a solicitor, you can draw up a watertight tenancy agreement that protects you as a landlord. An alternative would be the Swiss Homeowners’ Association.
Make sure that the rental agreement contains the following contractual points:
- Details of the rental property including outbuildings, existing furniture and address
- Exact details of the monthly rent including all ancillary costs (e.g. heating costs, wear and tear of furniture in a furnished house, maintenance of the garden, etc.) and details of the payment method (account details)
- Explicit agreement on which ancillary costs are to be borne by the tenant
- Rental period (fixed-term rental agreement) or open-ended rental agreement with information on termination
- Amount and payment date of the rental deposit (this may correspond to a maximum of three rental payments)
A little tip: Our real estate experts will not only advise you in your search for suitable tenants, but will also support you in all matters relating to the rental agreement!
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Tip 6: Be careful when handing over the apartment
Once you as the landlord have found the right candidate at the right rent, the time has come: as soon as both parties have signed the tenancy agreement and a date for moving in has been set, the tenancy can begin. Pay particular attention to the handover of the apartment or house. The apartment or house must be in the condition specified in the contract. Make a note of any defects and draw the tenant’s attention to them. This way, if you move out later, you will know which defects were already present and which were caused by the tenant. The tenant is liable for the latter.
Important: Keep a detailed handover log and take photos and videos of the defects.
The handover of keys usually takes place at the same time as the handover of the apartment or house. You also need a protocol for this, in which it is precisely recorded which and how many keys the tenant receives. They must return them all later. As soon as you have handed over the keys, the tenant can officially move in. For security reasons, refrain from handing over the keys before the tenancy agreement has been signed.
Tip 7: Know your landlord obligations
As the landlord, you have a number of obligations during the tenancy. Firstly, there is the rent deposit, which the tenant pays on your behalf as security for the rent. This is used in the event that the rent is not paid on time. This must be paid into a separate deposit account and invested with interest. It is not permitted to combine private assets and a rental deposit. The landlord will repay the rental deposit at the end of the tenancy, as you will no longer need a rental deposit. If certain conditions are met, you can also retain part or all of the deposit when the tenant moves out in order to cover repair costs or missing rent payments.
If you rent something out, it is also your duty to submit an annual statement of service charges. Although these are already included in the gross rent, there are often different expenses. In the annual statement, you determine whether the tenant’s advance payments or payments on account match the actual expenses. They often have to make an additional payment or receive a refund. Remember to send the service charge statement every 12 months.
Important: Make sure you establish a good and trusting relationship with the tenant to avoid problems and misunderstandings.
Recommendation: Professional property managers can provide help and advice on letting, especially when it comes to obligations such as the annual service charge statement. Our real estate experts will also support you in all matters for an all-round carefree letting.
Letting is not always easy, especially at the beginning. But with these 7 tips, nothing should stand in the way of you renting out your house or apartment in Switzerland properly!
All data are without guarantee. The information on these Internet pages has been carefully researched. Nevertheless, no liability can be accepted for the accuracy of the information provided.