How to apply for a flat?

You have found a flat in Geneva, Lausanne, Zurich or any other canton and you don’t want to miss out on this property. And given the competition in Switzerland, it’s best to follow these valuable tips for applying for a flat and putting all the chances on your side.

Applying for a flat: income and solvency first

When applying for a rental flat, the first thing to do is to reassure the owner or the management company of your financial resources. You should already know that if your income is not three times the amount of the rent, your application will have little or no chance of success. In addition to your level of income, it is the sustainability of your income that can also be put forward. A landlord may indeed prefer a couple of civil servants with lower incomes than a couple of self-employed or temporary workers, for example.

Secondly, applying for a flat requires a certificate of non prosecution. And the good news is that all the ads placed on SherlockHomes provide direct access to an extract from the debt collection register, and even to a solvency certificate.

Applying for a flat: good character to be proven

Faced with the competition to rent a flat in Geneva, Zurich, Lucerne or Lugano, it is best to add to your application for a rental flat a few certificates capable of reassuring the real estate office about your morals. By asking your neighbours and your future ex-landlord for certificates, you can prove in your application that you are not living in the property in an inappropriate manner, that you do not have noisy activities at home and that you are not damaging the property.

Applying for a flat: a rental guarantee to be displayed

If you agree to pay a rental guarantee by bank deposit, the landlord will know that you have sufficient means to block a sum of money (3 months’ rent) which can be used in the event of default. This is ideal for applying for a flat effectively.

However, if you cannot block such a sum, you can still offer a guarantee without a bank deposit, by paying an annual premium to an organisation that will act as guarantor for you. On the SherlockHomes advert, you can obtain a provisional certificate free of charge and in just a few clicks.

This article is not exhaustive and does not engage the responsibility of its author.