How to make a good rental file?

You are looking for a flat to rent in Switzerland and you are wondering, in anticipation, what to put in a rental file? Find out everything you need to tell the real estate agency.

A complete and well presented rental file

You have found a property to rent that meets your expectations in Lausanne, Geneva, Zurich, Bern or any other canton in Switzerland? Don’t wait to visit the property of your dreams to put together a rental application. Indeed, a flat rental ad can quickly disappear. So it’s best to be prepared.

The essential prerequisite for a maximum chance of being accepted is to send a complete file to the real estate office. In other words, all the documents in a rental file must be submitted at once. All of them must also be valid. The file must also be well presented.

What to put in a rental file? The presentation sheet
Start by writing a summary presentation sheet that introduces you and describes your situation. If there are several applicants for the flat, add information about the co-applicant (roommate, spouse, etc.).

Include as much information as is useful and practical for the landlord:

• surname ;
• first name ;
• address ;
• telephone number;
• nationality ;
• marital status ;
• occupation ;
• salary level…

Also mention the fact that you are not subject to any legal proceedings. It is also advisable to indicate the name and contact details of the owner of your current flat to reassure the agency.

What to put in a rental file? Supporting identification documents

To support your application, you should provide various supporting documents and attach them to the rental file. Firstly, add a copy of your identity document to your file. If you are not Swiss, a copy of your residence permit is required.

Proof of income for a financially secure application

What is a property owner looking for above all? Financial security. A landlord is always afraid that his tenant will not pay his rent on time because he may have a loan to repay. Therefore, you must at least have an income that is at least three times the amount of the rent and provide the following proof of income in your rental file :

• your salary slips for the last three months
• your employment contract;
• an annual salary certificate.

In order to have your application accepted by a property owner, you must first reassure them of your income and its sustainability. The landlord examines the type of employment contract and, of course, the salary level. As a prospective tenant, you will have to put your strengths forward. If you are a civil servant or have been working in the same company for a long time, you should emphasise this point. In addition to the sustainability of your income, it is of course the level of your salary that will be decisive. Obviously, the more money you have, the better your chances of convincing the property management company.

If your income is low but your sector is promising, insist on your profession. If you are self-employed, insist on both a high level of income and regularity, as uncertainty can be a reason for refusal. Otherwise, if you are self-employed for example, you will have to provide your latest tax returns so that the agency can check your income.

Rental file: what to add in terms of solvency?

There are other compulsory elements to attach to the rental file to prove your solvency, in particular a certificate of non prosecution. This proves that you are not being sued for so-called indisputable debts. You can order it from SherlockHomes. This is essential and it is in your interest to provide one as recent as possible.

Also, assuring the landlord that you will be able to provide a bank deposit or a guarantee via an organisation will also work in your favour. By creating an account on SherlockHomes you can obtain a provisional rental guarantee certificate free of charge.

If your income is low, you can call on a guarantor. The guarantor must reside in Switzerland in order for the request to be considered.

To optimise your chances even more, it is advisable to add a copy of the third party liability insurance.

A good rental file is a file that reassures about your morals

The real estate agency selects the best files so that the landlord runs no risk during the term of the lease, either in financial terms or in terms of deterioration of the property or nuisance to the neighbourhood.

To reassure the landlord, among the documents in the rental file, you can include certificates from your former landlord (with his contact details) and from your former neighbours. The new landlord will be sensitive to the fact that your previous tenancy went well. Neighbourhood disturbances or over-occupation of the premises may also be an obstacle to acceptance of the application.

How to submit a rental application?

Before requesting an appointment to visit a flat found on Immoscout24, Anibis or another Swiss real estate platform, it is therefore preferable to have gathered all the documents listed above in your rental file. If you like the property, it will then be very easy to send your rental application to the management company, after having followed SherlockHomes‘ advice to improve it. This will help the landlord to follow up on your application in a more positive way.

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