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Subletting in Geneva via AirBnB: legal or not?

My regie just sent a newsletter to all its members, incl me, about the legal aspects and risks of renting your apartment via AirBnB in Geneva. Here's what they say:


http://www.cgi.ch/cgi/ch/fr-ch/file.cfm?contentid=1088

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My regie just sent a newsletter to all its members, incl me, about the legal aspects and risks of renting your apartment via AirBnB in Geneva. Here's what they say:


http://www.cgi.ch/cgi/ch/fr-ch/file.cfm?contentid=1088


Nir OfekDec 2, 2014 @ 13:45
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Re: Subletting in Geneva via AirBnB: legal or not?
Post 1

Interesting article and also funny to see the "old capitalists" running to the government to get protection from the new competition

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Interesting article and also funny to see the "old capitalists" running to the government to get protection from the new competition


Alan S, Dec 2, 2014 @ 15:52
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Re: Subletting in Geneva via AirBnB: legal or not?
Post 2

I think it's absolutely hilarious that the pot is calling the kettle black, just because there's potential for the kettle to make more money (and the pot not know about it).  It's like being greedy and jealous about revenue that you don't know about? (or that even exists?)


 

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I think it's absolutely hilarious that the pot is calling the kettle black, just because there's potential for the kettle to make more money (and the pot not know about it).  It's like being greedy and jealous about revenue that you don't know about? (or that even exists?)


 


Froilan Z, Dec 2, 2014 @ 16:57
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Re: Subletting in Geneva via AirBnB: legal or not?
Post 3

I am literally laughing out loud. Regies are the elegant mafia of this city.

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I am literally laughing out loud. Regies are the elegant mafia of this city.


Farzam F, Dec 2, 2014 @ 16:20
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Re: Subletting in Geneva via AirBnB: legal or not?
Post 4

It's only natural that the regies are trying to protect their turf by going to the authorities. The exact same way that Taxi drivers are going to the authorities when UBER comes to their city. All is fair in love and war, and for them this is war. 


 

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It's only natural that the regies are trying to protect their turf by going to the authorities. The exact same way that Taxi drivers are going to the authorities when UBER comes to their city. All is fair in love and war, and for them this is war. 


 


Nir Ofek, Dec 2, 2014 @ 17:59
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Re: Subletting in Geneva via AirBnB: legal or not?
Post 5

So the times they are a-changing (fractionally) but don’t let’s cry, Geneva and its Establishment will survive. 

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So the times they are a-changing (fractionally) but don’t let’s cry, Geneva and its Establishment will survive. 


Ritchie, Dec 2, 2014 @ 18:13
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Re: Subletting in Geneva via AirBnB: legal or not?
Post 6

I wonder how many of those who have never heard about AirBnB will be grateful to the regie for this information and will start using the site for rent or sublet Smile

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I wonder how many of those who have never heard about AirBnB will be grateful to the regie for this information and will start using the site for rent or sublet Smile


Evgenia, Dec 2, 2014 @ 20:44
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Re: Subletting in Geneva via AirBnB: legal or not?
Post 7

It's only natural that the regies are trying to protect their turf by going to the authorities. The exact same way that Taxi drivers are going to the authorities when UBER comes to their city. All is fair in love and war, and for them this is war. 

 


Dec 2, 14 17:59

AirBNB competes with hotels, not with landlords, so it appears that they are acting quite sensibly in warning their tenants of the pitfalls.


AirBNB does a lot of good in some places, but it comes with problems as well, not least the practice of some landlords evicting their tenants so that they can let exlusively through AirBNB and their competitors.


The problem is that an AirBNB stay is actually a short sub-let.  If you remove enough legislation to make it completely legal you are also removing a significant amount of protection for "normal" tenants.

The text you are quoting:

AirBNB competes with hotels, not with landlords, so it appears that they are acting quite sensibly in warning their tenants of the pitfalls.


AirBNB does a lot of good in some places, but it comes with problems as well, not least the practice of some landlords evicting their tenants so that they can let exlusively through AirBNB and their competitors.


The problem is that an AirBNB stay is actually a short sub-let.  If you remove enough legislation to make it completely legal you are also removing a significant amount of protection for "normal" tenants.


Andy C, Dec 2, 2014 @ 21:05
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Re: Subletting in Geneva via AirBnB: legal or not?
Post 8

True. AirBNB competes with hotels. I suspect tho that Airbnb ain't too hot with the regies either tho, because:


- in case of legal sublets, where the renting party wants to sublet via Airbnb and asks the regie to approve this, it creates more work for the regie


- the monoloy of the regies is diminished. before airbnb, if I wanted to rent my place, I had to go via a regie (as most people do) or on my own or via a regie. Now I have another great option.


 

The text you are quoting:

True. AirBNB competes with hotels. I suspect tho that Airbnb ain't too hot with the regies either tho, because:


- in case of legal sublets, where the renting party wants to sublet via Airbnb and asks the regie to approve this, it creates more work for the regie


- the monoloy of the regies is diminished. before airbnb, if I wanted to rent my place, I had to go via a regie (as most people do) or on my own or via a regie. Now I have another great option.


 


Nir Ofek, Dec 3, 2014 @ 00:07
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Re: Subletting in Geneva via AirBnB: legal or not?
Post 9

Air bnb have great deals!!but be careful!


I have helped one intern who paid 2600 chf for 30day stay  through Air bnb only to reach in Geneva and found it was a storage with single bed no widows can't lock the door and the apartment was shared 


And the case finally went to the regie,because the person renting the room was not cooperative via Airbnb. 


I think it's a good message for new people to be careful!! And for who didn't Airbnb has good deals for rooms eg..

The text you are quoting:

Air bnb have great deals!!but be careful!


I have helped one intern who paid 2600 chf for 30day stay  through Air bnb only to reach in Geneva and found it was a storage with single bed no widows can't lock the door and the apartment was shared 


And the case finally went to the regie,because the person renting the room was not cooperative via Airbnb. 


I think it's a good message for new people to be careful!! And for who didn't Airbnb has good deals for rooms eg..


LIZ N, Dec 3, 2014 @ 20:28
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Re: Subletting in Geneva via AirBnB: legal or not?
Post 10

I use AirBnb a lot when travelling - even for business travel.  It's great to have an entire apartment available for the price of a hotel room (or less). I've found that the best way to avoid problems is to carefully read the reviews left by previous guests and to not hesitate to ask questions of the person offering the apartment.


Also, I try to avoid staying in places where the rentor appears to be an agency that's just using AirBnb as a booking service - these people haven't really entered into the AirBnb social network mentality.


 


 


 

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I use AirBnb a lot when travelling - even for business travel.  It's great to have an entire apartment available for the price of a hotel room (or less). I've found that the best way to avoid problems is to carefully read the reviews left by previous guests and to not hesitate to ask questions of the person offering the apartment.


Also, I try to avoid staying in places where the rentor appears to be an agency that's just using AirBnb as a booking service - these people haven't really entered into the AirBnb social network mentality.


 


 


 


nmcp, Dec 4, 2014 @ 07:43
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Re: Subletting in Geneva via AirBnB: legal or not?
Post 11

Not to play the devil's advocate, but by contract it is already illegal to sublet your apartment (or parts of it) without the owner's/Régie's approval.  And AirBnB is a form of subletting. 

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Not to play the devil's advocate, but by contract it is already illegal to sublet your apartment (or parts of it) without the owner's/Régie's approval.  And AirBnB is a form of subletting. 


TheOmegaMan, Dec 4, 2014 @ 10:42
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Re: Subletting in Geneva via AirBnB: legal or not?
Post 12

Not to play the devil's advocate, but by contract it is already illegal to sublet your apartment (or parts of it) without the owner's/Régie's approval.  And AirBnB is a form of subletting. 


Dec 4, 14 10:42

True. So if someone currently rents their apartment from a regie and then puts the apt for rent on Airbnb without the Regie's agreement, that person is taking a legal risk. 


 

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True. So if someone currently rents their apartment from a regie and then puts the apt for rent on Airbnb without the Regie's agreement, that person is taking a legal risk. 


 


Nir Ofek, Dec 4, 2014 @ 10:58
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Re: Subletting in Geneva via AirBnB: legal or not?
Post 13

Not to play the devil's advocate, but by contract it is already illegal to sublet your apartment (or parts of it) without the owner's/Régie's approval.  And AirBnB is a form of subletting. 


Dec 4, 14 10:42

Not everyone is sub-letting, some own the properties that they are renting via Airbnb.


If it's a PPE they may be subject to PPE rules, but if not I would hope that they are free to do as they wish with their property.

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Not everyone is sub-letting, some own the properties that they are renting via Airbnb.


If it's a PPE they may be subject to PPE rules, but if not I would hope that they are free to do as they wish with their property.


nmcp, Dec 4, 2014 @ 11:29
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Re: Subletting in Geneva via AirBnB: legal or not?
Post 14

To be honest, and at the end of the day, both regie's taxi driver etc overcharge. 40CHF for a 10minute taxi ride is bananas. The problem with taxis is that they are not a necessity unlike renting a place to lay your head. So uber was always going to win people over.

You can't escape having a place to stay

And any apartment smaller than 40m2 costing more than 2000CHF is also a little bananas. Which is where the regies can fully attempt to copulate with themselves. Because I know for a fact that at least 2 or 3 agencies, over the years, have held onto multiple properties, and increase rents as much as possible, just to drive up an over the top sense of demand.

One of my friends didnt have the time or patience for the house hunt, went into a regie and asked the secretary if there was an agency who could do this all for him.

She told him they should grab a coffee.

She pulls out a file with several properties which were not on their lists or online, when my friend queried this, she said "well, we don't put everything out there".

She asked him which one he liked, he chose, she asked for a month's rent as a 'finders fee' I suppose. She then said that the rent was actually a little high, so knocked it down for 500CHF a month, if he was willing to part with another months rent.

So excuse me while I play the worlds smallest violin for the regies who commonly work maybe 5-7 hours a day? Poor poor swiss regie workers, people in Africa don't know how easy they have it...

The text you are quoting:

To be honest, and at the end of the day, both regie's taxi driver etc overcharge. 40CHF for a 10minute taxi ride is bananas. The problem with taxis is that they are not a necessity unlike renting a place to lay your head. So uber was always going to win people over.

You can't escape having a place to stay

And any apartment smaller than 40m2 costing more than 2000CHF is also a little bananas. Which is where the regies can fully attempt to copulate with themselves. Because I know for a fact that at least 2 or 3 agencies, over the years, have held onto multiple properties, and increase rents as much as possible, just to drive up an over the top sense of demand.

One of my friends didnt have the time or patience for the house hunt, went into a regie and asked the secretary if there was an agency who could do this all for him.

She told him they should grab a coffee.

She pulls out a file with several properties which were not on their lists or online, when my friend queried this, she said "well, we don't put everything out there".

She asked him which one he liked, he chose, she asked for a month's rent as a 'finders fee' I suppose. She then said that the rent was actually a little high, so knocked it down for 500CHF a month, if he was willing to part with another months rent.

So excuse me while I play the worlds smallest violin for the regies who commonly work maybe 5-7 hours a day? Poor poor swiss regie workers, people in Africa don't know how easy they have it...


Farzam F, Dec 4, 2014 @ 12:03
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Re: Subletting in Geneva via AirBnB: legal or not?
Post 15

@Kevin I hope that you reported them to AirBnb.  I do this systematically and have found Airbnb to be very quick to block these users. This helps keep the lists healthy for other users.  In my experience, the city that has the most fake listings is New York.  

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@Kevin I hope that you reported them to AirBnb.  I do this systematically and have found Airbnb to be very quick to block these users. This helps keep the lists healthy for other users.  In my experience, the city that has the most fake listings is New York.  


nmcp, Dec 12, 2014 @ 21:57
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