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Geneva Apartment Search Guide

Hello everyone! We all know how complicated it is to find an apartment for rent in Geneva so I have written a guide based on my experience to help all newcomers understand how the process works. You can read the guide at genevaapartmentsearch.com.
 Please feel free to share the website with anyone who might find this useful. Good luck :)


 


 

The text you are quoting:

Hello everyone! We all know how complicated it is to find an apartment for rent in Geneva so I have written a guide based on my experience to help all newcomers understand how the process works. You can read the guide at genevaapartmentsearch.com.
 Please feel free to share the website with anyone who might find this useful. Good luck :)


 


 


Ziad MApr 17, 2018 @ 10:06
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Re: Geneva Apartment Search Guide
Post 1

Zaid - that was amazing!  What an incredible amount of work you’ve put into the website - that’s really good of you to do that for everyone.  I wish I’d known all that when I was apartment hunting.


It’s so easy to read and I love the way you’ve written it - and it’s funny.   I never THOUGHT about what other people might wash in a shared washing machine - blurghhhhhh!!


Thanks for all your hard work!

The text you are quoting:

Zaid - that was amazing!  What an incredible amount of work you’ve put into the website - that’s really good of you to do that for everyone.  I wish I’d known all that when I was apartment hunting.


It’s so easy to read and I love the way you’ve written it - and it’s funny.   I never THOUGHT about what other people might wash in a shared washing machine - blurghhhhhh!!


Thanks for all your hard work!


Carolyn C, Apr 17, 2018 @ 13:33
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Post 2

Thanks for the kind words Carolyn! I'm really glad you've enjoyed reading my website!


Regarding shared washing machines, I was actually talking to a friend about that yesterday and she said that the laundry room in her building smelled really bad, she actually thinks one of her neighbours washes baby nappies in there! hahaha I just got my new dishwasher delivered yesterday and I couldn't be any happier! LaughingLaughingLaughing

The text you are quoting:

Thanks for the kind words Carolyn! I'm really glad you've enjoyed reading my website!


Regarding shared washing machines, I was actually talking to a friend about that yesterday and she said that the laundry room in her building smelled really bad, she actually thinks one of her neighbours washes baby nappies in there! hahaha I just got my new dishwasher delivered yesterday and I couldn't be any happier! LaughingLaughingLaughing


Ziad M, Apr 17, 2018 @ 14:12
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Great effort, thanks for sharing!

The text you are quoting:

Great effort, thanks for sharing!


ajimenezp, Apr 17, 2018 @ 22:54
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Post 4

Ziad,


My wife and I are moving to Geneva this summer and found your website very useful. Thank you for your very informative contribution and for making us laugh!

The text you are quoting:

Ziad,


My wife and I are moving to Geneva this summer and found your website very useful. Thank you for your very informative contribution and for making us laugh!


Glenn A, Apr 18, 2018 @ 00:02
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Great effort, thanks for sharing!


Apr 17, 18 22:54

Thanks! I'm glad you found it useful :)

The text you are quoting:

Thanks! I'm glad you found it useful :)


Ziad M, Apr 18, 2018 @ 09:52
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Post 6

Ziad,

My wife and I are moving to Geneva this summer and found your website very useful. Thank you for your very informative contribution and for making us laugh!


Apr 18, 18 00:02

Thanks Glenn! I'm glad to hear that! Good luck with your move!

The text you are quoting:

Thanks Glenn! I'm glad to hear that! Good luck with your move!


Ziad M, Apr 18, 2018 @ 09:52
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Ziad - thanks very much for creating the guide.


Super useful!


Oded

The text you are quoting:

Ziad - thanks very much for creating the guide.


Super useful!


Oded


SiteAdmin Oded, Apr 18, 2018 @ 10:54
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Hi Ziad, I'm unable to access the website. 

The text you are quoting:

Hi Ziad, I'm unable to access the website. 


Gaurav Garg, Feb 13, 2019 @ 22:51
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Great idea, but it seems to be down...

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Great idea, but it seems to be down...


Sean C, Feb 13, 2019 @ 23:09
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Hi guys, indeed the site is down, I had problems with my hosting. If you don't mind, I will post the whole blog as text here.

The newcomer’s guide to finding an apartment in Geneva, Switzerland


 


Introduction: Bienvenue in Geneva! and congratulations on your move!

If you’ve already been in contact with anyone living in Geneva or you’ve read some of the forums or articles online, I’m sure you’ve already heard that finding an apartment in Geneva is not a walk in the park, and unfortunately, I can’t say otherwise.

Like all newcomer expats in Geneva, I went through the process of finding an apartment, which was very challenging and full of hassles, especially for someone not aware of all the ins and outs of the rental system in Geneva, Switzerland and for someone who doesn’t speak French. That is why I decided to write this step by step guide to explain to all English-speaking newcomers the whole process in a simple manner which will hopefully make your apartment search less stressful.

I will explain in detail all the steps of the process, the definitions of all the important French terms that you will need to know when looking for an apartment in Geneva and I will provide a list of all the regies (property management companies) in Geneva in addition to tips that will help you find the best apartment for your money without falling victim to any scams. The guide might be a bit long but please read all the pages because they are all equally important.

Notes:


Please note that some of the things mentioned in this guide were based on my personal experience and your experience might be different.   


This guide was written in March 2018 and the prices and practices might not be applicable in future years.

The Definitions

Before going into explaining the process, I will start with the definitions of the terms that you will need to know before starting your apartment search in Geneva.

Sublet (French: Sous Location): Subletting is when the tenant (not the landlord) rents out the apartment he is already renting from the landlord and for which he has a rental lease in his name. Many of the apartments you’ll find will be sublets. Sublets are usually for a defined period that can be from one to a couple of years. Subrenting an apartment can be your best option when you first arrive in Geneva. I will explain why later on.

Lease takeover (French: Reprise de Bail): Lease takeover, as the words say, is taking over a rental lease from another tenant. A lease takeover usually happens when the current tenant does not wish to continue renting the apartment and wishes to find someone else who continue the lease and transfer the name into his name. This option is the long-term option you should be looking for.

Regie (Property Management Company):  The regie is a property management company. In geneva and the big cities in Switzerland apartment, building and rental contracts. So technically speaking, when renting an apartment you will deal directly with the regie and not with the landlord.

Dossier (French): literally speaking, “dossier” means folder or file, but in this context a dossier is the set of documents usually required by the regie to apply for apartments.
A complete dossier usually consists of
1- The regie’s form
2- Attestation de non-poursuite not older than 3 months (how to get the attestation de non-poursuite)  
3- Attestation from your employer
4- Payment slips of the last 3 months
5- Copies of residence permits
6- Any additional documents which might be relevant

Charges (French): bills, in specific, charges usually include water, hot water and heating bills. Electricity, internet, and cable tv are not included in the charges unless that is clearly specified

Cave (French): A “Cave” is a storage room usually found in the building basement. Most apartments will come with a cave included in the rent.

Box: A “Box” in Geneva is actually a parking space. It can be included in the rent price but most often it comes at an additional monthly fee.

Pièce (French): A “pièce” in this context is room. So if you see “3 pièces apartment” that would be mean a 3-room apartment. However, that doesn’t mean a 3 bedroom apartment. Please read my note of room count in Geneva by clicking here.

Comble/Les Combles (French): French word for attic. These apartments are usually on the last floor and have a wooden slanted ceiling with wooden beams.

HLM apartments: HLM stands for “Habitation à Loyer Modéré" (low rent housing). This type of apartments is subsidized and you have to meet certain criteria in order to rent one (maximum yearly income, number of family members etc.). For more info: https://www.ge.ch/logement/acces-logements-subventionnes/logements-subv-base.asp

Real Estate Agents: These can be companies or individuals who help people in their search for an apartment and in return they receive a commission equal to 1 or 2 months rent.


The Rental System - Finding an Apartment

Finding an apartment to rent in any part of the world can be a bit of challenge, but in Geneva it’s double that. In most countries, if you're looking for an apartment for rent you check online classified ads, newspapers, etc. You call the landlord, set an appointment, visit the apartment and if you like it you can even sign the contract on the same day. However, in Geneva, it's not that simple. In Geneva, the demand for apartments is very high. In other words, not many apartments are available for rent. I once read that Geneva has one of the nation’s lowest rate of unoccupied dwellings at 0.45 percent (2016).  That means for every 1000 apartments in Geneva, only 4.5 apartments are vacant! And most probably they are old apartments of poor quality.

Due to this high demand for apartments, interested potential tenants have to compete in order to win a lease contract through a process which includes sending an application (the complete dossier) to the regie in order to be considered exactly like sending a application to be considered for a job, and your chances of winning this contest depend on many factors, the most important of which are your salary and number of family members among others.

In principle, your salary should be equal to least 3 times the monthly rent. So, for example, if your monthly salary is 6,000 CHF, the regie will not consider your application if the monthly rent is over 2,000 CHF. Also, regies look at other factors such as the number of family members and if it is suitable for the apartment you are applying for. In other words, if you are a single person applying for 2 bedroom apartment, your chances of winning that apartment will be very low since a 2 bedroom apartment will be more suitable for a family.

There are several ways to find accomodation/rent an apartment in Geneva depending on your requirements, needs and most importantly the period of time you intend to stay in Geneva. These are:
- Regie announcements
- Lease takeovers
- Sublets
- Renting a single room in shared apartment
- Hotel rooms/Airbnb apartments

Regie announcements
Apartments in Geneva are controlled by regies (see definition here). If an apartment is vacant because the old tenant’s contract expired and he/she doesn't wish to renew it, the regie who is responsible for that apartment will post an announcement on their website and, at times, on other real estate websites. In the announcement, they usually set a time and date for visiting the apartment. If you are interested in viewing the apartment you should go at the set time and date with your full dossier.

What to expect in apartment visits?
The regie/s (usually one or two persons representing the regie company) will meet interested tenants either at the entrance of the building or at the apartment door (depending on what is mentioned in the announcement). Sometimes, when there is no set time for visits, you can call the regie an book a time to visit the apartment, but the most common type of apartment viewings are group visits.

Always be on time. If you come outside the set hours you will find the doors closed. The regies will not wait for anyone.

If it’s a group visit, it is a good idea to say hello to the regie and introduce yourself before coming in. Once inside, have a look around and if you have any questions, you can always ask the regie. If you’re interested in renting the apartment, you can leave your full dossier with the regie. Some regies might ask interested tenants to send their dossiers by mail or to leave them at the company office.

Tip: Never ever go to view an apartment without your full dossier.

Always notice the date of entry (the date in which the lease contract begins) in the announcement. If it is not mentioned, ask the regie. In most cases you might not be able to negotiate and ask for a different date of entry. The regie will try to find a tenant as soon as possible.

If you’re staying in Geneva for a long time (one year or more), this option and option number 2 (on the next page) are your best choices for finding an apartment. However, the downside of this option is that you will be competing with many other possible tenants especially if the apartment is in a good location and is of good quality. This is why you should apply to as many apartments as you can in order to increase your chances. But again, take your time and don’t rush things and apply for an apartment you don’t like because you’ll be stuck in it for at least one year.


 


Where to find regie announcements?


 


Useful links which show all the regie announcements in Geneva:


https://www.glocals.com/classifieds/geneva/housing-and-real-estate

https://www.homegate.ch/en


https://www.immostreet.ch


https://www.immoscout24.ch


https://www.home.ch

You can also visit the website of each regie in Geneva and search for apartments which meet your criteria. Remember, if no visit date is mentioned in the announcement, you can call the regie to set an appointment. 


The websites of some regies allow you to register to receive notifications whenever an a new apartment which meets your criteria is posted. If you find this option, it’s a very good idea to sign up to the notifications so you don’t miss any good opportunities.


 Most announcements will be posted in French, so if you don’t understand French, you can use Google Translate. It won’t be an exact translation but it will give you a rough idea.

How many apartments should I visit?
Well that depends, but I suggest you visit as many apartments as you can. When I first arrived in Geneva, I asked this question to the guy whose apartment I was sub-renting and his answer was “I don’t even remember how many apartments I visited, I used to go to the apartments and just handover my dossier without evening having a look!”.

However, in our case, we only visited 6 apartments before we got accepted for one of them. Your case might be different depending on your own personal circumstances.

Lease takeovers


This is the second, and in my opinion the better, option to find a long-term apartment in Geneva. A “Lease takeover” is, as the words say, taking over a rental lease from another tenant. A lease takeover usually happens when the current tenant does not wish to continue renting the apartment and wishes to find someone else who continue the lease and transfer the name into his name.


 You can find apartments available for lease takeover by one of the following:


1- Word of mouth: from friends/colleagues of their friends. Always ask around in your place of work and try to look if there’s an announcements board.


2- Facebook groups: The most useful facebook groups are: Geneva EXPATS, Apartments in Geneva/Vaud, Geneva Expats Community, Reprise de Bail Geneve, Geneve petites annonces, Apartment to Rent in Geneva And Boarder Area For New Arrive.


3- Glocals.com: This site has an active classifieds


section in which 10-30 new apartments are posted everyday.


4- If you are an employee you can check the classified ads posted on https://iseek-external.un.org/


 


If you find an interesting apartment, you need to act quickly, very quickly. Why? Because there are tens if not hundreds of people like you looking for apartments in Geneve, and as soon as someone posts an apartment for lease takeover, this person will be bombarded with private messages, and they will soon take the post off the group. So technically speaking, if someone posts a good apartment, it might not stay on the group from more than 1 hour. That’s why you need to act as quickly as possible. Send a private message to the poster and try to set an appointment to view the apartment if that is not set already in the post. But don’t ask too many questions, I noticed that some posters get a bit annoyed.


 As I mentioned, this option might be a better and an easier option for finding an apartment in Geneva since the number of applications that are usually submitted for a lease takeover are much less than those submitted in the first option, and therefore, your chances of getting the apartment will be higher. What usually happens is that the regie asks the current tenant to provide a few (2-5) applications which meet the criteria as opposed to competing with 20+ applications in the first option.


Even though this might be the best option, it still has a few cons. For example, some tenants have certain criteria which you have to meet (in addition to the regie’s criteria). One of the tenants I met told me that they are only considering applications from couples who are willing to buy their furniture! I know it sounds crazy but this is how it goes.


 Also, I have noticed that many of those who post apartments for lease takeover discriminate between the people who contact them and do not even respond to their messages.


 On many occasions where the poster was a female, my private messages were ignored. So, I felt something wasn’t right. It could be either because I am male and the poster wouldn’t want any man to come to view their apartment as they might have other malicious purposes. Or because of my Arab name.


 In the beginning, I wasn’t very sure of this. However, after many of my private messages were ignored, I asked my wife (who has a western sounding name) to contact the same people who ignored me, and to my surprise her messages were answered within minutes!


 One day, a lady posted an apartment for lease takeover, I sent her a message to inquire about the apartment. No response, nada! An hour later, I asked my wife to to send her a message from her account, and she gets a reply within 5 minutes with all the details regarding the apartment and visiting hours! An hour later, the same lady replied to my message saying that the apartment is not available anymore! Minutes later, I saw her post the same apartment on a different group!!! So I have no idea what her reason was but she was definitely avoiding me. The funny thing is that my wife and I visited the apartment and I introduced myself to the lady but I am not sure if she realized that I was the same person she was avoiding!


 On a different occasion, another lady posted an apartment for rent. I sent her a private message, she replied. I asked her when is it possible to visit the apartment, she gave me a time and date, I asked her for her phone number so I can call her once I get to the location, she said “I don’t give my number to strangers!”!! Seriously?? How will you know that I arrived?? Telepathy? Anyways, 2 minutes later, she sends me a message saying that her boyfriend found a new tenant for the apartment!! Again, it was obvious that she was avoiding me whether for the fact that I am male or due to my Arab name!


 So, unfortunately, in this option, you will have to meet the regie’s criteria in addition to those of the current tenant (as if regies criteria are not complicated enough). However, don’t let that let you down. Expect everything. If you get ignored, move on to the next apartment. Otherwise, you’ll just waste your time and effort.



Subrenting


 Subrenting is renting an apartment from the tenant, who already has a lease contract in their name through options 1 or 2, as opposed to renting an apartment from the regie or the landlord.


 Why do people sublet their apartments?


 People sublet their apartments for many reasons. They can be taking a leave from work or a vacation etc. and they can’t afford to leave their apartment vacant. So they decide to sublet their apartment to cover for the rent they are already paying.


 Subrenting an apartment can be your best option when you first arrive in Geneva. It is wise in the beginning to subrent an apartment for 2-4 months. Why? Because subrenting an apartment for a short period of time doesn’t require having a complete dossier (which needs some time to prepare). This will allow you time to apply for your residency permit, open a bank account, receive your first salary slips (which are needed for your dossier), order your “attestation de non-poursuite” and get to know Geneva better, and it will also give you time to look around and not rush into any apartment.


 You can use the same facebook groups and websites I mentioned earlier to find apartments available for subrenting:


 


1- Word of mouth: from friends/colleagues of their friends. Always ask around in your place of work and try to look if there’s an announcements board.


2- Facebook groups: The most useful facebook groups are: Geneva EXPATS, Apartments in Geneva/Vaud, Geneva Expats Community, Reprise de Bail Geneve, Geneve petites annonces, Apartment to Rent in Geneva And Boarder Area For New Arrive.


3- Glocals.com: This site has an active classifieds section in which 10-30 new apartments are posted everyday.


4- If you are an employee you can check the classified ads posted on https://iseek-external.un.org/


 As I mentioned, this might be your best option for your first couple of months in Geneva. However, in this option, you will need to abide by the sublessor’s rules and instructions and you won’t enjoy full freedom as you would if you had your own apartment. Sublessors can have have strict requirements for potential sublessees. For example, some might ask you to bring a cleaner once every week during your stay or not use some of the dishes or appliances in the house. In our case, the sublessor asked us to take care of her cat during out stay which we didn’t mind at all since we are cat lovers :)


 Also, unlike the lease takeover option, when subrenting an apartment there might be room for negotiating the price. Some people tend to sublet their apartments at a price higher than the one they originally pay. So, if you think the price is a bit high, don’t be afraid to negotiate the price.


When you subrent an apartment make sure to sign a contract with the sublessor.


 


Renting a room in a shared apartment


 If you are on a tight budget, renting a room in a shared apartment might be your best option. However, you will not get the freedom you usually get being in an apartment.


 You can use the same facebook groups and websites I mentioned earlier to find rooms for rent:


 1- Word of mouth: from friends/colleagues of their friends. Always ask around in your place of work and try to look if there’s an announcements board.


2- Facebook groups: The most useful facebook groups are: Geneva EXPATS, Apartments in Geneva/Vaud, Geneva Expats Community, Reprise de Bail Geneve, Geneve petites annonces, Apartment to Rent in Geneva And Boarder Area For New Arrive.


3- Glocals.com: This site has an active classifieds section in which 10-30 new apartments are posted everyday.


4- If you are an employee you can check the classified ads posted on https://iseek-external.un.org/


 I suggest you send posts to all the sites and groups listed above, and make sure to mention all the details in your posts (the required period, your budget, some info about you etc.).


 A fair price for renting an apartment in Geneva can be anywhere from 700-1100 CHF per month. However, I’ve seen a lot of people offering shared rooms for rent for 1400 CHF and more! Which in my own opinion is ridiculous because at that price you actually rent your own private studio or one bedroom apartment.


Airbnb/Hotel rooms


If you are visiting Geneva for a short period of time from a couple of days up to 2-3 weeks whether for work or personal purposes, your best option might be booking a hotel or an Airbnb. Prices can vary greatly depending on the time of year, week or in case of special events, but you can expect to pay 35-65 CHF per night for a shared hostel room and anywhere between 100-1,000 CHF per night for a private hotel room/Airbnb apartment.


Preparing your dossier


As I mentioned earlier, “dossier” in French means folder or file, but in this context a dossier is the set of documents usually required by the regie to apply for apartments. On this page I will show you how to prepare your dossier.


 Take a copy of your complete dossier whenever you go to view an apartment.


 A complete dossier usually consists of:


1- The regie’s form


A typical regie’s form would include questions regarding your name, job, salary, number of family members, pets, current address, current rent, contact information etc. Make sure to complete all the fields. If you’re not sure of anything leave it empty and ask the regie or the current tenant. 


2- Attestation de non-poursuite not older than 3 months


The “Attestation de non-poursuite” is a document certifying that you do not have any outstanding debts in Switzerland. The easiest way to get the document is to order it online from http://ge.ch/opf/extrait-du-registre-des-poursuites-et-des The website is all in French, so if you don’t understand French, its better to ask for someone to help you. The whole process won’t take more than 3 minutes. The fees are 18 CHF and you can pay using major credit cards. You will receive the attestation in your mailbox within 3 days. Make sure that you write you mail address correctly. If you are subrenting an apartment you will need to include the name of the person on the mailbox in the address. The Attestation de non-poursuite should not be older than 3 months when submitted to the regie.


3- Attestation from your employer/job contract


A letter/job contract from your employer stating your monthly or annual salary.


 4- Payment slips of the last 3 months


In case you’ve just arrived in Geneva and you haven’t received any payslips, make sure to mention that in your dossier, either on the regie’s form or in a separate letter. A letter from your employer would be even better.


 5- Copies of residence permits/passports


 6- Any additional documents which might be relevant


 Make copies of all the above documents and don’t submit originals. Otherwise, you will have to issue the documents again which will cost you a lot of money and time.


 P.S.: Most regie applications are in French. If you don’t understand French make sure you have someone help you fill in the regie application. I once read that someone always answered the question about debts (poursuites) with “Oui” because he thought that the question meant “Do you have the Attestation de non-poursuite while it actually meant “Are you subject to debt enforcement?”. Of course, all his application were not taken into consideration by all the regies.



How to find the right apartment


First of all, let me tell you that there is no such thing as a perfect apartment. That doesn’t exist. But, there are good apartments and bad ones. A good apartment would be one that has an affordable monthly rent, good location, lots of living space etc. while a bad apartment would be one that is located far away from your office, has a very expensive rent or located right over a nightclub that plays loud music all night long!


 In order to find the right apartment, you need to weigh the pros and cons. If the pros exceed the cons then that would be a good apartment to apply for.


 My advice is not to focus too much on the little things and to concentrate mainly on the following:


1- Location:


I’m sure you’ve heard this before but I’ll repeat it again. Location, location, location. The most important factor me when choosing an apartment is the location. The location has to be near your office, school, supermarkets and transportation. If you can find an apartment at a walking distance from your office, in my opinion, that would be the your best option. Why? Well, think about it. Do you want to wake up everyday one hour earlier just to catch a bus, tram or a train? And wouldn’t you want to return to your house one hour earlier everyday? Wouldn’t you rather spend those 2 hours every day with your family, sleeping, exercising or doing any other activity you like?


Also, think about the weather. If you don’t have a car, you’ll have to wait for transportation under the rain, snow or sun and sometimes when the weather is bad, transportation gets disrupted … yes even in Geneva. In the beginning of March 2018, Geneva had around 10 cms of snow and the whole transportation system in the city was disrupted for the whole day.


 Also, your apartment has to be near a supermarket. Trust me, you don’t want to drag heavy groceries for a long distance every weekend. It’s good that tap water is drinkable in Geneva so you don’t have to carry drinking water bottles!


 So how close is close? If you can find something at a walking distance from your office, that would be your best option. If not, anything within 1-2 bus/tram stops from your office is considered good too. This way if the bus/tram doesn’t come for any reason, you can simply walk.


2- Monthly rent:


The second most important factor would be the monthly rent. If you think that the rent is above your budget and will force you to change your lifestyle, forget about it and continue looking around until you find something you’re comfortable with.


Make sure to ask what is included/excluded in the monthly rent. Usually, the monthly rent includes water, hot water and heating bills in addition to a cave (the storage room in the basement). Electricity, internet, and cable tv are not included in the charges unless that is clearly specified. Some apartments have a parking space included in the price while at other buildings a parking space can be rented for an extra monthly fee which usually goes from 200-300 CHF per month).


3- Noise/disturbance:


You need to make sure that apartment is not located above or near a nightclub/disco/cabaret or a loud bar. I’m sure no one likes to wake up at 3 am at the sound of drunk people shouting or at the sound of the bass shaking the building. After visiting the apartment, it is always wise to walk in the street where the apartment is located at night to make sure it’s quite.


Most night clubs are located in Paquis. So be extra careful when looking for apartments there. We once visited an apartment in Paquis and we were going to apply for it, but luckily we didn’t. We found out that it located next to nightclub that plays loud music from 11pm until 5 am every day!!


We actually found about the nightclub by total chance. The apartment was actually located above an Indian restaurant, and I was worried about the smell of the spices since it was too strong that you can smell it as soon as you enter the street. Don’t get me wrong, I love Indian food, but living above an Indian restaurant means that all your furniture, your clothes, your hair will smell like Indian spices all the time! Anyways, the next day after we visited the apartment, I googled the name of the regie, and as most of the regies in Geneva, they had bad reviews. One of the reviewers mentioned living in bad building which has an Indian restaurant, so I figured it could be the same building we visited and that it would be nice to get in touch with him to ask a few questions. Indeed, I found his name on Facebook and sent him a private message. He told me that the building was in a terrible shape and that the regie doesn’t want to fix any of the problems in the building and that they don’t answer any calls, and then he mentioned that there’s a nightclub in the neighbouring building which plays loud music all night! Being light sleepers, that apartment was a definite no-no for us.  


 4- Size of apartment:


The size of the apartment is also one of the important factors which you should take into consideration. If you are a single person, a studio apartment (bedroom and living room in the same space) may be fine for you, if you’re a couple, a studio might be ok but a one bedroom apartment (separate bedroom, separate living room) will definitely be better, and if you have kids then you’ll have to look for apartments with 2 or more bedrooms.


The room count in Geneva and Switzerland as a whole is very confusing and is difficult to understand. In one of the blogs, someone mentioned that understanding Einstein's theory of relativity is easier than understanding room count in Geneva, and unfortunately, I agree with that person too. The fact is there are no fixed rules or instructions in this regard. Once someone posted a question in one of the expats groups on Facebook regarding what counts as a room. He got more than 20 answers and each was different! So, apparently, this issue is open to interpretation and the room count in Geneva might be different than other Swiss cities (according to what I read). My advice is not to count on the number of rooms and to visit the apartment in person in order to have a clear idea, because the number of rooms is only indicative and sometimes a 2.5 room apartment can be bigger in size than a 3 room apartment.


 5- Built-in appliances or connections


 Unlike many other parts of the world, having a washing machine inside your apartment is considered a luxury in Geneva, Switzerland. Most apartment buildings have a shared laundry room in the basement (most of them are run by Lavorent) and no connection for a washing machine inside the apartment. People might have different opinions, but I believe having a washing machine at home is a must. This way you won’t have to wait for your turn to use the washing machine and you can use it as much and as often as you like at the comfort of your home. Also, you never know what other people wash in shared washing machines!


 If the apartment has a dishwasher or a connection for a dishwasher, that’s an extra. A friend of mine once said “the dishwasher is the secret to a happy marriage” so if you’re married get an apartment with a dishwasher!


 Also, many apartments come with built in ovens, cooking tops and fridges. Some of the built in fridges are very small. If this is the case, you need to make sure there is enough space in the kitchen for a larger fridge.  


Storage space and built-in closets are also among the other things you should take into account.


6- Floor


People have different preferences regarding which floor to live on. However, I have noticed that people don’t prefer to live on ground floor for safety and privacy reasons since they are easily accessible. Also, I personally wouldn’t recommend renting an attic apartment (“les combles” in French) as many of them have inclined windows which don’t allow you to see what’s going on the outside except for the birds in the sky! (See photo below).


Attics may also be colder in winter, however, that would depend on how well the apartment is insulated.


 



 


Other things to consider a washing machine, large fridge, storage, built in closets,


Warnings and Tips


While looking for an apartment to rent in Geneva, Switzerland, you might encounter some scams or unwanted hassles, following is a list of warning and tips which will help you in your apartment search.


 1-  If you visit an apartment and you simply don’t like it, you should never feel pressured to submit your dossier. If you submit your dossier and you get accepted and then you change your mind, you will have to pay a fine (usually 200 CHF) to the regie for their “efforts” in preparing the contract.


 2- Always try to leave a good impression on the regie or the current tenant (in case of sublets or lease takeovers). You need to show them that you are really interested in the apartment and that your the most suitable person for it. If they don’t like you, they will simply ignore your application.  


 3- Never ever take anyone’s word and don’t stop searching for an apartment until you receive an official contract from the regie. If you visit an apartment for lease takeover and the current tenant tells you that you that she/he will only submit your application, don’t take their word (even if they are honest, the final decision will be the regie’s not theirs, please read our own experience here).


 4- Always bring the complete dossier with you including the regie’s application form. You can find all regie forms here.


 5- Google everything! Google the location of the apartment to see how far is it from your locations of interest (office, school, gym, train station … etc.). Google the regies names to read reviews about them.


 6- Don’t post on Facebook saying that you’re looking for an apartment for rent and then sit back and wait for the offers to come, they simply won’t. It doesn’t work that way in Geneva. You need to do all the searching and contact regies and tenants as soon as an apartment is posted whether on Facebook, glocals.ch or regies’ websites.


 7- If you ever post on Facebook saying that you’re looking for an apartment, if you get any comments asking you to check a website, it is most probably a spammer trying to get visitors to his site, and most probably their site is useless, so it’s better for your to simply ignore it.


 8- If you find one person on Facebook posting several apartments, this person is most probably an agent or a scammer. Agents will help you find an apartment for a fee which is normally 1 or 2 months rent.  


 9- If the ad for an apartment contains words like “Rare”, “Amazing deal” … etc, be careful, it’s either a scan or an agent trying to get a commission.


 10- Read all the details mentioned details in the ad, sometimes you might miss small but very important details.


 11- You may find amazing deals on second hand furniture and electronics, you might even some stuff being offered for free. Don’t buy anything until you actually have an apartment to live in. Otherwise, if the items are big, you will have to pay for a moving person/company twice.


 12- If your application for an apartment is not accepted, you will not hear from the regie. Therefore, don’t stop searching until you actually get a formal approval/contract from the regie.


 13- Take photos of all the apartments you visit (but always ask first), and write down all the details and save them in an ordered manner on your computer. So that you remember which apartment is which once one of your applications is approved.



APPLICATION APPROVED – WHAT’S NEXT?


 So, your application was approved! Congratulations!!!! …… but wait!!! Don’t open that bottle of wine, not just yet! There’s still some work to do!


Once your application is approved, you will be notified by the regie by phone or email. In our case, we got the approval email from the regie only 3 days after we visited the apartment! The email was all in French, so if your French is not that good you might need someone to help or at least Google Translate. In the email the regie mentioned that our application was approved and listed the rent conditions. We replied to the email and asked if we can visit the regie’s office to discuss the details but they replied by saying that that’s not possible and that the landlord is not willing to do any maintenance works on the apartment and that we either accept the offer as it is or reject it. So, apparently, there’s no room for discussion. If we tried to negotiate or discuss any issue they would have simply moved to the next candidate, so we had to accept their offer as is.


 After accepting their conditions, the regie said that they will prepare the rent contract and that they will send it to us by mail for signing and they fixed the date for the “l’état des lieux”. The date of the “l’état des lieux” is technically the date on which you will receive the keys to the apartment and inspect the apartment, together with the regie, to record any damages made by the old tenant.


 


Eight days later, we received a set of documents by mail consisting of the following:


1- Bail A Loyer (lease contract) + BAIL A LOYER TYPE (standard lease contract)


2- Avis De Fixation Du Loyer: a document stating the amount of the rent.


3- Invoices to pay the rents for the first 2 months in advance.


4- An invoice to pay 120 chf as fees for dossier preparation (Frais de dossier location)


5- ATTESTATION POUR L’OBTENTION D’UNE GARANTIE POUR LOYER: this is a document which you need to give to your bank so that they can set aside the guarantee amount (3 months rent).


6- Autorisation de paiement avec driot de contestation (LSV+ or CH-DD): an form to authorize the regie to automatically debit the rent from your account each month.


7- BULLETIN DE COMMANDE POUR BOITE AUX LETTRE + POUR PORTE D’APPARTEMENT + POUR INTERPHONE: a form to fill in how you want your name to be engraved on the name plates (plaquettes) on the interphone, mailbox and apartment door.


8- QUESTIONNAIRE ASSURANCES LOCATAIRES: a form to fill in with the details of your liability insurance (CV Assurance)


9- BUILDING INSTRUCTIONS AND RULES


 Again, all the documents were in French, so if you don’t speak French, make sure there’s someone to help you understand them as they contain important conditions regarding your rent.


 After receiving these documents, we signed the contract, visited the bank to set up the 3-month guarantee (around 1 hour) and the automatic monthly rent payment, paid the 2 months in advance and the regie fees invoice, ordered a personal liability insurance and filled in all the required forms then sent them back to the regie by mail.


 You can order your personal liability insurance easily online. Check https://en.comparis.ch/hausrat-versicherung/default to compare all the different plans and prices.


 In addition to the all above the regie asked us to contact the following entities before moving into the new apartment:


1- Services industriels de Geneve (SIG): this is the electricity company to change the name of the account holder so that electricity bills come in your name in the future. This can be done either online on their website https://ww3.sig-ge.ch/clients/particuliers/mes-services-en-ligne/demenager  or by phone: 0844/80.08.08.


2- Office cantonal de la Population to change your address: https://www.ge.ch/annoncer-changement-adresse-geneve


 


On the date of the “l’état des lieux”, you will inspect the apartment along with the one of the regie’s technical staff. The regie’s staff will have some kind of a tablet to take photos and record all the issues or damages in the apartment. A couple of days later, you will receive a report with all the issues and photos. You will have one week to review the report and to report any issues which were not mentioned.


Make sure to inspect everything, and by everything I mean …. everything regardless of how small or unimportant it may seem or otherwise you will be held responsible for it once you leave the apartment, then ask the regie to include all the issues you find in the report.


Just to give you an example, the old tenant lost the keys to one of the doors locks (which I personally don’t use). The regie made her pay 280 CHF to replace the lock.


Now, after you’re done with all the above, you can reach out to that bottle of wine and celebrate on the floor in your empty apartment because furnishing your apartment is totally different story! Santé!

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Hi guys, indeed the site is down, I had problems with my hosting. If you don't mind, I will post the whole blog as text here.

The newcomer’s guide to finding an apartment in Geneva, Switzerland


 


Introduction: Bienvenue in Geneva! and congratulations on your move!

If you’ve already been in contact with anyone living in Geneva or you’ve read some of the forums or articles online, I’m sure you’ve already heard that finding an apartment in Geneva is not a walk in the park, and unfortunately, I can’t say otherwise.

Like all newcomer expats in Geneva, I went through the process of finding an apartment, which was very challenging and full of hassles, especially for someone not aware of all the ins and outs of the rental system in Geneva, Switzerland and for someone who doesn’t speak French. That is why I decided to write this step by step guide to explain to all English-speaking newcomers the whole process in a simple manner which will hopefully make your apartment search less stressful.

I will explain in detail all the steps of the process, the definitions of all the important French terms that you will need to know when looking for an apartment in Geneva and I will provide a list of all the regies (property management companies) in Geneva in addition to tips that will help you find the best apartment for your money without falling victim to any scams. The guide might be a bit long but please read all the pages because they are all equally important.

Notes:


Please note that some of the things mentioned in this guide were based on my personal experience and your experience might be different.   


This guide was written in March 2018 and the prices and practices might not be applicable in future years.

The Definitions

Before going into explaining the process, I will start with the definitions of the terms that you will need to know before starting your apartment search in Geneva.

Sublet (French: Sous Location): Subletting is when the tenant (not the landlord) rents out the apartment he is already renting from the landlord and for which he has a rental lease in his name. Many of the apartments you’ll find will be sublets. Sublets are usually for a defined period that can be from one to a couple of years. Subrenting an apartment can be your best option when you first arrive in Geneva. I will explain why later on.

Lease takeover (French: Reprise de Bail): Lease takeover, as the words say, is taking over a rental lease from another tenant. A lease takeover usually happens when the current tenant does not wish to continue renting the apartment and wishes to find someone else who continue the lease and transfer the name into his name. This option is the long-term option you should be looking for.

Regie (Property Management Company):  The regie is a property management company. In geneva and the big cities in Switzerland apartment, building and rental contracts. So technically speaking, when renting an apartment you will deal directly with the regie and not with the landlord.

Dossier (French): literally speaking, “dossier” means folder or file, but in this context a dossier is the set of documents usually required by the regie to apply for apartments.
A complete dossier usually consists of
1- The regie’s form
2- Attestation de non-poursuite not older than 3 months (how to get the attestation de non-poursuite)  
3- Attestation from your employer
4- Payment slips of the last 3 months
5- Copies of residence permits
6- Any additional documents which might be relevant

Charges (French): bills, in specific, charges usually include water, hot water and heating bills. Electricity, internet, and cable tv are not included in the charges unless that is clearly specified

Cave (French): A “Cave” is a storage room usually found in the building basement. Most apartments will come with a cave included in the rent.

Box: A “Box” in Geneva is actually a parking space. It can be included in the rent price but most often it comes at an additional monthly fee.

Pièce (French): A “pièce” in this context is room. So if you see “3 pièces apartment” that would be mean a 3-room apartment. However, that doesn’t mean a 3 bedroom apartment. Please read my note of room count in Geneva by clicking here.

Comble/Les Combles (French): French word for attic. These apartments are usually on the last floor and have a wooden slanted ceiling with wooden beams.

HLM apartments: HLM stands for “Habitation à Loyer Modéré" (low rent housing). This type of apartments is subsidized and you have to meet certain criteria in order to rent one (maximum yearly income, number of family members etc.). For more info: https://www.ge.ch/logement/acces-logements-subventionnes/logements-subv-base.asp

Real Estate Agents: These can be companies or individuals who help people in their search for an apartment and in return they receive a commission equal to 1 or 2 months rent.


The Rental System - Finding an Apartment

Finding an apartment to rent in any part of the world can be a bit of challenge, but in Geneva it’s double that. In most countries, if you're looking for an apartment for rent you check online classified ads, newspapers, etc. You call the landlord, set an appointment, visit the apartment and if you like it you can even sign the contract on the same day. However, in Geneva, it's not that simple. In Geneva, the demand for apartments is very high. In other words, not many apartments are available for rent. I once read that Geneva has one of the nation’s lowest rate of unoccupied dwellings at 0.45 percent (2016).  That means for every 1000 apartments in Geneva, only 4.5 apartments are vacant! And most probably they are old apartments of poor quality.

Due to this high demand for apartments, interested potential tenants have to compete in order to win a lease contract through a process which includes sending an application (the complete dossier) to the regie in order to be considered exactly like sending a application to be considered for a job, and your chances of winning this contest depend on many factors, the most important of which are your salary and number of family members among others.

In principle, your salary should be equal to least 3 times the monthly rent. So, for example, if your monthly salary is 6,000 CHF, the regie will not consider your application if the monthly rent is over 2,000 CHF. Also, regies look at other factors such as the number of family members and if it is suitable for the apartment you are applying for. In other words, if you are a single person applying for 2 bedroom apartment, your chances of winning that apartment will be very low since a 2 bedroom apartment will be more suitable for a family.

There are several ways to find accomodation/rent an apartment in Geneva depending on your requirements, needs and most importantly the period of time you intend to stay in Geneva. These are:
- Regie announcements
- Lease takeovers
- Sublets
- Renting a single room in shared apartment
- Hotel rooms/Airbnb apartments

Regie announcements
Apartments in Geneva are controlled by regies (see definition here). If an apartment is vacant because the old tenant’s contract expired and he/she doesn't wish to renew it, the regie who is responsible for that apartment will post an announcement on their website and, at times, on other real estate websites. In the announcement, they usually set a time and date for visiting the apartment. If you are interested in viewing the apartment you should go at the set time and date with your full dossier.

What to expect in apartment visits?
The regie/s (usually one or two persons representing the regie company) will meet interested tenants either at the entrance of the building or at the apartment door (depending on what is mentioned in the announcement). Sometimes, when there is no set time for visits, you can call the regie an book a time to visit the apartment, but the most common type of apartment viewings are group visits.

Always be on time. If you come outside the set hours you will find the doors closed. The regies will not wait for anyone.

If it’s a group visit, it is a good idea to say hello to the regie and introduce yourself before coming in. Once inside, have a look around and if you have any questions, you can always ask the regie. If you’re interested in renting the apartment, you can leave your full dossier with the regie. Some regies might ask interested tenants to send their dossiers by mail or to leave them at the company office.

Tip: Never ever go to view an apartment without your full dossier.

Always notice the date of entry (the date in which the lease contract begins) in the announcement. If it is not mentioned, ask the regie. In most cases you might not be able to negotiate and ask for a different date of entry. The regie will try to find a tenant as soon as possible.

If you’re staying in Geneva for a long time (one year or more), this option and option number 2 (on the next page) are your best choices for finding an apartment. However, the downside of this option is that you will be competing with many other possible tenants especially if the apartment is in a good location and is of good quality. This is why you should apply to as many apartments as you can in order to increase your chances. But again, take your time and don’t rush things and apply for an apartment you don’t like because you’ll be stuck in it for at least one year.


 


Where to find regie announcements?


 


Useful links which show all the regie announcements in Geneva:


https://www.glocals.com/classifieds/geneva/housing-and-real-estate

https://www.homegate.ch/en


https://www.immostreet.ch


https://www.immoscout24.ch


https://www.home.ch

You can also visit the website of each regie in Geneva and search for apartments which meet your criteria. Remember, if no visit date is mentioned in the announcement, you can call the regie to set an appointment. 


The websites of some regies allow you to register to receive notifications whenever an a new apartment which meets your criteria is posted. If you find this option, it’s a very good idea to sign up to the notifications so you don’t miss any good opportunities.


 Most announcements will be posted in French, so if you don’t understand French, you can use Google Translate. It won’t be an exact translation but it will give you a rough idea.

How many apartments should I visit?
Well that depends, but I suggest you visit as many apartments as you can. When I first arrived in Geneva, I asked this question to the guy whose apartment I was sub-renting and his answer was “I don’t even remember how many apartments I visited, I used to go to the apartments and just handover my dossier without evening having a look!”.

However, in our case, we only visited 6 apartments before we got accepted for one of them. Your case might be different depending on your own personal circumstances.

Lease takeovers


This is the second, and in my opinion the better, option to find a long-term apartment in Geneva. A “Lease takeover” is, as the words say, taking over a rental lease from another tenant. A lease takeover usually happens when the current tenant does not wish to continue renting the apartment and wishes to find someone else who continue the lease and transfer the name into his name.


 You can find apartments available for lease takeover by one of the following:


1- Word of mouth: from friends/colleagues of their friends. Always ask around in your place of work and try to look if there’s an announcements board.


2- Facebook groups: The most useful facebook groups are: Geneva EXPATS, Apartments in Geneva/Vaud, Geneva Expats Community, Reprise de Bail Geneve, Geneve petites annonces, Apartment to Rent in Geneva And Boarder Area For New Arrive.


3- Glocals.com: This site has an active classifieds


section in which 10-30 new apartments are posted everyday.


4- If you are an employee you can check the classified ads posted on https://iseek-external.un.org/


 


If you find an interesting apartment, you need to act quickly, very quickly. Why? Because there are tens if not hundreds of people like you looking for apartments in Geneve, and as soon as someone posts an apartment for lease takeover, this person will be bombarded with private messages, and they will soon take the post off the group. So technically speaking, if someone posts a good apartment, it might not stay on the group from more than 1 hour. That’s why you need to act as quickly as possible. Send a private message to the poster and try to set an appointment to view the apartment if that is not set already in the post. But don’t ask too many questions, I noticed that some posters get a bit annoyed.


 As I mentioned, this option might be a better and an easier option for finding an apartment in Geneva since the number of applications that are usually submitted for a lease takeover are much less than those submitted in the first option, and therefore, your chances of getting the apartment will be higher. What usually happens is that the regie asks the current tenant to provide a few (2-5) applications which meet the criteria as opposed to competing with 20+ applications in the first option.


Even though this might be the best option, it still has a few cons. For example, some tenants have certain criteria which you have to meet (in addition to the regie’s criteria). One of the tenants I met told me that they are only considering applications from couples who are willing to buy their furniture! I know it sounds crazy but this is how it goes.


 Also, I have noticed that many of those who post apartments for lease takeover discriminate between the people who contact them and do not even respond to their messages.


 On many occasions where the poster was a female, my private messages were ignored. So, I felt something wasn’t right. It could be either because I am male and the poster wouldn’t want any man to come to view their apartment as they might have other malicious purposes. Or because of my Arab name.


 In the beginning, I wasn’t very sure of this. However, after many of my private messages were ignored, I asked my wife (who has a western sounding name) to contact the same people who ignored me, and to my surprise her messages were answered within minutes!


 One day, a lady posted an apartment for lease takeover, I sent her a message to inquire about the apartment. No response, nada! An hour later, I asked my wife to to send her a message from her account, and she gets a reply within 5 minutes with all the details regarding the apartment and visiting hours! An hour later, the same lady replied to my message saying that the apartment is not available anymore! Minutes later, I saw her post the same apartment on a different group!!! So I have no idea what her reason was but she was definitely avoiding me. The funny thing is that my wife and I visited the apartment and I introduced myself to the lady but I am not sure if she realized that I was the same person she was avoiding!


 On a different occasion, another lady posted an apartment for rent. I sent her a private message, she replied. I asked her when is it possible to visit the apartment, she gave me a time and date, I asked her for her phone number so I can call her once I get to the location, she said “I don’t give my number to strangers!”!! Seriously?? How will you know that I arrived?? Telepathy? Anyways, 2 minutes later, she sends me a message saying that her boyfriend found a new tenant for the apartment!! Again, it was obvious that she was avoiding me whether for the fact that I am male or due to my Arab name!


 So, unfortunately, in this option, you will have to meet the regie’s criteria in addition to those of the current tenant (as if regies criteria are not complicated enough). However, don’t let that let you down. Expect everything. If you get ignored, move on to the next apartment. Otherwise, you’ll just waste your time and effort.



Subrenting


 Subrenting is renting an apartment from the tenant, who already has a lease contract in their name through options 1 or 2, as opposed to renting an apartment from the regie or the landlord.


 Why do people sublet their apartments?


 People sublet their apartments for many reasons. They can be taking a leave from work or a vacation etc. and they can’t afford to leave their apartment vacant. So they decide to sublet their apartment to cover for the rent they are already paying.


 Subrenting an apartment can be your best option when you first arrive in Geneva. It is wise in the beginning to subrent an apartment for 2-4 months. Why? Because subrenting an apartment for a short period of time doesn’t require having a complete dossier (which needs some time to prepare). This will allow you time to apply for your residency permit, open a bank account, receive your first salary slips (which are needed for your dossier), order your “attestation de non-poursuite” and get to know Geneva better, and it will also give you time to look around and not rush into any apartment.


 You can use the same facebook groups and websites I mentioned earlier to find apartments available for subrenting:


 


1- Word of mouth: from friends/colleagues of their friends. Always ask around in your place of work and try to look if there’s an announcements board.


2- Facebook groups: The most useful facebook groups are: Geneva EXPATS, Apartments in Geneva/Vaud, Geneva Expats Community, Reprise de Bail Geneve, Geneve petites annonces, Apartment to Rent in Geneva And Boarder Area For New Arrive.


3- Glocals.com: This site has an active classifieds section in which 10-30 new apartments are posted everyday.


4- If you are an employee you can check the classified ads posted on https://iseek-external.un.org/


 As I mentioned, this might be your best option for your first couple of months in Geneva. However, in this option, you will need to abide by the sublessor’s rules and instructions and you won’t enjoy full freedom as you would if you had your own apartment. Sublessors can have have strict requirements for potential sublessees. For example, some might ask you to bring a cleaner once every week during your stay or not use some of the dishes or appliances in the house. In our case, the sublessor asked us to take care of her cat during out stay which we didn’t mind at all since we are cat lovers :)


 Also, unlike the lease takeover option, when subrenting an apartment there might be room for negotiating the price. Some people tend to sublet their apartments at a price higher than the one they originally pay. So, if you think the price is a bit high, don’t be afraid to negotiate the price.


When you subrent an apartment make sure to sign a contract with the sublessor.


 


Renting a room in a shared apartment


 If you are on a tight budget, renting a room in a shared apartment might be your best option. However, you will not get the freedom you usually get being in an apartment.


 You can use the same facebook groups and websites I mentioned earlier to find rooms for rent:


 1- Word of mouth: from friends/colleagues of their friends. Always ask around in your place of work and try to look if there’s an announcements board.


2- Facebook groups: The most useful facebook groups are: Geneva EXPATS, Apartments in Geneva/Vaud, Geneva Expats Community, Reprise de Bail Geneve, Geneve petites annonces, Apartment to Rent in Geneva And Boarder Area For New Arrive.


3- Glocals.com: This site has an active classifieds section in which 10-30 new apartments are posted everyday.


4- If you are an employee you can check the classified ads posted on https://iseek-external.un.org/


 I suggest you send posts to all the sites and groups listed above, and make sure to mention all the details in your posts (the required period, your budget, some info about you etc.).


 A fair price for renting an apartment in Geneva can be anywhere from 700-1100 CHF per month. However, I’ve seen a lot of people offering shared rooms for rent for 1400 CHF and more! Which in my own opinion is ridiculous because at that price you actually rent your own private studio or one bedroom apartment.


Airbnb/Hotel rooms


If you are visiting Geneva for a short period of time from a couple of days up to 2-3 weeks whether for work or personal purposes, your best option might be booking a hotel or an Airbnb. Prices can vary greatly depending on the time of year, week or in case of special events, but you can expect to pay 35-65 CHF per night for a shared hostel room and anywhere between 100-1,000 CHF per night for a private hotel room/Airbnb apartment.


Preparing your dossier


As I mentioned earlier, “dossier” in French means folder or file, but in this context a dossier is the set of documents usually required by the regie to apply for apartments. On this page I will show you how to prepare your dossier.


 Take a copy of your complete dossier whenever you go to view an apartment.


 A complete dossier usually consists of:


1- The regie’s form


A typical regie’s form would include questions regarding your name, job, salary, number of family members, pets, current address, current rent, contact information etc. Make sure to complete all the fields. If you’re not sure of anything leave it empty and ask the regie or the current tenant. 


2- Attestation de non-poursuite not older than 3 months


The “Attestation de non-poursuite” is a document certifying that you do not have any outstanding debts in Switzerland. The easiest way to get the document is to order it online from http://ge.ch/opf/extrait-du-registre-des-poursuites-et-des The website is all in French, so if you don’t understand French, its better to ask for someone to help you. The whole process won’t take more than 3 minutes. The fees are 18 CHF and you can pay using major credit cards. You will receive the attestation in your mailbox within 3 days. Make sure that you write you mail address correctly. If you are subrenting an apartment you will need to include the name of the person on the mailbox in the address. The Attestation de non-poursuite should not be older than 3 months when submitted to the regie.


3- Attestation from your employer/job contract


A letter/job contract from your employer stating your monthly or annual salary.


 4- Payment slips of the last 3 months


In case you’ve just arrived in Geneva and you haven’t received any payslips, make sure to mention that in your dossier, either on the regie’s form or in a separate letter. A letter from your employer would be even better.


 5- Copies of residence permits/passports


 6- Any additional documents which might be relevant


 Make copies of all the above documents and don’t submit originals. Otherwise, you will have to issue the documents again which will cost you a lot of money and time.


 P.S.: Most regie applications are in French. If you don’t understand French make sure you have someone help you fill in the regie application. I once read that someone always answered the question about debts (poursuites) with “Oui” because he thought that the question meant “Do you have the Attestation de non-poursuite while it actually meant “Are you subject to debt enforcement?”. Of course, all his application were not taken into consideration by all the regies.



How to find the right apartment


First of all, let me tell you that there is no such thing as a perfect apartment. That doesn’t exist. But, there are good apartments and bad ones. A good apartment would be one that has an affordable monthly rent, good location, lots of living space etc. while a bad apartment would be one that is located far away from your office, has a very expensive rent or located right over a nightclub that plays loud music all night long!


 In order to find the right apartment, you need to weigh the pros and cons. If the pros exceed the cons then that would be a good apartment to apply for.


 My advice is not to focus too much on the little things and to concentrate mainly on the following:


1- Location:


I’m sure you’ve heard this before but I’ll repeat it again. Location, location, location. The most important factor me when choosing an apartment is the location. The location has to be near your office, school, supermarkets and transportation. If you can find an apartment at a walking distance from your office, in my opinion, that would be the your best option. Why? Well, think about it. Do you want to wake up everyday one hour earlier just to catch a bus, tram or a train? And wouldn’t you want to return to your house one hour earlier everyday? Wouldn’t you rather spend those 2 hours every day with your family, sleeping, exercising or doing any other activity you like?


Also, think about the weather. If you don’t have a car, you’ll have to wait for transportation under the rain, snow or sun and sometimes when the weather is bad, transportation gets disrupted … yes even in Geneva. In the beginning of March 2018, Geneva had around 10 cms of snow and the whole transportation system in the city was disrupted for the whole day.


 Also, your apartment has to be near a supermarket. Trust me, you don’t want to drag heavy groceries for a long distance every weekend. It’s good that tap water is drinkable in Geneva so you don’t have to carry drinking water bottles!


 So how close is close? If you can find something at a walking distance from your office, that would be your best option. If not, anything within 1-2 bus/tram stops from your office is considered good too. This way if the bus/tram doesn’t come for any reason, you can simply walk.


2- Monthly rent:


The second most important factor would be the monthly rent. If you think that the rent is above your budget and will force you to change your lifestyle, forget about it and continue looking around until you find something you’re comfortable with.


Make sure to ask what is included/excluded in the monthly rent. Usually, the monthly rent includes water, hot water and heating bills in addition to a cave (the storage room in the basement). Electricity, internet, and cable tv are not included in the charges unless that is clearly specified. Some apartments have a parking space included in the price while at other buildings a parking space can be rented for an extra monthly fee which usually goes from 200-300 CHF per month).


3- Noise/disturbance:


You need to make sure that apartment is not located above or near a nightclub/disco/cabaret or a loud bar. I’m sure no one likes to wake up at 3 am at the sound of drunk people shouting or at the sound of the bass shaking the building. After visiting the apartment, it is always wise to walk in the street where the apartment is located at night to make sure it’s quite.


Most night clubs are located in Paquis. So be extra careful when looking for apartments there. We once visited an apartment in Paquis and we were going to apply for it, but luckily we didn’t. We found out that it located next to nightclub that plays loud music from 11pm until 5 am every day!!


We actually found about the nightclub by total chance. The apartment was actually located above an Indian restaurant, and I was worried about the smell of the spices since it was too strong that you can smell it as soon as you enter the street. Don’t get me wrong, I love Indian food, but living above an Indian restaurant means that all your furniture, your clothes, your hair will smell like Indian spices all the time! Anyways, the next day after we visited the apartment, I googled the name of the regie, and as most of the regies in Geneva, they had bad reviews. One of the reviewers mentioned living in bad building which has an Indian restaurant, so I figured it could be the same building we visited and that it would be nice to get in touch with him to ask a few questions. Indeed, I found his name on Facebook and sent him a private message. He told me that the building was in a terrible shape and that the regie doesn’t want to fix any of the problems in the building and that they don’t answer any calls, and then he mentioned that there’s a nightclub in the neighbouring building which plays loud music all night! Being light sleepers, that apartment was a definite no-no for us.  


 4- Size of apartment:


The size of the apartment is also one of the important factors which you should take into consideration. If you are a single person, a studio apartment (bedroom and living room in the same space) may be fine for you, if you’re a couple, a studio might be ok but a one bedroom apartment (separate bedroom, separate living room) will definitely be better, and if you have kids then you’ll have to look for apartments with 2 or more bedrooms.


The room count in Geneva and Switzerland as a whole is very confusing and is difficult to understand. In one of the blogs, someone mentioned that understanding Einstein's theory of relativity is easier than understanding room count in Geneva, and unfortunately, I agree with that person too. The fact is there are no fixed rules or instructions in this regard. Once someone posted a question in one of the expats groups on Facebook regarding what counts as a room. He got more than 20 answers and each was different! So, apparently, this issue is open to interpretation and the room count in Geneva might be different than other Swiss cities (according to what I read). My advice is not to count on the number of rooms and to visit the apartment in person in order to have a clear idea, because the number of rooms is only indicative and sometimes a 2.5 room apartment can be bigger in size than a 3 room apartment.


 5- Built-in appliances or connections


 Unlike many other parts of the world, having a washing machine inside your apartment is considered a luxury in Geneva, Switzerland. Most apartment buildings have a shared laundry room in the basement (most of them are run by Lavorent) and no connection for a washing machine inside the apartment. People might have different opinions, but I believe having a washing machine at home is a must. This way you won’t have to wait for your turn to use the washing machine and you can use it as much and as often as you like at the comfort of your home. Also, you never know what other people wash in shared washing machines!


 If the apartment has a dishwasher or a connection for a dishwasher, that’s an extra. A friend of mine once said “the dishwasher is the secret to a happy marriage” so if you’re married get an apartment with a dishwasher!


 Also, many apartments come with built in ovens, cooking tops and fridges. Some of the built in fridges are very small. If this is the case, you need to make sure there is enough space in the kitchen for a larger fridge.  


Storage space and built-in closets are also among the other things you should take into account.


6- Floor


People have different preferences regarding which floor to live on. However, I have noticed that people don’t prefer to live on ground floor for safety and privacy reasons since they are easily accessible. Also, I personally wouldn’t recommend renting an attic apartment (“les combles” in French) as many of them have inclined windows which don’t allow you to see what’s going on the outside except for the birds in the sky! (See photo below).


Attics may also be colder in winter, however, that would depend on how well the apartment is insulated.


 



 


Other things to consider a washing machine, large fridge, storage, built in closets,


Warnings and Tips


While looking for an apartment to rent in Geneva, Switzerland, you might encounter some scams or unwanted hassles, following is a list of warning and tips which will help you in your apartment search.


 1-  If you visit an apartment and you simply don’t like it, you should never feel pressured to submit your dossier. If you submit your dossier and you get accepted and then you change your mind, you will have to pay a fine (usually 200 CHF) to the regie for their “efforts” in preparing the contract.


 2- Always try to leave a good impression on the regie or the current tenant (in case of sublets or lease takeovers). You need to show them that you are really interested in the apartment and that your the most suitable person for it. If they don’t like you, they will simply ignore your application.  


 3- Never ever take anyone’s word and don’t stop searching for an apartment until you receive an official contract from the regie. If you visit an apartment for lease takeover and the current tenant tells you that you that she/he will only submit your application, don’t take their word (even if they are honest, the final decision will be the regie’s not theirs, please read our own experience here).


 4- Always bring the complete dossier with you including the regie’s application form. You can find all regie forms here.


 5- Google everything! Google the location of the apartment to see how far is it from your locations of interest (office, school, gym, train station … etc.). Google the regies names to read reviews about them.


 6- Don’t post on Facebook saying that you’re looking for an apartment for rent and then sit back and wait for the offers to come, they simply won’t. It doesn’t work that way in Geneva. You need to do all the searching and contact regies and tenants as soon as an apartment is posted whether on Facebook, glocals.ch or regies’ websites.


 7- If you ever post on Facebook saying that you’re looking for an apartment, if you get any comments asking you to check a website, it is most probably a spammer trying to get visitors to his site, and most probably their site is useless, so it’s better for your to simply ignore it.


 8- If you find one person on Facebook posting several apartments, this person is most probably an agent or a scammer. Agents will help you find an apartment for a fee which is normally 1 or 2 months rent.  


 9- If the ad for an apartment contains words like “Rare”, “Amazing deal” … etc, be careful, it’s either a scan or an agent trying to get a commission.


 10- Read all the details mentioned details in the ad, sometimes you might miss small but very important details.


 11- You may find amazing deals on second hand furniture and electronics, you might even some stuff being offered for free. Don’t buy anything until you actually have an apartment to live in. Otherwise, if the items are big, you will have to pay for a moving person/company twice.


 12- If your application for an apartment is not accepted, you will not hear from the regie. Therefore, don’t stop searching until you actually get a formal approval/contract from the regie.


 13- Take photos of all the apartments you visit (but always ask first), and write down all the details and save them in an ordered manner on your computer. So that you remember which apartment is which once one of your applications is approved.



APPLICATION APPROVED – WHAT’S NEXT?


 So, your application was approved! Congratulations!!!! …… but wait!!! Don’t open that bottle of wine, not just yet! There’s still some work to do!


Once your application is approved, you will be notified by the regie by phone or email. In our case, we got the approval email from the regie only 3 days after we visited the apartment! The email was all in French, so if your French is not that good you might need someone to help or at least Google Translate. In the email the regie mentioned that our application was approved and listed the rent conditions. We replied to the email and asked if we can visit the regie’s office to discuss the details but they replied by saying that that’s not possible and that the landlord is not willing to do any maintenance works on the apartment and that we either accept the offer as it is or reject it. So, apparently, there’s no room for discussion. If we tried to negotiate or discuss any issue they would have simply moved to the next candidate, so we had to accept their offer as is.


 After accepting their conditions, the regie said that they will prepare the rent contract and that they will send it to us by mail for signing and they fixed the date for the “l’état des lieux”. The date of the “l’état des lieux” is technically the date on which you will receive the keys to the apartment and inspect the apartment, together with the regie, to record any damages made by the old tenant.


 


Eight days later, we received a set of documents by mail consisting of the following:


1- Bail A Loyer (lease contract) + BAIL A LOYER TYPE (standard lease contract)


2- Avis De Fixation Du Loyer: a document stating the amount of the rent.


3- Invoices to pay the rents for the first 2 months in advance.


4- An invoice to pay 120 chf as fees for dossier preparation (Frais de dossier location)


5- ATTESTATION POUR L’OBTENTION D’UNE GARANTIE POUR LOYER: this is a document which you need to give to your bank so that they can set aside the guarantee amount (3 months rent).


6- Autorisation de paiement avec driot de contestation (LSV+ or CH-DD): an form to authorize the regie to automatically debit the rent from your account each month.


7- BULLETIN DE COMMANDE POUR BOITE AUX LETTRE + POUR PORTE D’APPARTEMENT + POUR INTERPHONE: a form to fill in how you want your name to be engraved on the name plates (plaquettes) on the interphone, mailbox and apartment door.


8- QUESTIONNAIRE ASSURANCES LOCATAIRES: a form to fill in with the details of your liability insurance (CV Assurance)


9- BUILDING INSTRUCTIONS AND RULES


 Again, all the documents were in French, so if you don’t speak French, make sure there’s someone to help you understand them as they contain important conditions regarding your rent.


 After receiving these documents, we signed the contract, visited the bank to set up the 3-month guarantee (around 1 hour) and the automatic monthly rent payment, paid the 2 months in advance and the regie fees invoice, ordered a personal liability insurance and filled in all the required forms then sent them back to the regie by mail.


 You can order your personal liability insurance easily online. Check https://en.comparis.ch/hausrat-versicherung/default to compare all the different plans and prices.


 In addition to the all above the regie asked us to contact the following entities before moving into the new apartment:


1- Services industriels de Geneve (SIG): this is the electricity company to change the name of the account holder so that electricity bills come in your name in the future. This can be done either online on their website https://ww3.sig-ge.ch/clients/particuliers/mes-services-en-ligne/demenager  or by phone: 0844/80.08.08.


2- Office cantonal de la Population to change your address: https://www.ge.ch/annoncer-changement-adresse-geneve


 


On the date of the “l’état des lieux”, you will inspect the apartment along with the one of the regie’s technical staff. The regie’s staff will have some kind of a tablet to take photos and record all the issues or damages in the apartment. A couple of days later, you will receive a report with all the issues and photos. You will have one week to review the report and to report any issues which were not mentioned.


Make sure to inspect everything, and by everything I mean …. everything regardless of how small or unimportant it may seem or otherwise you will be held responsible for it once you leave the apartment, then ask the regie to include all the issues you find in the report.


Just to give you an example, the old tenant lost the keys to one of the doors locks (which I personally don’t use). The regie made her pay 280 CHF to replace the lock.


Now, after you’re done with all the above, you can reach out to that bottle of wine and celebrate on the floor in your empty apartment because furnishing your apartment is totally different story! Santé!


Ziad M, Feb 14, 2019 @ 06:25
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Post 11

why not post up in Facebook for free? 


This will be popular and you can get some arrangement for traffic on your page wiht FB

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why not post up in Facebook for free? 


This will be popular and you can get some arrangement for traffic on your page wiht FB


Dave G, Feb 14, 2019 @ 18:26
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Another really great new site is www.helloswitzerland.ch which give a guide for many subject matters 

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Another really great new site is www.helloswitzerland.ch which give a guide for many subject matters 


Dave G, Feb 14, 2019 @ 18:27
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Post 13

Hi Ziad, many many thanks for this. What a comprehensive article! Extremely useful. 


I noticed that in the article you say "For a full list of all regies’ names, websites and contact details please click here". But the link is not activated. Can you please share it? 


We've been living in Geneva almost three years and are planning to move to another apartment in April, and its definitely a very challenging project. 


Thank you.  

The text you are quoting:

Hi Ziad, many many thanks for this. What a comprehensive article! Extremely useful. 


I noticed that in the article you say "For a full list of all regies’ names, websites and contact details please click here". But the link is not activated. Can you please share it? 


We've been living in Geneva almost three years and are planning to move to another apartment in April, and its definitely a very challenging project. 


Thank you.  


Gaurav Garg, Feb 17, 2019 @ 19:22
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Post 14

It's not as easy as it seems, do you have an idea how much traffic you need to make a couple of francs? a lot!! hundreds of thousands. When I had the website, I barely made a couple of cents every month, not enough to cover 10% of what I paid for the hosting :) 

The text you are quoting:

It's not as easy as it seems, do you have an idea how much traffic you need to make a couple of francs? a lot!! hundreds of thousands. When I had the website, I barely made a couple of cents every month, not enough to cover 10% of what I paid for the hosting :) 


Ziad M, Feb 17, 2019 @ 19:40
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Hi Ziad, many many thanks for this. What a comprehensive article! Extremely useful. 

I noticed that in the article you say "For a full list of all regies’ names, websites and contact details please click here". But the link is not activated. Can you please share it? 

We've been living in Geneva almost three years and are planning to move to another apartment in April, and its definitely a very challenging project. 

Thank you.  


Feb 17, 19 19:22

Hi Guarav, I'm glad you found the guide helpful :) Yeah non of the links work now since I just copied and pasted the text here as it is and unfortunately I don't have the list of the regies anymore, but there's another website which has details of all the regies: http://www.les-regies-a-geneve.ch/ good luck 

The text you are quoting:

Hi Guarav, I'm glad you found the guide helpful :) Yeah non of the links work now since I just copied and pasted the text here as it is and unfortunately I don't have the list of the regies anymore, but there's another website which has details of all the regies: http://www.les-regies-a-geneve.ch/ good luck 


Ziad M, Feb 17, 2019 @ 19:42
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