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Questions about rent and security deposits
Feb 4, 2015 @ 17:57

Hi guys - I'm new here, so this might not be the right place but hear me out...


I'm looking for a place to live in Geneva for the end of February, and so far this site has been really useful for browsing adverts for rooms etc.


There has been one issue however, and that's that everyone wants a security deposit and seems to want it directly transferred to their personal bank account. For me this makes me really uncomfortable, as I have zero assurance that I'll ever get it back or that paying it in any way guarantees me the room in the first place.


I live in London and can't afford to go to Geneva before my work starts, so I'm having to do all this remotely, and thus can't check places out in person to insure everything is legitimate.


What I want to know is whether just plopping security deposits in peoples bank accounts is the done thing? Are there any deposit protection services like the UK's DPS?


Any advice you guys can give would be hugely appreciated.


 


Cheers

The text you are quoting:

Hi guys - I'm new here, so this might not be the right place but hear me out...


I'm looking for a place to live in Geneva for the end of February, and so far this site has been really useful for browsing adverts for rooms etc.


There has been one issue however, and that's that everyone wants a security deposit and seems to want it directly transferred to their personal bank account. For me this makes me really uncomfortable, as I have zero assurance that I'll ever get it back or that paying it in any way guarantees me the room in the first place.


I live in London and can't afford to go to Geneva before my work starts, so I'm having to do all this remotely, and thus can't check places out in person to insure everything is legitimate.


What I want to know is whether just plopping security deposits in peoples bank accounts is the done thing? Are there any deposit protection services like the UK's DPS?


Any advice you guys can give would be hugely appreciated.


 


Cheers


Jack BFeb 4, 2015 @ 17:57
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Re: Questions about rent and security deposits
Post 1
Feb 4, 2015 @ 19:19
Don t pay security depots to an other persons account. The deposit belongs to you, therefore the account should be in your name but you only can access it with the aprouval of the landlors.
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Don t pay security depots to an other persons account. The deposit belongs to you, therefore the account should be in your name but you only can access it with the aprouval of the landlors.
Alan S, Feb 4, 2015 @ 19:19
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Re: Questions about rent and security deposits
Post 2
Feb 4, 2015 @ 19:27

First its always very difficult when your not 'on the ground' here to do the Rental search and meetings.


Just go to the forums and search rent or deposits, you will see many many forums threads on this subject.


Can I ask, is the bank account In switzerland?


Is the person the registered owner, i.e. landlord?


You can do some searchs with :


www.local.ch for the persons name or the address.


There there is the official land registery: but do you speak or read french?


http://ge.ch/extraitfoncier/adresse.aspx


the filter, use the last word in the street name


, you need to make a few tries sometimes, because of spelling, special characters, etc.


 


 


 

The text you are quoting:

First its always very difficult when your not 'on the ground' here to do the Rental search and meetings.


Just go to the forums and search rent or deposits, you will see many many forums threads on this subject.


Can I ask, is the bank account In switzerland?


Is the person the registered owner, i.e. landlord?


You can do some searchs with :


www.local.ch for the persons name or the address.


There there is the official land registery: but do you speak or read french?


http://ge.ch/extraitfoncier/adresse.aspx


the filter, use the last word in the street name


, you need to make a few tries sometimes, because of spelling, special characters, etc.


 


 


 


Dave G, Feb 4, 2015 @ 19:27
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Re: Questions about rent and security deposits
Post 3
Feb 4, 2015 @ 19:37

Check out Swisscaution (www.swisscaution.ch). You pay CHF 200 to join (it may have gone up since I last used it!) and after that a minimal annual fee, and they guarantee your deposit (so you don't have to block three months rent or whatever). I found them really good when I was renting, and if you move, it's no big deal either. Totally agree with Alan S, don't ever pay money directly into someone's private account, you have zero comeback. Hope this helps!

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Check out Swisscaution (www.swisscaution.ch). You pay CHF 200 to join (it may have gone up since I last used it!) and after that a minimal annual fee, and they guarantee your deposit (so you don't have to block three months rent or whatever). I found them really good when I was renting, and if you move, it's no big deal either. Totally agree with Alan S, don't ever pay money directly into someone's private account, you have zero comeback. Hope this helps!


berlinoise, Feb 4, 2015 @ 19:37
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Re: Questions about rent and security deposits
Post 4
Feb 4, 2015 @ 21:48

Swisscaution is good, because you got some guarantees.


 


Look also at the forum for more help to research who is owner and other experiences.


http://www.glocals.com/forums/general/Property-Owner-Registry-219590.htm#msg_219693

The text you are quoting:

Swisscaution is good, because you got some guarantees.


 


Look also at the forum for more help to research who is owner and other experiences.


http://www.glocals.com/forums/general/Property-Owner-Registry-219590.htm#msg_219693


Dave G, Feb 4, 2015 @ 21:48
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Re: Questions about rent and security deposits
Post 5
Feb 5, 2015 @ 14:01

My advise would be wait till you get to Geneva and then start the search. Might be hard and inconveniencing but swiss caution will not give you a rent guarantee for a room and they wont do it till you are already in Geneva.

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My advise would be wait till you get to Geneva and then start the search. Might be hard and inconveniencing but swiss caution will not give you a rent guarantee for a room and they wont do it till you are already in Geneva.


Marcy S, Feb 5, 2015 @ 14:01
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