Everything you need to know about moving out
Are you looking for a bigger apartment or are you planning to buy property? Are you planning to move and therefore terminate your lease? You will find below everything you need to know about moving out of your accommodation.
Time limit and notice period
It's important to know that in Switzerland, you can terminate your tenancy free of charge, but only on expiry of your lease and subject to a notice period. The notice period is stated in the lease contract and is generally 3 months. In other words, the property management company (or landlord) must receive your request no later than one day before the start of the notice period.
For example, if your lease expires on 01.12.2019, the régie must receive your letter no later than 31.08.2019.
If you wish to leave your home before the expiry date of your lease, an additional condition will apply (see paragraph 3 "Early termination").
Termination request
Your termination request must:
- be signed by all tenants (including married couples)
- be in writing and sent by registered post (in order to have proof if necessary)
Early termination
Do you wish to terminate your lease on a date other than the date indicated in your contract? This is called "early termination" and requires you to pay the rent until the end of the lease. No worries, it is commonplace and solutions exist to avoid these costs.
How can you avoid these sometimes very high costs?
You must recommend a new solvent tenant to take over the lease to the property management company (or owner). This is known as a lease takeover. You will sometimes see ads like this in classifieds online.
What does recommending a new tenant mean?
When you make a request to terminate your lease you must attach the application of at least one person who could take over the lease (pay slip, certificate of good standing, etc.) and indicate the takeover date. We would suggest you recommend several people for added security.
Inventory of fixtures
First of all, you must compare your accommodation with the inventory of fixtures to see if any repairs need to be carried out. Cannot get your hands on it? You can request a copy from your agency for a fee.
The date is to be determined between you and management, but the inventory of fixtures is generally drawn up on the last day of the notice period. Some real-estate agencies even carry out an inspection of the premises in order to determine any work to be done on your side in advance to avoid any unpleasant surprises when you move out.
There are two types of wear and tear:
Normal wear and tear
- holes left in walls by nails and pegs (to be filled in)
- marks left on the walls by paintings
- yellow wallpaper
- etc.
Excessive or abnormal wear and tear
- deep scratches on the floor
- carpet stains
- cracked sink
- etc.
Rental deposit
You can get your rental deposit back after you move out.
The rental deposit can only be returned when the agency has given its approval to the bank where the deposit is located.
No work to be done
Consequences
Repayment of the deposit should be made quickly, including any accrued interest.
Planned repairs
Consequences
Either you accept the amount claimed for the work in which case the deposit is released within two to three months.
Or you reject the inventory, but the deposit is blocked in this case, and the owner can sue for the sum due.