How to rent a small flat in Geneva Switzerland?

Question

How to rent a small flat in Geneva Switzerland?

Answer 1

I'm Swiss, and before moving to Spain, I lived in Geneva for 4 years.

Renting a flat is a pain in the a**. First, you have to provide the "Regie Immobiliere" a certificate from the "Office des Poursuites de Geneve" that you have no pending debts in the Canton of Geneva. If you've never lived there forget about getting that paper....

They will also ask you the last 6 paychecks.

And you will be asked 3 months worth of rent as a guarantee, plus one month in advance.

Due to the lack of offers and huge demand, the flats usually left for rent are small, of bad quality, and very expensive. Be prepared to pay at least CHF1500 for a small 50m2 flat in the Paquis red light disctrict, or CHF2000 upwards in the Rive Gauche.

Here are a few links that might help you :

Answer 2

Geneva can be a tricky place to rent -- there's actually a huge demand for flats in the city.  There are people -- a regie -- who are like an agent or broker who are usually the contact for a given apartment, and they may play favors, be hard to reach, not retrun calls, etc.  When I lived in Geneva, the regies were the most vilifed profession (a bit like how Americans complain about lawyers).  

Because Geneva is such a transient city, there's also a bit of resistence to rent to anyone who isn't staying for longer-term.  Some places don't like foreigners in their flats, some don't like diplomats, etc.  Ask around, and check the 'immobiler' newspapers you'll see everywhere.

You can find sublets advertised thru places like www.wrgfm.com (English radio station in Geneva), craigslist.com (has a Geneva section, not that widely used, but growing), and internal websites like the UN (if you are a diplomat).

Once you get your flat, then be prepared for all the rules:  no noise after certain hours, no laundry after certain hours, no flushing toilets at night, etc.