Additional costs to the rent

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Once a rental contract has been agreed, the client may incur additional costs as follows:

Bank guarantee or rental deposit guarantee:  

Three months’ rent (excluding utility costs) is required as a deposit for long-term unfurnished accommodation e.g. for a rent of CHF 3,000.00 per month, deposit required: CHF 9,000.00

 

For short-term furnished accommodation, the rental deposit may be lower (one or two months).

 

To secure a bank guarantee, you must ensure that the relevant amount is in your bank account. The bank will then retain the required deposit in a separate bank account for the duration of the rental.

 

Alternatively, the client may consult other companies e.g. an insurance company or a rental guarantee provider, to advance the deposit. This requires the client to pay interest, on an annual basis, in relation to the amount advanced.  For information, some real estate agencies will not accept this type of guarantee.

An example of the rates of a Swiss rental guarantee provider:

 

Initial fee: CHF 231.00

To cover your rental guarantee until December 31 of the current year

 

As from 2nd year, annual costs amount to 5% of full deposit until the end of rental agreement: CHF 493.50 (if deposit is CHF 9,000)

A small administrative cost  will be added to this amount

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To avoid the costs from the 2nd year (and the following years until the end of the rental contract), you have the possibility to cancel this rental guarantee before the beginning of the 2nd year and replace it with a standard bank guarantee.  The payments are probably easier to manage after a few months in Switzerland.

 

Administrative fees & name plates:

Upon completion of a rental contract, the real estate agency will bill, to the tenant, the following:

• administrative fees: approximately CHF 150.00

• costs for name plates (apartment door, mailbox and interphone): approximately CHF 50.00

 

Insurance policy:

Each tenant is obliged to take out an insurance policy for liability and personal goods.  Insurance for a 4-bedroom apartment will cost approximately CHF 700.00

 

Appliances:

Some housing is not equipped with appliances (fridge, oven, dish washer, washing machine, etc.).  The owner is not obliged to provide this equipment and in such cases the tenant is required to purchase them separately

 

Electricity and gas:

Charges for electricity and gas are billed every two months.  Approximate charges for a two-month period as follows:

1- bedroom apartment (one person) : CHF 75.00

2-bedroom apartment (two people) : CHF 100.00

3-bedroom apartment (four people) : CHF 150.00

Additional costs for gas cooker : CHF 60.00

 

Heating and water: 

In respect of apartment rentals, charges are included in the monthly rent.  Once per year, meter readings are taken and any over-paid amount reimbursed.

In respect of house rentals, charges are billed separately to the tenant.  The water, electricity and gas charges are billed in the same invoice every two months.

 

TV & Internet & telephone & mobile:

The easiest is to choose a package which provides TV, Internet and telephone connection.  In addition, some packages include a mobile phone. Please consult the relevant websites of local providers.

Our advice is to ask the previous tenant which provider he had installed in his apartment or house.  By remaining with the same telecom provider, you will reduce costs since the property will be equipped with the correct plugs and adapted fibre optic technology.

 

NOTES:

1/ Telephone connection (e.g. Swisscom):

If you take possession of a new property or if the previous tenant did not have a telephone line, approximate installation costs will amount to:

Installation of the telephone line: CHF 150.00

Cost for the connection: CHF 59.00

 

2/ TV connection (e.g. UPC):

Some buildings are already connected to cable.  The monthly rental is approximately CHF 25.00.  This amount is included in the rent.  You can keep it or subscribe by another provider.  In this case, this amount has to be reimbursed to you.

 

Fees for radio and TV licence:

Serafe AG is responsible for collecting mandatory fees for radio and television from all homes irrelevant of whether you have radio or TV or not.  The cost is either CHF 365.00 per year or CHF 93.25 per quarter. 

Information can be found on the following link: https://www.serafe.ch/en/