Does every appartement owner ask for financial guarantor to foreigners?

Accomodation, House and Garden
1
hello everybody!

My name is Anna Maria, I am Italian and I will move to Switzerland this September to attend a Master at the University of Neuchâtel.

I am having trouble funding an accomodation expecially because they asked me a financial guarantor situated in Switzerland in order to give me a room.

Does everybody ask for this to foreigners?

Obviously I don't have it and I don't know how to solve this problem.

Is there any student who had to rent a room/studio and dealt with my same problem?

thank you very much,

Anna Maria

2
No they don't all ask for it, in fact I've never heard of anyone having to do that here. ( I've seen it elsewhere though)

You should be able to find accommodation without having to provide a guarantor.

3
oh! that's good news! Thank you! Maybe because I found lots of rooms from real estate agencies?

Anyway, Hope to find an accomodation as soon as possible, but it seems really hard!

thanks again!

4
This is the point.

They want somebody in Switzerland to garantee they will be paid.

5
Anna-Maria, I think the issue is that you're a student and that you don't have an income, rather than being a foreigner.

Certainly, I needed a financial guarantor for renting a property when I was a student in GB (many, many years ago!).

I haven't been asked for one for the property we are about to rent here in CH because we can provide proof of sufficient monthly salary to cover the payments.

If the problem is that you have a guarantor, but that that person does not reside in CH, then I'm sure that it's not a legal requirement, just a stipulation by the landlord. In which case, you should just offer sufficient evidence that the guarantor will cover your payments.

pbt

6
I am Swiss and also needed a guarantor when I was a student because I had a very small income. It isn't unusual.

And I think in any country they will be a little worried about a guarantor who lives somewhere else

7
I have been in Switzerland for three weeks now and I have been looking for an appartment for two weeks now (in Fribourg)

I have been asked to provide:

- my residence permit

- attestation des poursuites

- my job contract (because I don't have the last three payslips that they ask)

- the contact details of my previous landlord

- all of the above from a guarantor with a C permit or higher

- three rents in advance

- a certificate of liability insurance

This is ridiculous and I really hope it pays off...

8
Bit misguiding old chap !

- Residence permit

- Attestation de poursuites

Both are issued by official bodies so a guarantor is not needed under any circumstances.

9
Well, the two agencies I've been to disagree..

10
None of those required documents will guarantee to pay the debt when the rental is not paid. I can understand the agency asking for a guarantor, because they are not allowed to ask for more than 3 months deposit. Any tenant can abscond without paying the last month rent, and also leave a lot of damage!

But you can sign up to an insurance, Swiss Caution, however, it will release the need for 3 months rent as a deposit against damages, but I don't think it covers unpaid rental, you can join at any Swiss Post Office https://www.swisscaution.ch/en

11
Any tenant can abscond without paying the last month rent, and also leave a lot of damage!

this sadly, and it happens far too often- hence the need for a garantor or 3 months rental. Daughter has just had to pay 3 months in advance + deposit for a nice flat in the UK- despite both her and her partner being British and both having great jobs with high salaries.

12
In my experience, they asked my references and enquired about my financial well being ... After which, they granted me contract

13
Hi,

I moved to Switzerland once in 2008 and another time in 2013 and I am foreigner.

In my experience agencies always ask for:

- B or C permit

- References (person who knows you, you can give a reference person form your university with phone number)

- 3 months rent for the deposit

- Betreibungsauszug: proof that you have no debts or no criminal affairs in Switzerland.

A financial guarantor is usually not requested by most of the agencies.

Best of luck!

Melvin

14
If you have a good job with a decent salary and B permit- thy won't. They will for students most of the time.

15

Just an update from my struggles. The guarantor was indeed needed because even though they thought my salary is good enough, I have a probation period of three months on my contract. They asked for her residence permit, attestation des poursuites, and her employment contract.

However, when I brought the paperwork to the agency they said they didn't want the originals - just the copies.

The other agency that had asked for all these was happy with a copy of my guarantor's residence permit.

A third agency didn't even ask for a guarantor.

It seems that it depends on the agency...