Pitfalls to avoid when looking for an apartment to rent

Searching for an apartment to rent can be a real headache. It is easy to get overcome by confusion and make mistakes as rents are often high and there is fierce competition among would-be tenants. And those mistakes can often be costly from both a financial and emotional perspective.

In this article, we present the main errors to avoid when looking for a place to live, so your search for a new home goes as smoothly as possible.

Not targeting a specific area

Before starting to look for an apartment in Switzerland, it’s important to define a target area. That will stop you from wasting time exploring towns and cities where you don’t want to live. If you set boundaries for your search, you will also be able to use online search tools.

Once you’ve defined the area you will be looking in, it’s important to check that rents and housing costs in that area are not unaffordably high by comparison with your income.

Not factoring in your income

Before looking for an apartment in Switzerland, it’s important to know how much you can afford to spend on rent. There are some specialised websites that can help you with this.

Remember that your housing costs should not exceed 30% of your net salary income. Otherwise, there’s a risk you’ll run into financial difficulties. Once you have an idea about rents, you can set a maximum figure and start looking on specialist websites.

Configure your search criteria to find properties matching your budget. We recommend starting your search by looking at the properties with the lowest rent. That will prevent you from wasting time looking for apartments that are out of reach on your budget.

Not considering the distances you will have to travel

You shouldn’t underestimate the importance of the distance between your new property and the places you go to on a regular basis such as your workplace, your favourite stores and your friends. If you choose an apartment that is too far away from these places, you may end up wasting time and money on long trips every day.

Even though a property may seem perfect at first glance, if you need to travel too far, it can end up making your daily life more of a strain. So you need to consider this factor in your property search.

Having too long a list of criteria and not raking them by importance

If you aren’t careful, you can easily fall into the trap of wanting to find the perfect apartment and creating too long a list of criteria.

Even so, if you rigidly pursue the property of your dreams, you may miss out on some great opportunities. So remember that perfection doesn’t exist in the real world and some criteria are more important than others. Make sure you rank your needs in order of priority and compromise where necessary on the criteria less crucial for you.

If you have a clear idea of what you really want, you will be able to find an apartment that meets your essential needs.

Leaving your property search until the last minute

It takes time to find a new property. You may need several weeks or even several months to find one that meets your requirements. And during your search, you need to arrange visits to properties, prepare your rental documentation etc.

That’s why, if you wait too long, you could miss out on opportunities and end up with a property that does not satisfy all your needs. We recommend you get things moving early enough to avoid any stress and having to compromise at the last minute.

Submitting an incomplete set of rental documents

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to send in incomplete documentation. Landlords need a certain amount of information to assess would-be tenants, such as an ID document, a certificate from the debt collection register and payslips.

If you miss out important information or provide inaccurate information, your application may be discounted or put on hold, slowing down the process of finding your new property.

It’s important to prepare the papers you send off to impress potential landlords and to check that all the information is correct before submitting it.

If you provide comprehensive and accurate credentials, you will maximise your chances of success and of finding an ideal apartment more rapidly.

Dragging your feet on sending in your documentation

If you find an apartment you like, make sure you send in your paperwork at the earliest possible opportunity. Many people make the mistake of waiting too long before sending off their documentation, which can negatively affect their chances.

It’s vital to act swiftly and to submit your paperwork as rapidly as possible. Of course, you need to make sure you include all the relevant documents. If you’re interested in a property, make sure you ask what the procedure for sending in your supporting documentation is.

Not considering your warmth and comfort sufficiently

A building’s energy performance can have implications for the comfort and warmth of residents and their energy bill. When assessing a property’s energy performance, it’s best to look at the data shown on the cantonal buildings energy certificate.

In practical terms, a specialist is tasked with carrying out this survey and awards the property a rating of between A and G. Note that it’s the landlord who chooses the heating professional. The closer the energy rating is to the letter G, the greater the risk that you will end up feeling cold in winter and be hit with hefty energy bills.