Renting a furnished apartment in Geneva
Moving to Geneva for work, studies or a period of transition? Here is how to find and rent a furnished apartment, step by step.
What a furnished apartment includes
A furnished apartment is let ready to live in: bed, storage, sofa, table, a fitted kitchen with utensils and crockery. A detailed inventory is signed at check-in and checked at check-out.
At Régie 373, bed linen and towels are not provided, and electricity and internet are usually contracted by the tenant: every listing says so.
The budget
Every listing shows the rent and charges. When you move in, also plan for the rent deposit: for a home, the law caps it at three months’ rent (art. 257e of the Swiss Code of Obligations), held in a blocked account in your name. Some landlords accept a guarantee company instead of a cash deposit.
Private liability insurance is strongly recommended, and often requested when the lease is signed.
The application
A complete application makes the difference in Geneva: ID, residence permit or certificate, employer’s certificate or employment contract, and a recent extract from the debt-collection office.
If you are arriving from abroad, a letter from your future employer often replaces the Swiss documents you do not have yet. At Régie 373, a single form gathers everything.
The lease and its length
Our furnished apartments are let with leases of twelve months and more. For an apartment, furnished or not, the legal notice period is in principle three months (art. 266c CO); the lease sets the termination dates.
The lease is signed before you move in. The check-in report and inventory are done on the day you receive the keys, with you present.
Viewing and signing from abroad
Viewings take place on site from Monday to Saturday, or as a 360° virtual tour for properties that have one. Most of our tenants sign from abroad: the lease is signed remotely and the keys are waiting for you when you arrive.
Once settled, register your arrival with the cantonal population and migration office (OCPM) within the required time: you will be asked for your lease.
Choosing a neighbourhood
Eaux-Vives and the Old Town to live near the lake and the centre, Champel and Florissant for calm and the University Hospitals, Servette for the international district, Meyrin for CERN. Our neighbourhood pages present each of them and the properties available there.