Subletting - what you need to know

Are you planning a longer trip abroad and don't know what to do with your home? If you already had this problem, I have a tip for you - just sublet your accommodation! Not only will you save money, you will also get to know new and interesting people. The following tips and rules will help you in this endeavor.

Subletting is allowed in Switzerland

According to Article 262 of the Swiss Code of Obligations, subletting of rental properties is permitted in Switzerland. The landlord only has to obtain a permit for subletting from the main landlord. The main lessee may not refuse such permission. Except for one of the following reasons:

• The tenant refuses to inform the main landlord of the reason for subletting.
• The accommodation is misappropriated for commercial or tourist reasons.
• The rental price in the sublease is abusively high, in contrast to that in the main lease. In concrete terms, this means that the subletter should sublet at cost price. However, a justified surcharge may be demanded for the full equipment of the accommodation.

Your duties as a subletter

If you sublet your accommodation, you become the landlord opposite the subtenant. The landlord does not have a direct legal relationship with the subtenant. If a cup of coffee falls on the new floor in the kitchen, you are responsible for solving the problem. If you are abroad, you should be prepared in any case. Appoint a deputy to deal with the questions and problems of your subtenant. This can be a family member or a friend.

Subletting made easy

Your sweet home has a personal value to you. The lodger should treat your accommodation as you would. It therefore makes sense that you deal with the prospective tenant and clarify his or her reputation. You should also draw up a sublease so that there is a legal basis. If you don't want to do this yourself, you can work with a subletting service provider such as UMS AG - Untermietservice Schweiz. UMS AG will help you to find a trustworthy subtenant. This happens with the help of a security check, with which the creditworthiness and the reputation is examined, a reference is obtained by the employer and additionally a comprehensive Google check is made. If you advertise your property on the UMS AG website, you also have the advantage that your advertisement is automatically placed on all common real estate platforms. Thus you address without detours exactly the correct prospective customers.

Store personal belongings

As the day of subletting approaches, there may be practical questions such as: where to put your personal belongings? On the one hand you want to create some space in the cupboards for the subtenant, on the other hand you probably don't want him to have any access to your clothes, photo albums and heirlooms. Do you have too little space in your basement? Then a private storage room near you is a comfortable solution. There your personal belongings are kept safe and dry and if you or a family member needs something at short notice, you have access to them around the clock.