Accommodation in Switzerland: scams you should look out for

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Bhavna Team

Member since 01 June 2015

BhavnaTeam09 May 2019 10:16:14

40637

Hi,

Committing to renting or buying accommodation when youre new to or have not moved to Switzerland just yet is always a stressful endeavour. Would you like to help us in putting together a handbook of what to look out for when house hunting in Switzerland?

What are the most common scams in Switzerland?

What are the red flags to look out for when scanning through adverts?

Is there a list of registered or accredited landlords or real estate agencies in Switzerland?

What authorities should be sought should one come across an accommodation scam?

Please share your experience,

Bhavna

dbaretta New member

Member since 21 August 2018

dbarettaNew member13 May 2019 15:17:40

Thanks but I've lived in Switzerland 18 years. I know my way around 😉

matjung Contributor

Member since 17 May 2014

matjungContributor03 June 2019 12:08:10

119

Not scam, but what can happen is, that Airbnb Landlords suddenly change the availability of your beds and cancel the booking you made two or three weeks ago.

In most Swiss cities you will find a tenant association - there you can ask weather or not a landlord is genuine or not.
https://www.mieterverband.ch/mv.html
Knowing the local language - German, French, Italian - is of course an advantage.

Pamela Lupton-Bowers Member

Member since 21 December 2017

Pamela Lupton-BowersMember01 July 2019 08:40:22

Anyone who wants you to deposit money into Western Union, anyone one who can not be available for a face to face: 'I live out of the country and am managing the rental for my son.'
We've been looking for an apartment for our son and have come across all manner of dubious behaviour. It's not a matter of how long you've lived here. He has lived here for 27 years.

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