Letting your flat: Eight practical tips

When you are letting your flat, you want to show the property in its best light. But to stand out in the mass of other flats on offer, it still needs that certain something. We will show you how to successfully find the right tenant and let your flat.

• Tip 1: Prepare the property well
• Tip 2: Create an informative advertisement
• Tip 3: Write an appropriate text
• Tip 4: Big theatrical display with good pictures!
• Tip 5: Make contact and arrange viewings
• Tip 6: Select the right tenant
• Tip 7: Set the rent
• Tip 8: No syntax errors in the rental agreement

«Letting a flat…» A whole new experience for you? Don’t worry, more and more individuals are facing this task. They find themselves playing the role of a landlord almost overnight. Many people become a property owners through inheritance. Or they already own a flat but for the time being do not want to live in it. So it’s obvious during such periods to look for tenants – rather than leave the property empty.

Tip 1: Prepare the property well 

Good preparation is essential if you want to let a flat. You shouldn’t just casually put up an advertisement and trust to luck as you wait for tenants. You must first make a plan of action: Would you like to make a contribution to their costs for a certain period of time? If you are letting only temporarily, you should consider specifying a fixed period of time in the rental agreement. 

Or would you like to achieve a good rental income over a longer period of time? Anyone who has some experience of renting will first think more thoroughly about their objectives. First of all, you need to be clear about who you want to appeal to as a tenant.

You need also to consider the overall suitability of the flat for letting. Depending on age and condition, less extensive or more extensive renovations may be a good idea. At least the wall coverings, the floors and the kitchen should be in faultless condition. The property should have modern cabling for internet, digital TV, enough socket outlets in all rooms, etc. Many tenants are very quality conscious! If the flat fails to give a good first impression it may attract few applicants or the wrong interested parties.

Tip 2: Create an informative advertisement

Letting a flat is easy today, often even free of charge for private individuals. On newhome, you have the choice between the free search for a new tenant or a single listing for a fixed period. For owners and companies with multiple properties, the FLEX subscription with an offset after a number of published days is available. Online platforms allow you to reach many people in a short time. But if the text doesn’t give much more than the simple title “3-room flat for rent”, it will hardly stand out from the mass of other flats on offer. No one will be prompted to consider this particular flat. Ideally you should follow some basic principles: Who is your target group? – Are they singles or double earners without children? Is the house suitable for families with children? For more tips, see our articles: Tips for the perfect advertisement for your flat and Writing an advertisement for your flat? We will answer your questions!

Tip 3: Write an appropriate text

You should consider a crisp title for your advertisement. For example, “family friendly environment” or “exclusive loft flat in a central location”. The clearer the message the better.

Make sure all other information can be seen at a glance: the monthly rent, reference date, location, size or living area in m², number of rooms, storey, balcony and adjoining rooms. Most tenants also want to know something about the surroundings or whether they will have use of a garden. Many people will simply filter the housing options for specific features: some set a clear limit on the rental charge, others seek a certain minimum size of the flat or closeness to public transport.  Our article can offer you some assistance: Writing an advertisement for your flat: Do’s and Don’ts

Tip number 4: Big theatrical display with good pictures! 

In practice, many private landlords shy away from the effort to have professional pictures taken under good lighting conditions showing the flat with everything in its place. It’s even not so uncommon to find the images that are more off-putting than inviting. Another typical mistake is to select images that show too much detail. People mostly don’t want to see the spice rack in the kitchen or a close-up of the mirror cabinet in the bathroom. The images should convey a sense of the layout, the living space and the condition. Balconies, outdoor spaces, views and the building from the outside are also important. It is best to show both exterior and interior views, culminating with a floor plan and diagrams.

More and more professional landlords and good brokers use modern technology for successful lettings. With digital tools it is quite easy to expand the proposal to include a virtual tour or video recording. There are no limits to the imagination: With perfectly staged 360-degree views, 3D scans or drone shots, the proposal becomes a big theatrical display!

Find more information with examples and booking form: Real estate recordings

Tip number 5: Make contact and arrange viewings

An attractive proposal is already half the rent. However, it is crucial to establish contact and invite potential tenants to visit. Write in such a way that people feel encouraged to make contact. Clearly specify when and how to reach you.

Hardly any tenant will sign a rental agreement without seeing the property first. Allow enough time for each visit and to allow you to gain a personal impression of the interested party. It is important that you come to the house a few minutes before the visit and review the checklist again – does the property present itself faultlessly? Briefly ventilate the rooms and make sure that all curtains including the net curtains are open. Finally, the property should look bright and friendly.

Tip 6: Select the right tenant

Of course, most landlords like to have a reputable and solvent tenant in the house. You are entitled to check credit ratings and income levels. It is customary for landlords to request a current extract from the Debt Enforcement Office That’s because stories of so-called “rental nomads” always make negative headlines. They move in without ever paying any money. 

Therefore, get a clear idea of how serious are the intentions of the applicant. All documents should be submitted in writing, including personal details, occupation, employer and other information (e.g. income situation or residence status). You have the opportunity to review the references as long as this does not violate privacy or certain data protection requirements.

The acceptance of the CreditTrust credit certificate on your newhome advertisement makes it easy to use. CreditTrust for Landlords

Tip 7: Set the rent

Many things about housing rental should not be decided simply on the basis of the “feel of the building”. Of course, rental income cannot be arbitrarily high; the law distinguishes between correctly determined rents and those that are “abusive”. This is recognised – and is also as a reference point in rental law – the criterion is “customary in the locality and district”. If you do not have detailed knowledge, you should contact a trustee or broker. If the rent is clearly too high, you must expect frequent changes of tenant.

This article offers you orientation: What is a typical rent in the locality or district?

Tip 8: No syntax errors in the rental agreement

Theoretically, a rental agreement can be concluded very informally; even verbal rental agreements are valid. For proof of what was agreed, it is of course better to formulate the contract in writing. Because the legal aspects of tenancy can be complex, it is recommended to use form and sample tenancy agreements. newhome.ch offers you a model contract free of charge, which you can adjust for your case or use as a guide: Concluding a rental agreement including a template form

As well as many other things, you also need to consider how you will hold the rental deposit and how to record the incidental costs. The law specifies that you can claim incidental costs as expenses only if they are listed separately in the contract. There is another point to consider when renting: Some cantons (such as Geneva and Zurich) require that the agreement to pay an initial deposit must be concluded in a specific format. As a landlord, you must then use the official form to receive the initial deposit.

Questions and answers (FAQ):

Read our article Advertising your flat: Do’s and Don’ts

Tips for letting a flat:

Additional information on the handling of incidental costs, rental deposit and legal requirements can be found here: Letting your flat: Eight practical tips