Real estate

Housing can be a real problem in Geneva. There is a vacancy rate for apartments and houses of 0,91% on average for the whole of Switzerland, with Geneva having the lowest vacancy rate with 0,17%. So you can imagine that there is not much to choose from and when you see something you like, there will be fifty people applying for the same appartment you want. So the main advice is to have patience and keep an open mind.

Some websites where you can check for apartments:

www.homegate.ch
www.immostreet.ch
www.glocals.com

Also, check the websites of all the real estate agencies, as they do not always post everything on Homegate or Immostreet.

Each time you see an apartment or house you like you will need to send an application to the real estate agency managing the apartment. In this application you must include the following documents:

- A copy of your passport
- A copy of your residence permit if possible
- A salary certificate
- A non-debt certificate if you've been more than three months in Geneva (you can get it at La Poste).

The best thing you can do is to try and ask the company that's hiring you to pay you a relocation agency to help you out with the house search. If they do not agree to do so, you can check prices yourselves. They can be a bit expensive, but it would be your best investment ever!

From here we would suggest the relocation agency Welcome Service (www.welcome-service.ch). They are the best!