The three passes
| Pass | Question | Rule you wrote down beforehand |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Complete | Is the form filled in and the debt enforcement extract (Betreibungsauszug) attached? | The list of what an application must contain |
| 2. Fits the listing | Do the move-in date, the number of people and the pets match the listing? | The listing's own rules |
| 3. Ability to pay | Does the stated income cover the rent by your ratio, and what does the extract show? | Your ratio, for example rent at most one third of gross income |
Run each pass over every application, in this order.
What makes it fair
- Rules before names. Write the three rules down before the listing goes online.
- Criteria tied to the lease. The FDPIC (EDÖB) leaflet on application forms for rental flats, updated 15 July 2025, allows data that serves to choose a suitable tenant by objective criteria. Marital status, religion and nationality are in principle not admissible.
- Not every paper from everyone. The leaflet calls that disproportionate. A copy of the extract may be asked of all applicants, proof of income and a copy of the ID of the chosen one.
- A reason in one line for your choice, in terms of the three rules.
- Tell the others, and destroy their data once the flat is let.
Example
Vacancy stood at 0.93% in Switzerland and 0.11% in the city of Zurich on 1 June 2026 (BFS), so a flat can draw many applications. If 90 arrive and you read each in full at 6 minutes, that is 540 minutes, or 9 hours. With three passes: 90 at 1 minute, then, if 60 remain, 60 at 1 minute, then, if 30 remain, 30 at 4 minutes. That is 90 + 60 + 120 = 270 minutes, or 4.5 hours. An example, not a promise.
How the sorted shortlist does pass one to three
- Pass one. Documents are read once at upload, and you see what is there and what is missing.
- Pass two. The listing's smoking and pet rules are part of the rating.
- Pass three. Income against the rent is part of the rating.
- Every applicant is rated by the same fixed rules, with the facts shown. Nationality, religion, age and gender are never used.
- The list sorts. aptari never decides and never declines automatically: a person at your agency does.
Growth costs CHF 499 a month at the launch price (regular CHF 999) for 10 active listings. No setup fee, no fee per applicant.
This is general information, not legal advice.