The checklist
| Criterion | What you look at | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Ability to pay | Yearly income in ranges against the rent, a copy of the debt enforcement extract (Betreibungsauszug) | FDPIC leaflet: both may be asked of all applicants |
| Complete application | Form filled in, extract attached | Your own rule, the same for everyone |
| Fit with the listing's rules | Pets, by kind of animal. Instruments where it is objectively necessary, for example with poor sound insulation | FDPIC leaflet |
| Household size | Number of people who will live there, against rooms and area | FDPIC leaflet: the number may be asked |
| Move-in date | Whether the applicant can start on the date in the listing | A fact 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.
What stays out
Per the same leaflet, in principle not admissible on the form:
- Marital status, religion and nationality. Allowed instead: Swiss or foreign, with the type of residence permit and its expiry date.
- The current rent and the length of the current tenancy.
- Leasing, instalment and small credit contracts, wage garnishments.
- Income and employer of people who will not sign the lease.
A copy of the ID and proof of income may be asked of the chosen applicant, not of everyone. References are for the final round.
Three rules for using it
- Write the criteria down before the listing goes online.
- Apply them to every application in the same order.
- Note the reason for your choice in one line.
How the sorted shortlist applies the same rules to everyone
On aptari, applications arrive as one sorted list per listing. Every applicant is rated by the same fixed rules: income against the rent, checked documents, and the listing's smoking and pet rules. Nationality, religion, age and gender are never used. The facts are shown next to each rating, so you can hold them against your checklist. Documents are read once at upload, and you see what is missing. aptari never decides and never declines automatically. A person at your agency does.
Example
If 60 applications arrive and you check five criteria by hand at one minute each, that is 300 minutes, or 5 hours. If the list shows three of the five for everyone and you check the other two for the 10 at the top, that is 20 minutes. An example, not a promise.
This is general information, not legal advice.