See the comprehensive walkthrough at Documents Swiss landlords actually check. Summary below.
The five core documents
1. Lohnausweis (salary certificate) - Issued by your employer, summarises annual income + deductions - Most agencies want the last 12 months (sometimes 3 months of payslips supplement) - Self-employed: provide the most recent annual tax return + AHV confirmation
2. Personalausweis or passport + residence permit - Swiss citizens: passport or ID card - EU/EFTA citizens: ID card + permit B (yearly) or permit C (settlement) - Non-EU: passport + permit L (short-term) or B - Refugees + asylum seekers: F permit (provisionally admitted)
3. Betreibungsauszug - Debt-collection extract from your canton's Betreibungsamt - Costs CHF 17, valid 3 months from issue date - Must be clean (no open Betreibungen) · otherwise landlords will reject
4. References - Most agencies require at least 1 prior landlord reference (letter or contact info) - If you've never rented in Switzerland: employer HR letter on company stationery confirming employment + role + start date - Family references generally not accepted
5. Haftpflichtversicherung proof - Mandatory in most Swiss rentals · landlord wants confirmation you have coverage - Annual premium typically CHF 100-200 from Zurich, Helvetia, AXA, Mobiliar - If you don't have one: get it before applying (5 min online signup)
Optional but helpful
- Photo (passport-style): agencies in smaller cities sometimes ask
- Mieterspiegel form: the agency's standardised application form
- Cover letter: in the listing's language, personalised to the listing
- Zivilstandsbescheinigung: for families · cantonal authority issues
How aptari makes this easy
Your Tenant Passport on aptari stores all five core documents in one place. aptari checks them so your dossier looks complete and credible, then you apply to any aptari-partner listing with one click, with a cover letter drafted in the listing's language. No more filling the same forms for every agency. See Tenant Passport explained.
Common mistakes
- Sending a Betreibungsauszug older than 3 months · landlords treat it as stale.
- Sending a self-edited PDF instead of the official Lohnausweis.
- Forgetting the Haftpflichtversicherung proof · an easy thing to miss.
- Using a friend or family member as a reference instead of a landlord or employer.
See the Documents guide for the full breakdown, including how to get each document.