Costs and conditions
Is the service really free?
It is, for the outgoing tenant. Here is the whole arrangement, in plain terms, before you send us anything.
The short answer
Free for the outgoing tenant.
That is the arrangement in full: no registration fee, no commission at signature, no invoice for the listing or the viewings. The two weeks of exclusivity described below concern the thank-you bonus only, not the cost of the service.
In one line. Free for the outgoing tenant. A CHF 300 thank-you bonus if your lease takeover goes through, when you give us exclusivity on your file for two weeks.
Two weeks of exclusivity, the condition of the bonus
Exclusivity is not what makes the service free: it is the condition of the thank-you bonus. When you give us exclusivity on your file for two weeks, you receive a CHF 300 thank-you bonus if your lease takeover goes through.
The reason is simple. Almost all of the work on a lease takeover falls in the first days: the listing is written and published on the Geneva portals, replies are read and checked, viewings are arranged and led in person. All of it is delivered before anyone knows how the file will end, and without a short period of exclusivity it can be finished by someone else, another intermediary signing a candidate who first saw our listing. Two weeks is deliberately short: a long mandate ties you in rather than getting your flat let.
During those two weeks:
- We are the only agency mandated on your flat.
- No competing listing for the same flat runs in parallel.
- Enquiries come to us, and we answer every one of them.
- You keep the final say on the candidate presented to your landlord.
Who actually pays for the service
Leasetakeover.ch is a service developed by Home Location, a Geneva estate agency working since 2019 on lettings, relocation, property management and lease takeovers. Lease takeovers are part of a wider activity: each search puts us in touch with people looking for a home in Geneva and with property owners across the canton. The outgoing tenant is simply not the party being invoiced. More about the team onour expertise.
What is included, and never added to a bill
Everything in how it works is part of the service. None of this is charged to the outgoing tenant:
- Analysis of your lease and of the notice terms that apply.
- Writing the listing and publishing it on the Geneva portals.
- Receiving, sorting and answering the applications.
- Checking each file, including income and debt-collection register extract.
- Arranging and leading the viewings, and presenting the candidates to the landlord or to the managing agent.
- Support through to the inventory of fixtures and the release of your lease.
The thank-you bonus: CHF 300, with exclusivity
On top of the free service, we offer a CHF 300 thank-you bonus to outgoing tenants whose lease takeover goes through, when they give us exclusivity on their file for two weeks. It is paid by bank transfer once the new tenant has moved in and we have received the supporting documents.
The amount is fixed: CHF 300, one bonus per lease. The eligibility conditions, the payment terms and the exclusion cases are set out on thethank-you bonus page.
What the free arrangement does not cover
It applies to outgoing tenants handing over a residential lease in the Canton of Geneva. Two situations sit outside it: a private landlord looking for a new tenant, described onfind a tenant for your property, and asublet, which follows terms agreed with you before any work starts. The rule is the same in both: you know what is being asked of you before you commit. If anything here is unclear, ask us through thecontact page or in the message field of thelease takeover form.
Questions about the cost
So is the service free, or is it not?
It is free for the outgoing tenant. There is no sign-up fee, no commission at signature and no invoice for the listing or the viewings.
What do the two weeks of exclusivity change?
They are the condition of the thank-you bonus. When you give us exclusivity on your file for two weeks, you receive a CHF 300 thank-you bonus if your lease takeover goes through. The service itself is free for the outgoing tenant either way.
Is the thank-you bonus part of the free service?
Two different things. The service is free for the outgoing tenant, whether or not you give us exclusivity. The thank-you bonus comes on top: CHF 300 if your lease takeover goes through, when you give us exclusivity on your file for two weeks.
Do I pay if the landlord turns my candidate down?
No. A refusal does not create a bill, and we help you present another candidate. If a candidate who meets the usual conditions is refused, you are released from your lease.
Is it free for landlords looking for a tenant as well?
No, and we would rather say so plainly. The free arrangement applies to outgoing tenants handing over a lease. A tenant search for a private landlord is a different service, described on find a tenant for your property.
Hand over your lease with a team that does it every week
Tell us about your flat and your move-out date. We handle your file within 24 hours. The service is free for the outgoing tenant.