Costs and conditions
Is the service really free?
It is, when we find your incoming tenant, and there is one condition attached. Here is the whole arrangement, in plain terms, before you send us anything.
The short answer, and the condition that comes with it
No fee for the outgoing tenant when we find the successor, in exchange for two weeks of exclusivity.
That is the arrangement in full: no registration fee, no commission at signature, no invoice for the listing, the photographs or the viewings. A service described as free with no condition attached would deserve your suspicion, which is why ours is stated here.
In one line. No fee for the outgoing tenant when we find the successor, in exchange for two weeks of exclusivity.
Why the exclusivity exists
Almost all of the cost of a lease takeover falls in the first days: the listing is written and published on the Geneva portals, a professional photographer visits the flat, 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 and our photographs. 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 SA, a Geneva estate agency working since 2019 on lettings, relocation, property management and lease takeovers. Handing over your lease is part of a wider business, not a standalone product that has to pay for itself out of your pocket. Running your search puts us in contact with people looking for a home in Geneva and with owners across the canton, and that is where the value of this work sits for us. 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. On the understanding that we find your incoming tenant, none of this is charged to you:
- Analysis of your lease and of the notice terms that apply.
- Writing the listing and publishing it on the Geneva portals.
- The professional photographer's visit.
- 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, and why no amount appears anywhere
Separately, we offer a thank-you bonus to outgoing tenants whose file leads to an effective takeover. Its conditions are written down and it is paid by bank transfer once the new tenant has moved in.
You will not find a figure on this site, and that is deliberate: the bonus depends on the property being handed over, and the amount is validated in writing between you and Home Location. The eligibility conditions, the payment terms and the exclusion cases are set out on the thank-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?
No fee for the outgoing tenant when we find the successor, in exchange for two weeks of exclusivity. There is no sign-up fee and no commission at signature.
Why two weeks of exclusivity rather than an open mandate?
Because the cost falls at the start: the listing, the photographer, the checking of applications, the viewings. Two weeks is what we need to run that properly.
Is the thank-you bonus part of the free service?
Two different things. The service costs you nothing when we find your incoming tenant. The thank-you bonus is a separate gesture for files that end in an effective takeover; its amount depends on the property and is confirmed in writing, so no figure is quoted in advance.
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. When we find your incoming tenant, the service costs you nothing.