Lease takeover in Geneva
We hand over your lease, we find the ideal tenant, you keep your peace of mind
Entrust us with your lease takeover and trust in our expertise and mastery. Leasetakeover.ch is a service developed by Home Location SA, a Geneva agency that has been handling lease transfers, rentals, relocations and property management since 2019.
How to easily hand over your lease in Geneva and find the right tenant
A lease takeover in Geneva is a procedure governed by Swiss law that allows a tenant to transfer their lease agreement to a lease taker, under certain conditions. Our specialised agency guides you step by step through this process, from publishing the listing to signing and the final release of your lease.
The rule sits in Article 264 of the Swiss Code of Obligations. In plain English: if you hand back the flat before the end of your notice period or before the agreed term, you stay bound by the lease unless you present a successor who is solvent, willing to take over the lease on the same terms, and whom the landlord cannot reasonably refuse. Everything we do is built around that last sentence.
Why the quality of the file decides everything. If a candidate we present fails the solvency check, the procedure goes back to the start with a fresh month of notice. That month is not just lost time: it is rent you keep paying. This is why we check a file before we present anyone, and not after.
We work in English and in French, with outgoing tenants, landlords and expatriates across the canton. If you are still weighing your options, our guide onthe three ways out of a lease compares giving notice, handing over the lease and subletting side by side.
The steps of your lease takeover
- Initial contact and analysis of your file We look at your lease, your dates and your flat, and tell you honestly what is realistic.
- Publishing the listing on all Geneva property portals We write the listing and bring in a professional photographer, so that the flat shows well.
- Selection and verification of candidates Application form, proof of income, debt register extract, residence permit: we read every reply and check who is behind it.
- Presentation of candidates to the landlord or property manager The file goes to the managing agent complete, on the first pass.
- Organising the viewings We book them and we run them ourselves. Your evenings and your weekends stay yours.
- Signing the takeover or sublease agreement We follow the paperwork through to signature.
- Inventory of fixtures and release of your lease We are there for the final walk-through, and you are out of the lease.
Each of these steps is described in more detail onhow it works, step by step.
A Geneva agency
What you can hold us to
- 500+ leases taken over since 2019
- 24 h to handle your file once it reaches us
- 10+ years of experience in the Geneva property market
- CHF 0 for you when we find your incoming tenant
No fee for the outgoing tenant when we find the successor, in exchange for two weeks of exclusivity.Read the full conditions.
Complete the form below, and we will contact you promptly for personalised support
Every field helps us qualify your case before we speak to you. Your file is handled within 24 hours of reaching us.
Frequently asked questions
What is a lease takeover?
A lease takeover allows a tenant to leave their accommodation before the end of the contract by finding a successor approved by the landlord. The incoming tenant signs on for the same flat, on the same terms, and you are released from the lease. It is set out in Article 264 of the Swiss Code of Obligations.
How long does it take to find a lease taker?
We adapt to your request and to the deadline you give us. Our know-how allows us to be highly responsive and sometimes to achieve what seems impossible, within extremely short timeframes. We will not promise you a date we cannot control: what we can tell you at the outset is whether your case is realistic, and what would make it easier.
Is the service free?
Our service is completely free if you authorise us to find a new tenant. However, to ensure optimal follow-up, prevent another intermediary from completing the lease takeover on our behalf, and avoid having our efforts go to waste, we require exclusivity on your case for a two-week period. If during this period you find a successor on your own, a compensation of CHF 300 may be requested for the work performed.
The full conditions are set out on our page Is the service really free?
Should I inform my landlord?
Yes, and we will support you through the process. The landlord or the managing agent has to be told that you intend to hand over the lease, and the candidate we present goes to them for approval. We prepare that presentation, and we stay in contact with them until the handover is signed.
What does a candidate have to show?
Agencies in Geneva generally ask an incoming tenant for identity papers and a residence permit, proof of income, a recent extract from the debt collection register, and a completed application form. They generally look for rent and running costs at around a third of gross monthly income, and no undisputed debts on the record. These are the practices we see across the canton, not figures written into the law. We check all of it before we present anyone, because a candidate who fails the check sends the whole procedure back to the start.
Official sources
- Art. 264 of the Swiss Code of Obligations, official English text (Fedlex)
- Swiss Code of Obligations, consolidated version (Fedlex)
This page explains current practice in the Canton of Geneva in plain English. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace reading your own lease.
Ready to hand over your lease?
Send us your file and we will tell you where you stand. When we find your incoming tenant, the service costs you nothing.