Prospective tenants often fill out a rental application form when applying for an apartment. This form helps the landlord or management select tenants. But what information should be included in the application form, and which questions are not allowed?
What must be included in the application form for an apartment?
Contact details:
- Name, first name, and date of birth of the applicant
- Current address
- Contact information to reach the person (phone, email, etc.)
Status:
- Question about whether the applicant is Swiss or a foreign national, as well as the type of residence permit if the person does not hold Swiss citizenship
- Applicant’s occupation and employer
- For financial security:The annual gross income of each person (in increments of 10,000) applying for the apartment, as well as references*
- Debt collections in the last two years
Future living situation:
- How many people will live in the apartment?
- Does the applicant have children? Pets? A vehicle?
*Note: Information about references, the name and address of the current landlord, as well as the workplace, may only be requested if marked as optional.
When should the rental application form be completed?
The application form for prospective tenants can be provided to applicants during the property viewing.
On real estate platforms, it is not uncommon to find the form directly online on the platform. Prospective tenants must then send the duly completed application form via email, along with the other required application documents.
Which questions are prohibited in the rental application form?
The landlord or property management may only ask questions that serve to facilitate the selection of future tenants. However, these questions must remain within legal boundaries.
Rental application form: Which questions are not permitted?
- Personal questions that do not contribute to the selection of a future tenant: Questions about religious affiliation, ethnic background, or sexual orientation.
- Questions about the health of the prospective tenant: This question is not allowed. An exception applies if the apartment is specifically designed for accessible living and is therefore suitable and of interest to people with disabilities.
- Desired rental duration: Of course, landlords and property management would prefer to keep a tenant in the apartment as long as possible. However, tenants have the right to terminate the lease at any time within the specified notice periods.
- Information about the previous apartment: The amount of rent paid for the previous apartment or the name of the previous property management.
- Criminal record: This information violates privacy rights, as it is considered disproportionate for the rental process. An extract from the debt enforcement register is sufficient to ensure the potential tenant’s financial reliability.
Do prospective tenants have to be truthful on the rental application form?
For permissible questions, it would be unwise for prospective tenants to lie, as this could lead to being blacklisted by the landlord or property management, significantly reducing their chances of finding an apartment.
However, for impermissible questions, prospective tenants are allowed to lie in order to protect their chances of securing the rental offer.
Is the rental application form mandatory for prospective tenants?
It is possible that no application form is required when applying for an apartment. In this case, it is important that prospective tenants provide their contact information in the other required documents so the property management can get in touch with them.
Prospective tenants can refuse to fill out the application form. However, this reduces their chances of getting the apartment, especially if many other people are interested in the property.
What other documents must be submitted with the rental application form?
The rental application form is part of the application dossier, along with a cover letter. Additional documents, such as a debt enforcement register extract, recommendation letters, and references, are also commonly included in the application.
