Prohibited questions in apartment applications

These questions are always permitted in an apartment application

• First and last name, address, date of birth, occupation, employer

• Swiss nationality or type of residency permit

• Will the apartment only be used by you, or will others live with you who will not co-sign the tenancy agreement? (e.g. children, partner, etc.)

• Intended sublease agreement

• Salary

• Debt collection history over the last two years

• Number of cars

• Pets

• Potential noise disturbances (e.g. musical instruments)

• Whether the current apartment was terminated by the landlord

Questions that may be permitted in certain cases

Under the law, only necessary and relevant information may be requested; additional questions are only permitted if there is a legitimate interest. These include:

• Religious affiliation

• Marital status (date of separation, divorce, or marriage)

• Place of origin and hometown

• Address and telephone number of the employer

• Duration of current employment

• Irregular working hours

• Number of moves in recent years

• Reason for moving

• Intended use of the new apartment

• Expected rental duration

• Existence of a disability (only for renting accessible housing)

Prohibited questions

• Membership in a tenants' association

• Existing chronic illnesses

• Assessment of the price-performance ratio of the apartment

Optional information

Details about the workplace, the name and address of the current landlord, and references may be requested but must be explicitly labeled as 'optional information'.