Safety

Renting a flat in Switzerland: how do you avoid deposit scams?

swissmax editorial team November 9, 2026

When you rent a genuine flat in Switzerland, you view it in person first, then sign the lease, and only then pay the rent deposit: never to the landlord directly, but into a rent deposit account at a bank in your own name. Under Art. 257e of the Swiss Code of Obligations (CO), the deposit for a flat may not exceed three months’ rent. Anyone who asks for money before a viewing, claims to live abroad or offers to post you the keys is very likely a scammer.

Key points

No payment before the viewing and a signed lease: no deposit, no rent, no “reservation fee”.
The deposit is capped at three months’ rent and belongs in a blocked account in your name (Art. 257e CO), never in cash, into a private account or through a money transfer service.
Rent deposit insurance can replace the deposit if the landlord agrees. The premiums you pay are not refunded.
Typical warning signs: a price well below local rents, a landlord abroad, keys sent by post, pressure to decide quickly.
Hand over your application documents only after the viewing, and watermark copies of your ID.

How a typical rental scam works

Swiss Crime Prevention describes the pattern like this: scammers advertise flats in sought-after neighbourhoods at surprisingly low prices and with attractive photos, preferably on platforms that students, for example, use a lot. When you enquire, you are told straight away that the flat is still available. The catch: you must pay the deposit, usually several thousand francs, before the viewing and the key handover, often through services such as Western Union or MoneyGram. After that, contact stops, and the flat is either not for rent or does not exist (skppsc.ch: rental fraud, in German).

These warning signs come up almost every time:

Too cheap: a 3.5-room flat in a central location for a fraction of the usual rent. Compare it with similar listings in the same town.
Landlord abroad: supposedly posted abroad, ill or just moved away, so no viewing is possible.
Keys by post or courier: in exchange for a “deposit”, the keys will be sent so you can view the flat on your own.
Money before the viewing: the deposit, first month’s rent or a fee has to be paid up front.
Change of channel: you are quickly pushed onto WhatsApp or private email.
Urgency: “Lots of people are interested, you need to decide today.”

Some fake landlords only collect application files so they can later use your details to place orders or sign contracts in your name. More scam patterns are covered in the guide How to spot classified ad scams.

Rent deposit: what the law says

You only owe a rent deposit (Mietkaution) if the lease provides for one. The rules are set out in Art. 257e CO:

Maximum amount: three months’ rent for residential premises.
Account in your name: a cash deposit must be lodged with a bank in a savings or deposit account in the tenant’s name. Any interest belongs to you.
Strict release rules: the bank pays out only with the consent of both parties, or on the basis of a final payment order in debt enforcement proceedings or a final court judgment.
Getting it back: if the landlord has not taken legal action against you (in court or through debt enforcement) within one year of the end of the tenancy, you can ask the bank to return the deposit directly.

In practice, you open a rent deposit account at a bank, pay in the amount and give the landlord the bank’s confirmation. Cash “against a receipt” or a private or foreign account is a clear warning sign.

Alternative: rent deposit insurance

Instead of tying up the money, you can take out rent deposit insurance, provided the landlord accepts it. The insurer guarantees the deposit amount to the landlord. Keep in mind:

You pay an annual premium, typically around 4 to 6 per cent of the deposit amount, so roughly CHF 220 to 320 a year for a CHF 5400 deposit, plus fees and stamp duty with some providers. You do not get this money back.
If the insurer pays the landlord for damage, it will reclaim that amount from you.
Over several years, insurance usually costs more than a blocked account. It mainly helps if you do not have the cash available when you move in.

Which documents landlords ask for, and how to protect them

Letting agencies and private landlords usually ask for:

a completed application form
a copy of your ID card, passport or residence permit
a recent debt enforcement register extract (Betreibungsauszug), often no older than three months
proof of income, for example your last three payslips, or your employment contract

You order the debt enforcement extract from the debt enforcement office where you live, online, by post or at the counter. According to ch.ch, it costs CHF 17 plus any postage and only lists proceedings in that particular district. If you have moved in the last five years, you need an extract from each debt enforcement office where you lived to get the full picture.

How to protect your data:

Only after the viewing: hand over your file once you have seen the flat and met the person. A listing on its own is no reason to send ID copies.
Add a watermark: write across each copy, for example “Copy for flat application at Musterstrasse 5, XY Property Management, 9.11.2026 only”. That makes the copy hard to reuse.
Cover what is not needed: black out your AHV/AVS number and bank details on payslips, and the document number on your ID copy unless the landlord specifically needs it.
Check the recipient: use the agency’s official address, not a free webmail address taken from the listing.

The viewing: what to check on site

View the flat in person or send someone you trust. A video is no substitute, as it may come from an old listing.
Check that the person has the keys and can answer questions about service charges, the laundry room and the letting agency.
Compare the names on the letterbox, doorbell and lease. For a sublet, the main tenant needs the landlord’s consent (Art. 262 CO).

Lease and payment: the right order

Read the lease carefully: rent, service charges, start date, notice periods and the deposit amount.
In some cantons, the landlord must use an official form to notify the initial rent (Art. 270 para. 2 CO). Ask for it if your canton requires one.
Both sides sign the lease. Nothing is paid before that.
Pay the deposit into the rent deposit account in your name and give the landlord the bank confirmation.
Pay the rent as set out in the lease to the account of the agency or landlord, never via a money transfer service, gift card or cryptocurrency.
At the key handover, draw up a handover report together and photograph any defects.

Once your move is confirmed, the guide Moving house in Switzerland helps you plan.

How swissmax helps with your flat search

Verified advertisers: anyone posting in Apartments for Rent or the other rental categories under Real Estate needs a verified phone number and currently has to confirm their identity beforehand with an official ID and a selfie video.
Warnings in chat: if a message contains phone numbers, email addresses, links, account-number-like strings or words such as Western Union, Bitcoin or gift card, both sides see a warning directly below it.
Report and block: every listing and every profile has a “Report” button. You can block suspicious users.
Contact for verified users only: landlords can set their listing so that only people whose identity has been verified can contact them.
Saved searches: save your search with canton and price range and get new listings by email or push notification.

On swissmax too: view first, then sign, then pay. More tips are on the safety page. Looking for a room? Browse Rooms & Shared Flats.

Frequently asked questions

Can a landlord ask for the deposit in cash?

They cannot keep it: under Art. 257e CO, the landlord must lodge a cash deposit with a bank in an account in your name. The safest option is to pay it straight into the rent deposit account yourself rather than handing over cash.

How high can a rent deposit be?

For a flat, no more than three months’ rent. With a rent of CHF 1800, that is at most CHF 5400. This cap does not apply to commercial premises.

I have already paid. What now?

Contact your bank immediately and try to stop the payment. Keep all messages, listings and receipts and report the matter to the police. Report the listing and profile on swissmax using the “Report” button or the contact form. Money sent through transfer services often cannot be recovered, so every hour counts.

Is a video viewing enough?

No. A video proves neither that the flat is available nor that the person is entitled to let it. If need be, send someone you trust.

Last updated: November 2026. This guide is not legal advice. For questions on tenancy law, contact the conciliation authority for tenancy matters or a tenants’ association.