Set the takeover date
Start looking for a replacement tenant as soon as your desired move-out date is fixed. This leaves enough time for inquiries, viewings and the landlord’s review.
Free new-tenant search · Switzerland
Find a new tenant for free – no registration
On UrbanHome you can list your apartment for freeto reach people interested in taking over the tenancy. The basic private listing is free, you do not need an account before you start and your listing is visible immediately after publication.
CHF 0.– for private usersNo registrationImmediately visibleNo paid listing term
Find a new tenant · Switzerland
Finding a new tenant: the essentials at a glance
If you are looking for a replacement tenant, you mainly need a complete apartment listing, a clear takeover date and enough visibility among people looking for a home. On UrbanHome you can publish your rental apartment privately for free and directly reach people who may be suitable replacement tenants. Inform your landlord early and submit suitable applications with a clear takeover date.
Editorial status: · Publisher: UrbanHome
Describe the apartment clearly
Rent, ancillary costs, number of rooms, living area, location and important features help searchers quickly assess whether your apartment suits them.
Find a new tenant online
A publicly visible listing puts your apartment where people are actively looking for rental homes and makes direct contact with interested people easier.
Forward interested applicants to the landlord
Suitable inquiries and the documents requested by the landlord are forwarded directly to the responsible party for further review.
find a new tenant for free
A new-tenant search with no listing fee
Do you want to hand over your rental apartment? Reach people looking for a home with a listing that clearly shows your apartment and desired takeover date.
Free for private users
No paid listing package for the basic private listing.
Start directly
You do not need to open a user account before creating the listing.
Visible to searchers
After publication, your listing can be found immediately.
No paid listing term
The private listing is not tied to a paid listing term.
Start simply
Find a new tenant for free in 3 steps
From the apartment to the inquiry: the direct UrbanHome path for finding a replacement tenant.
01Enter apartment
Enter the most important apartment details
Clearly state the location, rent, ancillary costs, rooms, living area and desired takeover date.
02Present apartment
Add description and photos
Show rooms, kitchen, bathroom, balcony or surroundings as clearly and recently as possible.
03Find a new tenant
Publish the listing and receive inquiries
After publication, people looking for a home can find your listing and respond through the provided contact channels.
Good replacement-tenant listing
What interested people want to know immediately
The clearer your listing is, the faster people looking for a home can assess whether the apartment suits them.
Rentclearly show including ancillary costsTakeover datestate the desired dateApartment detailsrooms, area, floorLocationpublic transport, shopping, school, surroundings
Template · fictitious example
Sample listing for your new-tenant search
Replacement tenant wanted: 3.5-room apartment with balcony in Zurich from [date]
I am looking for a replacement tenant for my bright 3.5-room apartment with 78 m² on the 2nd floor. The apartment has a balcony, a separate kitchen and a cellar compartment. Shops and public transport are nearby.
Net rentCHF 1,900.– per monthAncillary costsCHF 200.– advance payment per monthTotalCHF 2,100.– per monthTakeoverfrom [date] on the existing contractual terms
Viewings are possible by arrangement. If you are interested, contact me via the contact form in the listing. The application will then be reviewed by the landlord.
All apartment details and amounts are examples. Replace them with the actual details of your apartment.
Prepare application
Which documents does a replacement tenant need?
Clarify with the landlord which information is needed for the review. These documents are typically helpful:
ApplicationForm with contact details and household informationExtract from the debt enforcement registercurrent extract to verify solvencyTakeover declarationdesired date and willingness to accept the existing contractual termsSolvencyincome information or other suitable evidence, where required
Switzerland · Art. 264 CO
Replacement tenants and early return: a brief legal overview
Art. 264 CO governs the early return of rented property. To be released from further obligations, a proposed replacement tenant must in particular reasonable and solvent and be willing to take over the lease on the same terms .
If you terminate the lease ordinarily in compliance with the notice period and termination date, you generally do not need a replacement tenant. Finding a replacement tenant is particularly relevant if you want to return the apartment early and be released from the obligation to pay rent before the ordinary end of the contract.
UrbanHome helps make your apartment listing visible and reach interested people. The legal assessment of a specific replacement tenant and the administration of the existing lease take place outside UrbanHome.
Replacement tenant · direct answers
What you should know before looking for a replacement tenant
UrbanHome clearly explains how to use the platform and puts the tenancy-law basis for early return into context.
18Questions & answers
Yes. Private tenants can list their apartment on UrbanHome for CHF 0.–. For a private new-tenant search, you do not need a paid listing package and can start without registering in advance.
No. You can start creating a private listing without setting up a user account first.
Enter your rental apartment with its location, rent, number of rooms, desired takeover date, description and photos, then publish the listing on UrbanHome.
Clearly state the desired takeover date, current rent and ancillary costs, number of rooms, living area, location and important features of the apartment.
Under Art. 264 CO, when returning a rental property early, the proposed replacement tenant must be reasonable for the landlord, solvent and willing to take over the lease on the existing terms. Inform your landlord early about your planned move-out and document the takeover date and application.
No. UrbanHome provides the platform for your listing and contact. Solvency, reasonableness and willingness to take over the lease must be clarified in the specific tenancy. An inquiry on UrbanHome alone does not release you from your obligations.
After publication, your listing is directly accessible to visitors on UrbanHome and can be found by people looking for a home.
Yes. You can propose several interested applicants. This is useful if someone withdraws their application. Coordinate the forwarding of personal documents with the applicants and send them directly to the responsible landlord or property manager.
One suitable replacement tenant is sufficient under Art. 264 CO. They must be solvent and reasonable and willing to take over the lease on the existing terms. There is no legal requirement to provide three candidates. Several applications can nevertheless help if someone withdraws.
One suitable replacement tenant is enough: HEV Switzerland →
Publish a complete listing early with current photos, transparent costs and a clear takeover date. Respond promptly to inquiries and offer suitable viewing times. A specific search duration cannot be guaranteed; it depends, among other things, on location, rent and demand.
Start as soon as your move-out date is fixed and inform the landlord early. Allow time for viewings, applications and the review. The landlord is entitled to a reasonable review period; its length depends on the individual case and the documents provided.
Typically, the application form, a current extract from the debt enforcement register and a statement of the date from which the apartment is to be taken over on the existing contractual terms are required. Information about solvency may also be necessary. Clarify the required evidence with the landlord; personal documents do not belong in the public listing.
A replacement tenant becomes the new contracting tenant vis-à-vis the landlord. With a sublease, the existing tenant generally remains the landlord’s contractual partner and rents out the apartment or part of it to someone else. A sublease does not end your own lease.
No. UrbanHome is a property portal and does not handle the legal administration of your tenancy. Inform and coordinate the early return directly with your landlord.
The landlord does not have to conclude a contract with your candidate. If the candidate meets the statutory requirements and would have been willing to take over on the existing terms, you may nevertheless be released from further rent payments from the intended takeover date. Ask for the reasons for rejection and the willingness to take over to be confirmed in writing; in the event of a dispute, tenancy-law advice is advisable.
If you return the property early, rent generally remains due until the end of the contract or the next ordinary termination date. The landlord must credit expenses saved and benefits from alternative use, as well as benefits deliberately waived. Agree on the return and clarify whether an earlier consensual release is possible.
The decisive date is the date from which a suitable replacement tenant could take over the returned apartment on the existing terms. The landlord must have sufficient time to review the application. A listing or non-binding inquiry alone does not end the obligation to pay rent. Ask for written confirmation of your release and the date.
No. If you end your lease in accordance with the agreed notice period and termination date, you generally do not have to provide a replacement tenant. Finding a replacement tenant is particularly relevant if you want to return the apartment early and be released from the obligation to pay rent before the ordinary end of the contract.
Replacement tenancy with ordinary termination: Mieterverband →
More questions about finding a replacement tenant? View all topics in the general FAQ →
CHF 0.– for private users
Find a new tenant for free now
List your apartment without registration and start your free new-tenant search on UrbanHome.
No registrationImmediately visibleNo listing fee