The one rule that prevents almost everything
Never pay any money before you have seen the flat in person and signed a tenancy agreement. Genuine advertisers in Switzerland don’t ask for any payment in advance – no deposit, no “reservation fee”, no “key fee” and no advance payment “for a credit check”.
Typical scam patterns
- The advertiser claims to be abroad and can’t show the flat; the keys are supposed to arrive by courier or through an escrow service.
- You’re asked to pay through a cash transfer service, in crypto, with gift cards or into an account abroad.
- The price is well below anything comparable in the area.
- You are put under time pressure: “There are twenty people interested, whoever pays first gets it.”
- The conversation moves straight to a messenger, and the replies read like a template or a poor translation.
- A copy of your ID, an extract from the debt collection register (Betreibungsauszug) and payslips are demanded before any viewing.
- The listing text appears word for word on another portal – with a different advertiser and a different number.
What helps on immomax
Where we recognise the same property on several portals, we show those portals on the listing. If the same flat appears with two different contacts or very different prices, that is a clear warning sign. If in doubt, check that the property manager really exists – company name, address and website are on the listing.
Rent deposits: how it works in Switzerland
For residential property the deposit may not exceed three months’ rent. It belongs in a rent deposit account in your name at a bank – not in the landlord’s private account, and certainly not in an account abroad.
Protecting your documents
A copy of your ID, a debt collection extract and payslips are normal for an application in Switzerland – but not until both sides are interested, so after the viewing at the earliest. On copies, black out anything nobody needs, and don’t send documents through messenger services.
At the viewing
- Ask the person to show who they are: ID, business card, letting mandate.
- Ask about the ancillary costs (Nebenkosten) and what they include.
- Check that condition, floor area and layout match the photos.
- Ask for the tenancy agreement before you sign and take your time reading it.
Suspicious? How to report it
Use “Report listing” on the listing page or write to us through the contact form. We check every report and inform the source where necessary. The more precise your report, the faster we can act.
If money has already been paid
Contact your bank immediately and have the payment stopped or recalled – with transfers, every hour counts. Then file a report with your cantonal police; online fraud can also be reported to the Federal Office for Cybersecurity. Keep the listing, the chat history, emails and the payment receipt, and tell us about the case.