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Reporting defects in a rented flat, with a repair deadline and rent cut, in French (Switzerland)
Switzerland · in French · for tenants
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For tenants in Switzerland living with defects in their flat: the written notice to the landlord or the régie. It describes the defects, sets a date to fix them (Art. 259a and 259b of the Code of Obligations, CO), claims a rent reduction from when the landlord learned of them (Art. 259d CO) and can include the advance warning that rent will be paid into a deposit office, which Art. 259g CO requires before doing so. It names your canton's conciliation authority, free of charge. Print, sign, add photos and send by registered post. In French.
- Made for use in Switzerland
- Last updated November 4, 2026
Published byDocMuse
When to use this document
- The heating in your flat in Switzerland has stopped working and the landlord does nothing.
- There is mould or a water leak in your home, and the régie does not react to your calls.
- Noisy building works have disturbed you for weeks and you want a rent reduction.
- You want to give the régie a deadline to repair before you pay your rent into a deposit office.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Tenant
- Tenant's address
- Landlord
- Landlord's address
- City
- Date
- Address of the property
- Date of the contract
- Defects
- Date you first reported the defects
- Deadline
- Contact phone
- Rent reduction you ask for (in % or CHF a month)
- Warn that rent will be deposited (Art. 259g CO), or only reserve your rights
- Canton of the flat: tenancy conciliation authority
- Closing formula (in French): “mes” if one person signs, “nos” if several sign
Common questions
- What size of rent reduction can a Swiss tenant claim for defects?
- A cut in proportion to how much the defect hampers the use of the flat, from when the landlord learned of it until it is put right (Art. 259d CO). The law gives no percentages; case law and tenants' associations' tables offer reference points. Minor cleaning and small repairs fall to you (Art. 259 CO). Go on paying the full rent until there is agreement: paying less on your own risks notice for arrears (Art. 257d CO).
- How is rent paid into a deposit office when a Swiss landlord leaves defects unrepaired?
- First give the landlord a reasonable deadline in writing and warn that you will deposit the rent; this letter does so with its first option (Art. 259g para. 1 CO). If the defect is still there when the deadline passes, tell the landlord in writing and pay each future rent, by its due date at the latest, to the office your canton designates (the conciliation authority tells you which), following that office's own procedure; it then counts as paid. Within 30 days of the first deposited rent falling due you must bring your claims before the conciliation authority, or the money goes to the landlord (Art. 259h CO). Geneva's commission has a form to have the deposit validated.
- Is there a fee for tenancy conciliation in Vaud or Geneva?
- No court fees are charged for conciliation over the lease of a home (Art. 113 para. 2 let. c CPC), unless the case is brought in bad faith or recklessly (Art. 115 CPC). You apply in writing, or orally, where the flat is: in Vaud, at the district prefecture; in Geneva, to the Commission de conciliation en matière de baux et loyers, in French. Many authorities provide a form free of charge. If no settlement is reached and you go on to court, costs can arise there.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
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