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Notice of defects in a rented home, with a rent reduction and deadline (Switzerland)
Switzerland · in English · for tenants
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For tenants in Switzerland living with defects in their flat: the written notice to the landlord or agency. It lists what is wrong, sets a date for the repairs (Art. 259a and 259b of the Code of Obligations, CO), claims a lower rent from when the landlord knew (Art. 259d CO) and can carry the written warning that the rent will be paid into deposit, which Art. 259g CO requires first. It names your canton's conciliation authority. Print, sign, add photos and post it registered. Swiss authorities and courts work in their official language — German, French or Italian — so this English version is for dealings between private parties.
- Made for use in Switzerland
- Last updated November 4, 2026
- Document in English
Published byDocMuse
When to use this document
- Mould keeps coming back in your rented flat in Switzerland and the landlord does nothing.
- The heating in your Geneva flat has been broken for weeks.
- Building work next door makes your flat hard to live in and you want a lower rent.
- You want to set the landlord a deadline in English before paying rent into deposit.
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
Common questions
- Does a defects notice in English protect my rights as a tenant in Switzerland?
- It does between you and the landlord, as long as it is clear, in writing and provably received: list each defect, the date you first reported it and the deadline, add photos, and send it registered (Einschreiben). The notice itself is your duty (Art. 257g CO); without it you may be liable for further damage. If the lease is in German, French or Italian, the same letter exists in that language. Swiss authorities and courts work in their official language — German, French or Italian — so this English version is for dealings between private parties.
- May I simply pay less rent while defects in my Swiss flat go unrepaired?
- No. You claim the reduction — in proportion to how much the defect spoils the use of the flat, from when the landlord knew until the repair (Art. 259d CO) — and go on paying the full rent with this letter's reservation until there is an agreement or a decision. Simply paying less exposes you to notice for arrears (Art. 257d CO). No percentages are laid down in law; case law and the tenants' associations' tables give a guide. Minor cleaning and small repairs fall to the tenant (Art. 259 CO).
- What does paying rent into the canton's deposit office involve, and what must follow it?
- Three written steps. First a reasonable deadline with the warning that rent will be deposited — the first choice in this letter (Art. 259g para. 1 CO). If the defect remains after that date, tell the landlord in writing that you are depositing, then pay each future rent, by its due date at the latest, to the office the canton designates (the conciliation authority tells you which), under that office's procedure; it then counts as paid. Within 30 days of the first deposited rent falling due you must take your claims to the conciliation authority, or the money goes to the landlord (Art. 259h CO). Conciliation over a rented home is free of court costs (Art. 113 para. 2 let. c CPC).
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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Related documents
- Notice of defects in a rented home, with a deadline and rent reduction, in German (Switzerland)
For tenants in Switzerland with defects in their flat: the written notice of defects to the landlord or the agency. It describes the defects, sets a deadline to repair them (Art. 259a and 259b of the Code of Obligations, OR), asks for a rent reduction from the time the landlord knew of them (Art. 259d OR) and can give the written warning that rent will be deposited, which Art. 259g OR requires first. It names your canton's conciliation authority, whose procedure is free. Print, sign, enclose photos and send by registered post. In German.
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