Should expats in Geneva rent a temporary apartment or opt for an unlimited rental contract?

Expats who are new in Geneva often have to decide whether they should rent a temporary apartment or go for an unlimited rental contract. Both options have advantages and disadvantages. As it is quite hard for expats in Geneva to find an apartment to rent, often, expats first look for a temporary apartment and later on rent a permanent one. 

There is a reason why a flatsforexpats.com membership is usually valid 12 months: expats in Geneva often first rent a temporary apartment and take their time to find a permanent apartment. A 12-month duration gives flatsforexpats.com members enough time to do so. As it is hard to find an apartment to rent for expats in Geneva often expats just accept whatever offer they can get at first. Then they take their time to find an apartment to rent that fits their needs better.

Should you rent a permanent apartment in Geneva anyways or is it better for expats to just go for limited rental contracts? The advantage of temporary apartments is that you don’t have to care about notifying your real estate company or landlord when you are gonna leave. This can be quite complicated. Depending on your contract, it is necessary to notify your landlord 3 or 4 months before you leave your apartment you rented. If you wish to leave earlier you will have to look for a suitable replacement tenant which can be quite a lot of work. If the contract is limited this will not be necessary.

Obviously, expats should try to rent a permanent apartment if they want to stay permanently. However, many expats in Geneva go for temporary apartments because often they are easier to find. This is because temporary apartments to rent in Geneva are often offered by expats or locals who would like to sublet. It is usually harder to find a tenant for a temporary sublet so in reverse these offers are easier to get for expats who are new in Geneva.

On flatsforexpats.com you find both sublets and permanent apartment offers in Geneva.