Hi all,
Just want to know if anyone has any tips for searching for apartments, house/flat-shares, etc. in houses or apts outside Geneva. Its just outrageous the cost and bureaucracy involved in renting inside the city and the outlying suburbs.
Any and all suggestions will be much appreciated.

The biggest help I had with renting was to stumble across a copy of Know-it-all which covers all the pros-cons, lots of information about agents links etc.

That along with my wife who I sent out to talk to people, post office anywhere and as she is a real charmer a lot of people helped quite a bit.

Let people know you are looking and network.

Lots of info on here so trawl the complete folder on housing using search.

BTW - I pay the high price in Geneva rather than pay lower price in France because at the end of the day financially I am better off. People look at me strangely when I tell them this but you need to factor in where you end up paying taxes.

Good Luck

Thanks for those tips. Yeah, networking is probably the way to go.
Do you or does anyone know where to get a copy of 'Know-it-all'?
What about experiences with agents? I've heard good and bad.

When you say higher taxes, doesn't it depend on where you work and the location of the employer who pays you? My employer is in Geneva and will pay me in CHF, Swiss taxes, etc., while I hope to live in France where it will be a little cheaper in rent.

If you live in France I imagine you would be resident in France, and therefore would have to pay French tax, not Swiss... I don't know the details, but it might be worth asking in the Finance/Banking section of the forum as there are plenty of very knowledgeable people there.

Just did some more searching and the situation differs depending on the specific canton you live in. In Geneva, you are taxed at source, i.e. income tax is applied to salaries earned working in Geneva no matter where you reside. It might change if you're not an Eu citizen?
Good tip though, is check out the financial/banking forum here for good info. Thanks for that.

No problem. That's interesting to know.

PS It might be worth editing your post to include a link to the information you found, so that anyone in the future with a similar query can find it

Know it all guides are on sale in Manor, some book shops and other shops which you can check on their website at

http://www.knowitall.ch/indexpage.html?home.html&3

I am surprised to hear that if you are resident in France, you will pay Swiss tax. I thought that you could only pay Swiss tax if you are domicile in Switzerland. I thought that it was where you live that dictates where you pay tax. How would the Swiss tax you in Switzerland, when you dont have a Swiss address. Remember the majority of tax is paid to your local Gemeinde. Is there anyone on the forum who can clarify where tax can be paid.

We've been here before at least twice, but I'm not grumpy. If you work in Geneva and live in France, you pay swiss income tax at source. You must also fill in a french tax form for the rest: shares, etc. See my and others previous posts for more detail.

Perhaps this has been posted before, but here is the link with explanation of taxation at the source in Geneva: http://etat.geneve.ch/df/impots/faq....1=1554&id2=233

I heard that because of tax implications you end up financially in the same (or possibly even worse) situation, but many people still choose to live in France so it is really up to you to decide. There are different factors to consider (for example commuting time, living in urban or rural environment). I am quite sure that by choosing France you avoid the insanely frustrating process of applying and being rejected for Geneva flats.

Yeah, I've pretty much decided to live in France, although Nyon is a possibility because of the ability to get a fast train into Geneva.

The tax situation is not really a big concern. I was hoping this thread would discuss the how's and what's and where's of apartment hunting in France...for instance...experience with agencies, paperwork, hassles, flat availability...etc. For folks new to this area, to the language, to how the system works...the whole thing can be a bit daunting. So I'm inviting folks to share some of their own experiences in looking for flats to rent in France....