Dear Friends.. need help is clarifying few things regarding vacating a house outside exit periods

Currently I stay in a 3 Zimmer flat (next to Seebach tram station) sharing with 2 other poeple. The exit months are March end and Sep end. Most probably, I will be leaving Zurich (permanently) this Jul/Aug. If I leave the house using the March end exit option, I will be left with just 4-5 months to stay here, and getting a house/studio for this short term could be tough as contracts last for min 6 months to 1 year.

I plan to give away the house this july end.. can I give notice period to the agency before june end (for Sep exit) and try getting some tenants to fill in august?
Do agencies generally accept tenants coming in within the notice period itself?

Also, I reckon that agency will provide me forms to give to prospective tenants but will list the exit date as Oct 1st (in my case) .. can this be asked to be put as Aug 1st ?
Should I tell them in my Termination letter about this and that I agree to pay Aug and Sep rent if no one comes by then?

Suggestions are most welcome, and sorry for this tedious post

Hi there vinayderock,

I prepared a fairly long answer to your thread yesterday and thought I posted it, but I see today it somehow didn’t stick. So let’s try again.

My experience on this is varied – prior to my last apartment move, I thought you could only move at the given 2 times a year. However, when moving into my current apartment, the apartment company actually allowed me to move in at the end of July, with only 8 weeks’ notice from the previous tenant (an ex-colleague of mine).

So, while I think your housing company will probably exercise their right to have you liable for the whole three months rent from when you notify them if a suitable tenant cannot be found in that period, I would think if you are able to provide them with a suitable tenant within the 3 month period then they would be happy to switch over the contract early.

You only have to be able to provide one viable applicant, to be released from your contract....that's how we got our fabulous apartment...from other foreigners moving outside of the 'regular' moving times...

You say you are in a flatshare situation - are you the main leaseholder and the others sublet from you ?

There are 3 things you should watch out for,

1. You have to write a resignation letter cancelling your contract for your next allowable resignation date. often there is a 2 month notice you must give before this date. Sometimes there is a clause "No cancelling before the following date...."
So once you have established the correct date, send the letter by registered post "Einschreiben" as soon as possible, so if things aren't correct you have time to adjust.

2. If you want to leave before this date you must then find a suitable person whom is able to cover all the points and clauses in the contract you signed. Your tenant might be refused if for instance many more people are moving in, or the person is very old or very young and conflicts with the other tenants' age range. The new person usually also has to produce the certificate of no debts. Now you can write again to the landlord / agency introducing your new tenant and asking if you can leave on your suggested date.

3. Assuming the landlord agrees, he will send a new contract to the new tenant and ask for the deposit etc. Assuming the new tenant signs up and takes over your contract, you are freed of the appartment.

But! If the new tenant fails to pay the rent, the landlord can come to you for the missing rent up to the date of your original first resignation. So be warned, and if possible get the full outstanding future rent from the new tenant before you move out, or make sure he pays it to the landlord. The landlord will not release your deposit until he is sure he has all the rent, and there is no unexplained damage to the appartment. He can keep the deposit for up to 12 months. It is a mine field!

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@swisspea .. yes, am the main leaseholder and others are sublets

@Ittigen thanks a lot, nice explanation. I need to play safe in this minefield