I have searched, but either am having a 'I cannot use a search function' moment or can't find the answer to this question...

My rent is currently paid by social services (thank you social services!). However, it is (much) higher than the top rate for a single person's rent. At the moment, social services pay the whole rent, because my psychiatrist wrote a letter saying I wasn't in a fit mental state to cope with moving. That was at the end of last year.

This letter 'lasts' until the end of this year. However, I'm now starting the process of trying to get back to work. So when I finally had my psychiatrist and my social worker in the same room, I asked how this affected this certificate. My view was that I didn't feel comfortable taking an extra 500 chf off social services seeing as if I'm well enough to look for a new job, I should be well enough to move. They agreed, and it turned out my social worker had been planning to raise the question herself.

So I've been told to look for a new apartment. Emphasis on look rather than find, as my social worker knows that finding an apartment when you don't have a job, and a rather small budget, isn't easy. Basically I have to provide a paper trail of applications, if I find something, fine. If I can't find something, I prove I'm trying (and I guess social aid pay the rent until I succeed).

Of course, life being what it is, all this has come up a few months too late - I only have one official 'moving' date (1st October) and I have 4 months notice. My understanding is if I provide the gerance with 3 (?) candidates who meet the criteria, I can leave early.

But...

Do I still have to give 4 months notice (if I manage to find these candidates)?

How does it work (sorry if this is a stupid question) with the giving notice? When I've found somewhere?

And also, any advice on how to manage this 'prove you're looking' scenario? My social worker told me to just apply for any apartment going within the price range, but I seem to recall if you get selected and then want to back out there's a fine... and I don't have the spare cash for that. Also am worried about finding a new tenant in a limited time. I like where I live, but I think the rent's quite expensive - the landlord did a lot of work and put everyone's rent up (except mine, which was put up in advance when I moved in) and all the other people in the building weren't happy.

Sorry if these questions have been answered elsewhere... am trying to manage my stress by seeking information in English before ringing the gerance and ASLOCA.

This would happen 3 days after my kitchen bin breaks... think I'd better tell the gerance about that and then ring them again another day to enquire about getting out of the contract early.

Thanks...

Nope, you don't have to give three months' notice. If you find three candidates* who are all able and willing to take the flat next month, you can leave next month. (You have to allow the landlord a reasonable amount of time to examine the proposed replacement tenants and make sure they are bona fide candidates. "Reasonable" in this context is typically about a month.)

You should let your landlord know immediately - preferably by registered mail - that you want to leave early (you don't have to set a date for this yet) and so you will be looking for a replacement tenant. Promise them that you will send them the details of potential tenants as soon as possible. That's all you have to do for now.

When you show the apartment, give people a copy of your current rental contract to read (they have to agree to take it under the current conditions - no changes) and ask them to fill out a form and sign it. The landlord might give you the forms, or you can just print something off yourself. It should include:

• their personal details (including salary);
• the date they are willing to take over your apartment;
• a statement to the effect that by their signature, they declare that this information is accurate and that they are ready to take the apartment on the specified date, with the rent and conditions as outlined in your rental contract.

I found sample forms for this on the internet, but all in German - sorry! I'm sure they're out there in French but I don't know the keywords to search for.

Once you have collected several of these forms, send them in to the landlord (again by registered mail) along with a letter giving notice of your desired termination date and proposing a handover appointment.

Note that the landlord isn't obliged to take any of these tenants - that's up to him - and he can also raise the rent, change the terms and conditions, whatever he wants. You've done your part, so you're off the hook.

*legally there only has to be one "solvent" "acceptable" candidate... but the renters' association recommends three. If you only present one candidate, you're taking the risk that he might have overstated his income, might have a bad credit record making him unacceptable to the landlord, etc. and then you're back at square one.

__________________
Need help? Contact a mod.

Thank you so much for that information... that makes me feel much less scrambled!

Was feeling very confused, as this is my first experience renting (and then leaving) a place (owned my flat in England). It doesn't help that my gerance's website is not working .

Having slept on it, I'm going to try and see if I can persuade social services to give me a few months grace until Feb / March next year, as I've just started a process which will (hopefully) lead to a job... and that ends mid-February. Seems a bit counter productive to move somewhere in Vaud now, and then possibly find a job somewhere else in Vaud in February...

here is one at Morges

http://www.immoscout24.ch/IS24Web/_V...46&wl=1&lng=fr