Oh, you poor thing ..

Natel / Handy - Mobile phone number

yes I definitely feel poorer here. These bloody forms are agony


What's "Zwingend erforderlich: Originale der aktuellen Betreibungsregisterauszüge, nicht alter als drei Monate, beilegen"?

They once were to me, but once you start filling them out routinely, it became easier.

Search the forum for betreibungsauskunft - an extract that you need to pay some CHF17 from the local office near you no older than 3 months certifying your debt status.

Ok, translated it as "Must use original of the current debt register extracts , not older than three months to settle " - a credit search report?

Cheesey good luck with the application.

Best I think to make a photocopy of this application once you have your answers down. Hopefully you get this place or one soon but if you are looking for a place in Zurich as you location suggests this can take a while. All the forms tend to vary a little and some have a few strange and what sometimes seems like to me irrelevant questions (like the one you started the thread with!) but once you have done a few you should have a quick "stock" answer for future forms. Which should make it a little less painful.

I would recommend putting in a copy of your work contract along with the betreibungsauskunft (as JRSPET has shown you the link on where to find out more - if it doesn't state in this link I suggest getting duplicate originals if you can from the office an extra 2 CHF or so for each one, companies prefer an original most of the time). Possibly a copy of your passport / permit might also help.

Demand for places is pretty high so it is worth making the effort, but still getting the form back as quickly as possible.

Definitely short for Konfession (ie. religion). I had a bit of a frantic flat hunting spree last summer and saw it on application forms a couple of times. From what I remember you could leave it blank or just write "keine".

The Religion is relevant when you register at the Gemeinde because you will be taxed accordingly.

I don't know if it makes a difference with the rent.

put "Zoroastrian" on it

The work contract is unnecessary and really, this is a document that no Swiss person would send. The application asks for your employment details and the contact person in HR who can confirm your salary, employment start date, and things like whether you are still in the probation period at work.

I was allowed to put down "keine" when I registered at Rüti Gemeinde. Although this may have something to do with my terrible German accent and them just wanting me to leave as soon as possible

According to this site,

Datenschutz Mietwohnung Formular

it's only acceptable to ask this form of question of the agency has a special reason (if they have to by law and others). The same for Nationality. It's only legal to ask if you are Swiss or not.

I wonder if reading them the law will help get my applications accepted, lol. Thanks for the clarification though.


Next up... what does Heimatort/bewilligung mean? Literally it means "home/authorisation", but what does that mean in context?

Also, if it just asks "Heimatort" I've been putting the city where I most recently lived abroad before moving here - is that correct?

Heimatort - city / town of your birth

Bewilligung - Auslander ausweiss B / C / F / G etc. ie your migration permit

Sorry jrspet, but Heimatort in Switzerland has nothing to do with where one was born.

One inherits the Heimatort / 'Homeparish' from ones father; one gains the 'Homeparish' of ones husband; one can apply to have an additional Heimatort after living in a place for a looong time - but quite a lot of Swiss have never even been to their Heimatort... it's just one of those weird Swiss things. And, although we never think of it like that, when we live in another parish, we, in theory, have to ask if we may. We get a 'Niederlassungsbewilligung' which is 'permission to live there'.

__________________
Longbyt

Ah, but as a foreigner, I was told to put down the home town on the form.

Sure, I was just being nice and pedantic as usual.

Just asked a swiss guy, he said just put grossbritannien. Anyone have a view or experience on whether that's good advice?

A useful PDF from the city to assist newbies in flat hunting.

English version of a typical rental application form is here.

In spite of my remarks above, filling in the paper I'd go with jrspet. I'd give my place of birth and then UK

None of these forms was ever set up for anyone who didn't fit in the box exactly.

If you are applying for a specific apartment, if you haven't submitted the form by now it is probably too late. The competition for apartments in Zürich is very tough.

I am with Mrs Doolittle on this one.

I applied to 23 apartments before getting one, this was with responding the same day with first class post, scanning in and emailing the next morning or going in person to the office to hand in my documents.

The main reason I struggled was not being in Switzerland for long enough (compared to others applying). The place I got in the end was privately owned rather than one of the large property companies. This helped in that I had met the actually owner and maybe convinced them I was not some strange foreigner. Obviously could be different factors for you.

This was applying to central Zurich places where demand is really tough.

I put down the place of my birth according to my passport and then England to answer your question. Grossbritannien could work in my opinion here as well.