Real estate and construction law

Blocked rent guarantee "Can the owner of a flat withhold part of the amount blocked for the rent guarantee when the keys are returned, even though she has not carried out any work and we have had to pay for the taps to be changed and the bath to be re-glazed? Patricia,...

Buying property by foreigners "I'm not Swiss, but I work in Geneva for an international organisation that has given me a legitimation card. I'd like to buy a house and I've heard that there are special rules; is that true?" Peter, Geneva There are indeed special rules for buying...

A tradesman is charging me HGV tax. Is this fair? I recently had some major work carried out on my property. When the work was finished, I received an invoice that included a supplement called "taxe R.P.L.P" (HGV tax). I don't understand what this tax is, and I'd like to know if it's legal. C. Geneva The tax...

Living space in a residential zone " I've bought a plot of land in a residential zone in Geneva to build a villa. I'd like some information about the living area. Jérôme, Geneva If possible, before buying a plot of building land and, in any case, before starting work, it's best to find out...

I've been renting a flat in Geneva for 17 years, where I live with my 25-year-old son. I want to move out soon for personal reasons, but my son has indicated that he wants to stay in the flat. I'd like to know whether my son will be able to...

Apportionment of heating costs " As a tenant in a building in Les Pâquis, the Régie refuses to send me the heating bills for my neighbours. Does it have the right to refuse to give them to me because the distribution of heating costs seems fanciful to me and I'd like to be able to check it? Francis, Geneva

Renovation: entitlement to a rent reduction? "The front of my building is about to be renovated. I live on the ground floor with a small garden. A quarter of the small garden is already "occupied" by scaffolding, which reduces daylight. When the facade renovation starts, the noise will be constant and...

Refusal of self-employed status "I've been a property broker in Geneva for several years and would like to become self-employed. I sent my compensation fund all my email exchanges with my clients (real estate agents, owners and buyers) to prove my activity. The fund refused my application, told me that I had to have independent premises...

Rent reduction: not always hot! At the beginning of the year, I told my landlord about a fault with the oven in the flat I was renting. Despite my repeated phone calls, no-one intervened to repair it. As a result, I couldn't heat my food for several months. Fed up with this negligent attitude, I terminated the tenancy...