Renting out a garage or parking space

Here’s what you need to know before renting out your garage or parking space

1. Rent it out separately or with an apartment?

Whether you rent out your parking space on its own or together with an apartment will affect the notice period – according to current tenancy law, the notice period for a parking space or garage largely depends on whether it’s rented out in conjunction with an apartment (or business premises) – i.e. whether the parking space/garage has a separate rental agreement or is part of the rental agreement for the apartment or business premises. If the latter is the case, the apartment and parking space/garage are regarded as a single unit and have a common notice period (usually three months). The parking space cannot be terminated independently of the apartment.

If the garage (or parking space) is rented out separately, however, it can be terminated up to two weeks before the end of the month – by both parties, of course.

2. Subletting a parking space

Are you paying rent for a garage or parking space and don’t have a car? Perhaps the parking space belongs to your apartment even though you don’t need it. Under certain circumstances, you can sublet your rented parking space:

• You must notify your landlord of your plans and they must agree.
• If your landlord doesn’t agree to the subletting, you can extraordinarily terminate the parking space. However, this is only possible if you have a separate rental agreement for the parking space or garage.
• Your landlord may only prohibit subletting under certain circumstances (if the subtenant is unacceptable for whatever reason, for example).
• You can independently determine the rent for subletting your garage or parking space, however you mustn’t make any profit. This means the price shouldn’t be any higher than what you yourself pay.
• It’s advisable to conclude a subletting agreement to avoid any misunderstandings between the parties involved.

3. Do I have to draw up a rental agreement?

You’re not legally obliged to draw up a written rental agreement when renting out a parking space or garage. If you’re in agreement with the tenant and trust each other, a verbal arrangement will suffice. To avoid any misunderstandings and subsequent disputes, however, we recommend recording the tenancy in a written rental agreement. There’s no formal requirement to do so, but it’s advisable to include the following points in a rental agreement for a parking space or garage:

• Names of tenant and landlord
• Description of rental property
• Brief description of what can be stored/done in the rental property
• Rental start date 
• Rental period  
• Notice period
• Rental amount
• Any additional costs
• Deposit amount (if applicable)
• Number of keys provided (if applicable)
• Tenant’s obligations with regard to maintenance and upkeep
• Regulations/liability in the event of damage

4. Should/can I take a deposit?

No deposit is required when renting out a garage or parking space. In fact, this is rather unusual for parking spaces and garages. But if you do want to guarantee your security in the form of a rental deposit, you’ll need to pay this into a blocked account.

5. What can be stored in a rented parking space or garage?

Rented parking spaces and garages are intended to be used to park a car, and strictly speaking that’s all that should be stored there. Usually, however, it’s assumed that the tenant may also use the rental property to store accessories related to the use of their vehicle. These include tyres, child seats and even bicycles, for example. If the tenant wants to store objects in the parking space or garage that are intended to be used for another purpose, it’s advisable to record this in the rental agreement. As a fire safety measure, it’s generally prohibited to store highly flammable liquids or wood (e.g. furniture) in a garage. If it’s an individual space in a larger garage shared by many parties, fellow users should also be considered when storing other objects.

6. Who pays the operating costs for the garage or parking space?

Operating costs for a garage or individual parking space form part of any additional costs and are to be paid by the tenant.

7. Who’s responsible for maintaining the garage or parking space?

In principle, the landlord pays for the maintenance as the owner of the garage or parking space. This particularly applies to any repairs that exceed CHF 100 or that require a tradesman. For their part, the tenant is obliged to notify the landlord of any defects or necessary maintenance. If they do not, they may be liable for any damage caused by their failure to do so. The landlord must notify the tenant in plenty of time if they want to undertake any repairs or refurbishments to the rental property.

8. Who’s liable for damage?

The tenant must pay for any damage they cause to a rented garage or parking space. This also applies to any defects and damage that occur as a result of negligent or improper conduct. The landlord is responsible for normal wear and tear, as well as the maintenance of the rented property during normal usage.