From first search to your keys, in about 30 days.
Six steps, in order. Every one of them happens inside your Babanaj account, with an e-mail at each change. No agency fee for tenants, at any step.
- Day 0Search and shortlistYou
- Day 0–1Dossier, onceYou, 15 minutes
- Day 1Apply in one clickYou
- Day 2–3Approved: reservation agreement and invoiceBabanaj, within 48 h
- Day 4–9Viewing with an agentTogether, 20 minutes
- Day 10–30Mietvertrag, Kaution, keysTogether
The process, step by step
The same six steps appear in your account as a progress bar, so you always know what is next and who has to act.
Search and shortlist
Filter by city, move-in date, rooms and Bruttomiete. Every listing shows Nettomiete, Nebenkosten and the Kaution before you click.
Day 0YouYou
- Save a search and get an alert the hour a matching apartment goes live
- Shortlist with the heart; compare total cost to move in
Babanaj
- Visit every apartment before it is listed, photos and floor plan by us
- Show "Anmeldung possible" and pets honestly
You receive
- Alerts by e-mail
- Viewing slots visible on each listing
Dossier, once
The Swiss application file, uploaded one time and reused on every apartment. Your completeness score tells you what is still missing.
Day 0–1You, 15 minYou
- Create an account with e-mail or Swiss mobile
- Upload documents from the phone, each one checked for validity date
Babanaj
- Read the documents, flag an expired Betreibungsauszug before you apply
- Store them encrypted in Switzerland, DSG-compliant
You receive
- "Dossier complete" badge
- A PDF of your file to use anywhere else
DocumentsID or permitBCLGBetreibungsauszug ≤ 3 months3 payslips or work contractHaftpflichtversicherungApply in one click, get an answer in 48 hours
One application per apartment, with a short message to the owner. You follow the status in your account: received, under review, approved or declined with a reason.
Day 1You, 1 clickYou
- Choose move-in date and who moves in with you
- Apply to several apartments at once, the dossier travels with you
Babanaj
- Check income (rent ≤ one third of gross), permit and Betreibungsauszug
- Present the file to the owner and answer within 48 h on working days
You receive
- E-mail at every status change
- If declined: the reason, and your dossier stays ready
Zürich has 0.1 % vacancy. We tell you the number of applications on each listing so you can decide where to spend your time.
Approved: your reservation agreement and invoice
Once the owner says yes, we take the apartment off the market until your viewing. You get two documents: a reservation agreement to sign online and an invoice for one month's rent plus one or two months' deposit (1 + 1 or 1 + 2), payable by QR-bill or bank transfer.
Day 2–3Babanaj, within 48 hYou
- Read the agreement, sign it in the account (2 clicks)
- Pay the reservation invoice: scan the QR-bill with your banking app or transfer the amount
Babanaj
- Take the apartment off the market for you, no more viewings for others
- Match the payment automatically and confirm by e-mail
You receive
- Reservation agreement, PDF, signed
- Invoice with QR-bill, then a receipt
- The apartment held until your viewing
Your reservation for Seefeldstrasse 112, 3.5 roomsfrom Nora Fischer, Babanaj. Two documents attached. Reply to confirm your viewing slot.After approval: reservation agreement + invoice for 1 month's rent + 1 or 2 months' deposit (1 + 1 or 1 + 2); refunded in full within 7 to 14 working days if you decline after the viewing. If you take the apartment, the rent part becomes your first month and the deposit part counts towards the Kaution.
Viewing with an agent, then 48 hours to decide
Pick a slot from the calendar. Small groups of at most four, twenty minutes, an agent on site who knows the building and the Nebenkosten.
Day 4–9Together, 20 minYou
- Choose a slot, add it to your calendar, change it up to 24 h before
- Say yes or no in the account within 48 h after the visit
Babanaj
- Agent on site with the Übergabeprotokoll of the previous tenant and the house rules
- Answer questions on Nebenkosten, Hausordnung, parking, Waschküche
You receive
- Slot confirmation with the agent's mobile number
- Reminder 24 h and 2 h before
Not for you? One click releases the apartment, the reservation payment comes back in full, and your dossier stays ready for the next one.
Mietvertrag, Kaution and keys
You said yes. We prepare the Mietvertrag and, in Kanton Zürich, the official form for the Anfangsmietzins. You sign online, choose how to set up the Kaution, and get the keys with a photo Übergabeprotokoll.
Day 10–30TogetherYou
- Sign the Mietvertrag online, in German with an English explanation beside each clause
- Pay the rest of the Kaution into a Mietkautionskonto in your name
- Register at the Gemeinde within 14 days; we send the reminder and the address confirmation
Babanaj
- Prepare the contract and the Zürich form with the previous rent
- Send you the bank form for the Mietkautionskonto
- Hand over the keys, record meters and defects with photos; you have 10 days to add more
You receive
- Mietvertrag and Formular, signed PDFs
- Keys and the Übergabeprotokoll
- A payment calendar: rent on the 1st by QR-bill, eBill or Dauerauftrag
DocumentsMietvertragFormular Anfangsmietzins ZHKaution confirmationÜbergabeprotokoll
What you pay, and when
Nothing hidden and nothing for our service. The example is a 3.5-room apartment in Zürich-Seefeld at CHF 2'450.– net plus CHF 220.– Nebenkosten.
- Day 0Search, dossier, applicationsAny number of applications. No "Bearbeitungsgebühr", no brokerage fee for tenants.CHF 0.–
- Day 3Reservation invoice: 1 month rent + 1 or 2 months depositAfter approval: reservation agreement + invoice for 1 month's rent + 1 or 2 months' deposit (1 + 1 or 1 + 2); refunded in full within 7 to 14 working days if you decline after the viewing.CHF 5'120.– or 7'570.–2'670 + 2'450 (1 + 1), 2'670 + 4'900 (1 + 2)
- Day 12Kaution, remaining partAt most three months' net rent in total; the deposit month from the reservation counts. The rest goes on a Mietkautionskonto in your name.CHF 4'900.–2 × 2'450, on a Mietkautionskonto
- Day 30Keys. First month already paidThe rent part of the reservation covers your first Bruttomiete, so nothing is due at hand-over.CHF 0.–
- MonthlyRent on the 1st, from month twoQR-bill by e-mail, eBill in your e-banking, or a Dauerauftrag. Receipts as PDF in the account.CHF 2'670.–per month
Two ways to pay
- QR-billScan the QR code on the invoice in your e-banking app.
- Bank transfer (also from abroad)Account holder, IBAN, BIC/SWIFT, bank and the reference for the purpose field are on your invoice and in your account, each with a copy button.
Declined after the viewing: refunded in full within 7 to 14 working days.
Total to move in
Short stays are different
You pay at booking, by card. The price includes cleaning, City Tax Zürich CHF 2.50 per person and night, and 3.8 % VAT. No Kaution, no Betreibungsauszug.
The dossier, explained
Owners in Switzerland expect these five documents. Upload them once; we check validity dates so you never apply with an expired file.
ID and residence permit
Passport or ID for Swiss citizens; for others the permit card. L permits are accepted for leases up to the permit's end date.
Betreibungsregisterauszug
The debt-collection extract from your Betreibungsamt, ordered online for CHF 17.–. Owners accept it up to three months old. New in Switzerland? A letter from your employer replaces it for the first months.
Proof of income
Three recent payslips or the signed work contract. The usual rule: the Bruttomiete should not exceed one third of the household's gross income.
Haftpflichtversicherung
Private liability insurance, required by nearly every Mietvertrag. If you do not have one yet, you can add it at signing; it costs around CHF 100.– per year.
Employer or relocation letter
Optional, but it moves a file up the list: start date, salary, duration of the contract. Relocation agencies can upload it on your behalf.
How long it takes
Fifteen minutes if you have the documents on your phone. The Betreibungsauszug arrives by post or PDF in 1 to 3 working days, so order it the day you start searching.
Who you will hear from
Every e-mail in the process is signed by a person who can be called back. Working days, answer within two hours.
Why is there an invoice before the viewing?
Because in Zürich an approved file would otherwise be lost to the next applicant within hours. The reservation invoice is one month's rent plus one or two months' deposit (1 + 1 or 1 + 2) and takes the apartment off the market until your viewing. If you decline after the visit, it is refunded in full within 7 to 14 working days. If you sign, it becomes your first rent and part of the Kaution.
Do I pay Babanaj anything?
No. Swiss law does not allow an agency mandated by the owner to charge the tenant a brokerage or processing fee. Our service is paid by the owner.
Can I apply to several apartments at the same time?
Yes. The dossier is attached to each application automatically. If two owners approve you, you choose; the other reservation is cancelled without cost.
What if my Betreibungsauszug is not available yet?
You can apply with the dossier marked "Auszug ordered". We tell the owner, and you upload it when it arrives, before the Mietvertrag is prepared.
How is the Kaution set up?
Either on a Mietkautionskonto in your name at a Swiss bank, which we open for you. The amount is never more than three months' net rent.
How is a short stay different?
No dossier, no Kaution. You pay at booking by card, receive a key code on the day of arrival; the Meldeschein is optional. Cleaning, linen and WiFi are included.
Start with the dossier today, apply tomorrow.
Fifteen minutes with your phone. The Betreibungsauszug can be ordered online while you upload the rest.