Guide
No reply.
When the management does not respond.
You have reported a defect and nothing happens. With a written deadline and the right steps you get further without escalating.
As of 20 October 20265 sections · approx. 1 min
What you can do now
You record defects in the defect editor of your review – that is also where you create the letter to the management.
Record a defectIn short
The essentials in three sentences
- Report in writing, ideally by registered mail, and set a reasonable deadline.
- If nothing happens, you have rights: ask for a reduction, under certain conditions deposit the rent or have the repair done yourself.
- The conciliation authority mediates free of charge – without a lawyer.
Step by step
- Report in writing: what, where, since when, with photos.
- Set a deadline, reasonable for the urgency.
- When it expires, follow up, again in writing, and announce what you will do next.
- Ask for a reduction – it applies from the report.
- Turn to the conciliation authority if no solution is in sight.
Depositing the rent
A strong remedy with strict rules: you set a deadline in writing and announce that you will deposit future rent with the office designated by the canton. You must then turn to the conciliation authority within 30 days of the due date of the first deposited rent. Simply paying less is not depositing – get advice first.
Stay factual
Short, factual letters work better than long ones. No accusations against people, no threats – state the defect, the deadline and the next steps.
Frequently asked questions
- Is an email enough?
- For the report, yes; as proof, a registered letter is safer. Keep copies and replies.
- Can Home-Voice contact the management?
- No. Home-Voice is not a reporting channel and does not mediate. The tools help you write yourself.
Legal basis
Art. 257g CO (duty to report), Art. 259a and 259b CO (remedy, deadline, repair by the tenant), Art. 259d CO (reduction), Art. 259g to 259i CO (depositing rent).
Guidance, not legal advice. In a dispute, the tenants' association or your canton's conciliation authority can help.