# Moving to a senior apartment: checklist with deadlines

> From notice to move-in: a six-month timeline, deadlines for the municipality, compensation office and home-care service – and why clearing the old home takes longest.

- Source: https://sorgimmo.com/en/blog/moving-to-a-senior-apartment-checklist/
- Published: 2026-08-06
- Language: English
- Publisher: SorgImmo (ONLU AG, Cham, Switzerland) – https://sorgimmo.com

A move into a senior apartment plans well if you start **around six months** ahead. That is considerably more than for an ordinary move – not because of the deadlines but because of clearing the old home. The legal points are quickly stated: at least three months' notice to a customary termination date, registration with the new municipality within 14 days. The rest is organisation – and deciding what comes along.

## The six-month timeline

| When | What |
|---|---|
| 6 months before | Start clearing out. Wait for confirmation of the new apartment before giving notice. |
| 4–5 months before | Measure the new apartment and choose furniture accordingly. Get quotes from removal and clearance firms. |
| 3 months before | Give notice by registered post. Family dwelling: both signatures. |
| 2 months before | Prepare change-of-address notifications. Inform home care, doctor and pharmacy. |
| 1 month before | Apply for the parking restriction. Fix the handover date for the old apartment. |
| Moving week | Keep important documents and medication separate and to hand. |
| Within 14 days after | Register with the new municipality, deregister from the old one. |
| Afterwards | Compensation office, health insurer, bank, insurers. |

## Clearing the old home: the longest part

After thirty or forty years in the same place, sorting through is almost always more demanding and more tiring than the move itself. Allow **several months**, not weeks – and start as soon as the decision is made, not when the date is fixed.

What helps:

**Measure first, decide second.** Get the floor plan of the new apartment and check what actually fits. A dining table for ten rarely fits a two-and-a-half-room apartment. This order spares you the most painful version: move first, throw away afterwards.

**Sort into four piles:** take along, pass to the family, sell or give away, dispose of. The «decide later» pile is a trap – it grows.

**Involve the family early.** Ask children and grandchildren concretely what they would like to take. It lightens your load and prevents later arguments about things long since disposed of.

**Do not do it all yourself.** Clearance firms take on the heavy work; get two or three quotes based on an **on-site visit** rather than a telephone estimate. Check whether disposal fees are included – they often make up a substantial share. Some firms offset usable furniture.

**Treat documents separately.** Land register extracts, insurance policies, advance care directive, living will, tax papers and receipts for value-adding investments belong in their own clearly labelled box – and in your own keeping, not in the removal load. Why those receipts still matter is covered in [Adapt or sell?](/en/blog/adapt-or-sell-the-family-home/).

## Notice: the formal requirements

The statutory notice period for apartments is **at least three months** to a locally customary or contractually agreed date. What counts is when the notice arrives with the landlord – not the postmark. So send it early, by registered post.

The point most often overlooked: for a **family dwelling both spouses or registered partners must sign**, even if only one person is moving out. Without both signatures the notice is invalid.

Do not give notice until the new apartment is definitely confirmed. With senior apartments and waiting lists, some time can pass between confirmation and move-in – establish the occupancy date before you give up the old home.

## Registering and deregistering: the 14-day deadline

In most municipalities you must register with the new municipality **within 14 days** of moving in, and deregister from the previous one. The deadline is set cantonally, but 14 days is the rule. In many cantons both can be done online via **eUmzugCH**; otherwise in person with your ID and tenancy agreement.

You do not need to notify **Serafe** separately – address data comes automatically from the residents' register. Just check the next invoice if you are dissolving a household or moving in with others.

## What additionally needs reporting in later life

These points are missing from ordinary moving checklists:

- **The compensation office**, if you receive supplementary benefits. Recognised housing costs change – and they are only covered up to regional maximums. Report the move as soon as it is settled.
- **Home care (Spitex)**, if you receive services. Moving to another municipality may mean a different organisation is responsible; arrange the handover early.
- **Doctor and pharmacy.** Over a longer distance a change makes sense; have your medical records transferred.
- **Aids and adaptations.** If ramps, grab rails or a stairlift are in use, establish beforehand what the new apartment needs and who contributes – see [Adapting your home](/en/adapting-your-home/).
- **Advance care directive and living will.** Check that addresses and named contacts are still correct.

## Moving day itself

You will need a **parking restriction** in many towns and larger municipalities if space is required in front of the building. Apply to the municipality or city police, ideally one to two weeks ahead – and at **both** addresses. Many removal firms handle this on request.

Keep medication, important documents, glasses, hearing aids and chargers in a bag with you, not in the removal load. And arrange for someone whose only job that day is to be there for you – not to carry things, but to keep track.

On handing back the old apartment: after a long tenancy you usually owe less than you think. Why, is explained in [handing back a home after decades](/en/blog/handover-after-a-long-tenancy/).

## Summary

- Start six months ahead – clearing the home, not the notice period, sets the timeline.
- Notice period at least three months; for family dwellings both spouses sign.
- Do not give notice until the new apartment is confirmed and the occupancy date is known.
- Register with the new municipality within 14 days, in many cantons online via eUmzugCH.
- Additionally notify: the compensation office if you receive supplementary benefits, home care, doctor and pharmacy.
- Measure the new apartment first, then decide what comes along – not the other way round.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much notice do I have to give on a rented apartment in Switzerland?

At least three months to a locally customary or contractually agreed termination date. What counts is when the notice arrives, not the postmark. Send it by registered post; for a family dwelling both spouses or registered partners must sign, even if only one person is moving out.

### By when must I register with my new municipality?

In most municipalities within 14 days of moving in, and you must deregister from the previous one at the same time. The deadline is set cantonally, but 14 days is the rule. In many cantons both can be done online via eUmzugCH; otherwise in person with your ID and tenancy agreement.

### Who else needs to be told about the move?

The compensation office if you receive supplementary benefits – recognised housing costs change. Also your health insurer, pension fund, the post office, bank, insurers, doctor and pharmacy. You do not need to notify Serafe: address data comes automatically from the residents' register.

### How long does clearing out a home take?

After decades in the same place, realistically several months rather than weeks. It is almost always the longest part of the whole move and the most emotionally demanding. Start as soon as the decision is made – not when the date is fixed.

### What does a house-clearance firm cost?

It depends heavily on volume, floor level and how much has to be disposed of; get two or three quotes based on an on-site visit rather than a telephone estimate. Check whether disposal fees are included – they often make up a substantial share. Some firms offset usable furniture against the price.

### Do I need a parking restriction on moving day?

In many towns and larger municipalities yes, if you need space in front of the building. Apply to the municipality or city police, ideally one to two weeks in advance – and at both the old and the new address. Many removal firms handle this on request.