Terms of Service
Effective 1 June 2026 — Helvint SARL, Geneva, Switzerland
Material changes are notified by email 14 days in advance. Last revision: May 2026.
1. Parties and Acceptance
These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding contract between you ("User") and Helvint SARL, a société à responsabilité limitée incorporated in Geneva, Switzerland ("Helvint", "we", "us").
By creating an account or using the platform, you confirm that you have read, understood, and accept these Terms. If you are using Helvint on behalf of an organisation, you represent that you have authority to bind that organisation to these Terms.
Helvint SARL is a separate legal entity from its members and managers. Its liability is governed by Art. 772–827 of the Swiss Code of Obligations (OR). Members' liability is limited to their capital contributions. Helvint SARL's obligations and liabilities under these Terms are solely those of the company — not of any individual manager, employee, or shareholder.
2. The Service
Helvint is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform for Swiss residential property management. It provides tools for property managers, tenants, and contractors operating under Swiss tenancy law.
IMPORTANT: Helvint is a management tool only. It does not constitute legal advice, financial advice, or tax advice. Nothing on the platform — including rent index alerts, reference mortgage rate notifications, handover reports, ancillary cost statements, or cantonal law summaries — constitutes a legal opinion or professional advice. You remain solely responsible for all legal decisions, lease terms, rent-setting, notices, and compliance with applicable Swiss and cantonal law. Helvint strongly recommends that you consult a qualified Swiss lawyer for any legal matter.
3. User Roles and Accounts
A single Helvint account may hold multiple roles simultaneously: Property Manager, Tenant, and Contractor. You are responsible for:
- Keeping your credentials secure and confidential
- All activity that occurs under your account
- Ensuring that any third parties whose data you enter (tenants, contractors) have been informed of Helvint's data processing in accordance with the Privacy Policy
Sharing account credentials with third parties is prohibited.
4. Subscriptions, Billing, and Cancellation
4.1 Plans
Paid subscriptions are available in the following fixed tiers:
| Tier | Monthly (CHF) | Unit limit | Bank sync |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 0 | 1 unit | No — manual logging only |
| Starter | 49 | Up to 5 | Yes |
| Pro | 89 | Up to 15 | Yes |
| Agency | 249 | Unlimited | Yes |
Prices are in Swiss Francs (CHF), exclusive of any applicable taxes.
4.2 Billing
Subscriptions are billed monthly in advance via Wallee AG (Winterthur, Switzerland). By providing payment details, you authorise Helvint to charge your payment method on a recurring basis until cancellation.
4.3 Cancellation
You may cancel at any time from your account settings. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. No refund is issued for the remaining portion of a paid period. Upon cancellation, your data is retained for 30 days, after which it is permanently deleted, subject to the legal retention periods set out in the Privacy Policy.
4.4 Free tier
The Free tier is provided without payment. Helvint may change or discontinue the Free tier with 30 days' notice.
4.5 Disputed charges
If you believe a charge is incorrect, contact us at billing@helvint.ch within 30 days of the charge. We will investigate and respond within 14 days.
5. Bank Synchronisation (SIX bLink)
5.1 Bank sync is available on paid plans (Starter, Pro, Agency) only. Connecting your bank account is entirely optional and requires explicit OAuth consent via SIX bLink.
5.2 Helvint accesses Account Information Services (AIS) only — read-only access to your account information for the purpose of matching rent payments. Helvint never initiates, authorises, or executes payments on your behalf.
5.3 Bank transaction data is sensitive personal data under the nFADP. Its processing is governed by the Privacy Policy and requires your explicit, revocable consent.
5.4 Helvint is not responsible for errors, delays, or failures in data provided by SIX bLink or your bank. Bank data displayed on Helvint is informational and may not reflect real-time account balances. You should always verify payment status directly with your bank.
5.5 SIX bLink is operated by SIX Group AG, a third party. Its terms and service levels apply independently of Helvint.
6. Contractor Platform Fee
6.1 Contractors join Helvint and receive job requests for free. There is no charge to a contractor for receiving or accepting jobs.
6.2 For completed jobs facilitated through Helvint, the Property Manager is charged a platform fee of 5–8% of the contractor's invoiced amount. This fee is charged to the manager's account, not deducted from the contractor's payment.
6.3 The verified badge for contractors (if applicable) is a subscription product charged separately. Pricing is displayed in the contractor profile settings.
7. Intellectual Property
7.1 Helvint SARL owns all rights in the platform, including its source code, design, trademarks, brand, and content.
7.2 You retain full ownership of all data you input into Helvint (property data, lease data, handover reports, documents). By using the platform, you grant Helvint a limited, non-exclusive licence to store, process, and display your data solely for the purpose of providing the service to you.
7.3 You may not copy, reverse-engineer, decompile, scrape, or resell any part of the Helvint platform.
8. Acceptable Use
You agree to use Helvint only for lawful Swiss residential property management. You must not use the platform to:
- Process personal data for any purpose other than managing your own properties and leases
- Violate Swiss tenancy law (OR Art. 253–274g) or cantonal housing regulations
- Upload fraudulent, false, or misleading information
- Harass, intimidate, or discriminate against tenants or contractors
- Circumvent Helvint's security measures or access data of other users
- Use the platform in connection with properties that are subject to a court order or cantonal enforcement action without disclosure to the relevant authorities
9. Cantonal Law Disclaimer
Swiss tenancy law is governed federally by OR Art. 253–274g and the VMWG/OBLF, but cantonal procedures, forms, and housing protection rules vary materially. The following is a non-exhaustive summary:
Official initial rent form obligation (as of 1 October 2025)
Mandatory in the entire cantons of: Basel-Stadt (BS), Fribourg (FR), Geneva (GE), Lucerne (LU), Zug (ZG), Zurich (ZH). Partially mandatory in: Vaud (VD, certain municipalities), Neuchâtel (NE, certain municipalities). Optional (on tenant request) in all other cantons. From 1 October 2025, the form must include the current reference mortgage rate and CPI. Failure to use the correct form may invalidate rent-setting, entitling the tenant to pay the previous rent indefinitely.
Conciliation authorities (mandatory pre-court step)
All tenancy disputes in Switzerland must go to the cantonal conciliation authority before reaching a civil court. These proceedings are free for residential tenancies in all cantons. The competent authority is determined by the location of the property:
- Geneva (GE): Commission de conciliation en matière de baux et loyers (CCBL)
- Zurich (ZH): Schlichtungsbehörde für Miet- und Pachtsachen
- Bern (BE): Schlichtungsbehörde für Miet- und Pachtsachen
- Vaud (VD): Commission de conciliation en matière de baux
- Basel-Stadt (BS): Schlichtungsbehörde für Miet- und Pachtsachen
- Ticino (TI): Autorità di conciliazione
- All other cantons have equivalent cantonal conciliation authorities
Helvint's handover and dispute features are designed to assist with documentation. They do not constitute representation before a conciliation authority or court.
Geneva (GE): LDTR
Geneva's Loi sur les démolitions, transformations et rénovations (LDTR) restricts rent-setting after renovation. Post-renovation rents are capped at CHF 3,528 per room/year (incl. ancillary costs, excl. heating). The kitchen counts as a room. Public authorities in Geneva hold a pre-emption right on property sales.
Zurich (ZH) and Basel-Stadt (BS)
Both cantons operate housing shortage declarations and apply tenancy law among the most strictly in Switzerland. Basel-Stadt operates additional housing protection legislation (WRFG / WRSchV) for affordable residential stock.
Vaud (VD)
Vaud has a partial official form obligation and public authority pre-emption rights in certain municipalities.
Ticino (TI): Lex Airbnb
Since 2022, short-term online rentals of fewer than 4 apartments exceeding 90 days per calendar year in Ticino are classified as commercial use, requiring an authorisation under cantonal building law. Managers with properties in Ticino must verify their authorisation status independently.
Cantons without housing shortage declaration
In cantons without a formally declared housing shortage (including Valais, Jura, Appenzell (AR and AI), Glarus, Schaffhausen, Uri, Schwyz, Obwalden, Nidwalden, Graubünden, Thurgau, St. Gallen, and Solothurn), the official initial rent form is not mandatory. Tenants retain the right to contest the initial rent under OR Art. 270 but must prove personal necessity to do so.
DISCLAIMER: The cantonal information above is for general awareness only. It is not legal advice. Cantonal rules change. Helvint does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or current applicability of any cantonal information displayed on the platform or in these Terms. You are solely responsible for compliance with all applicable cantonal laws. Helvint recommends consulting a qualified Swiss lawyer for your specific canton and situation.
10. Limitation of Liability
10.1 No legal or professional advice
Helvint is a software tool. Nothing on the platform constitutes legal advice, financial advice, tax advice, or a professional opinion of any kind. Helvint expressly disclaims all liability for any decision made by you in reliance on platform data or features, including without limitation rent index alerts, reference mortgage rate notifications, ancillary cost calculations, handover protocols, or cantonal law summaries.
10.2 Cap on liability
To the maximum extent permitted by Swiss law, Helvint's total aggregate liability to you for any claim arising out of or relating to these Terms or the service — regardless of the form of action — is limited to the total subscription fees you paid to Helvint in the 12 months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim.
10.3 Exclusion of indirect damages
Helvint is not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including lost revenue, lost data, loss of tenants, loss of contractual relationships, reputational harm, or cost of substitute services — even if Helvint has been advised of the possibility of such damages.
10.4 Service availability
Helvint does not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free service. We do not accept liability for losses caused by platform downtime, data synchronisation delays (including SIX bLink), or third-party infrastructure failures.
10.5 User-entered data
You are solely responsible for the accuracy of all data you enter into Helvint, including property details, rent amounts, lease terms, and tenant information. Helvint is not liable for consequences arising from incorrect or incomplete data entry.
10.6 Third parties
You are solely responsible for complying with the legal obligations that apply to your properties and leases in your canton. Helvint is a tool to assist you — it does not replace your legal obligations as a landlord, agent, or contractor.
11. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Helvint SARL, its members, managers, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, penalties, fines, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or relating to:
- Your use of the platform in violation of these Terms
- Your violation of applicable Swiss or cantonal law
- Any dispute between you and a tenant, contractor, or third party
- Your misrepresentation of data entered into the platform
12. Data Processing
By using Helvint, you act as a data controller for the personal data of tenants and contractors you enter into the platform. You are responsible for ensuring that your data processing complies with the nFADP, including informing tenants and contractors that their data is processed by Helvint as a data processor on your behalf. Helvint's role as data processor with respect to third-party personal data you enter is governed by the Data Processing Agreement available at helvint.ch/dpa.
13. Termination
13.1 You may terminate your account at any time via account settings.
13.2 Helvint may suspend or terminate your account immediately, without prior notice or liability, if you breach these Terms, violate Swiss law, or engage in conduct that poses a risk to other users or to the platform.
13.3 Upon termination, your right to access the platform ceases immediately. Your data is retained for 30 days to allow export, after which it is permanently deleted subject to legal retention obligations.
14. Force Majeure
Helvint is not liable for failure to perform its obligations caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including natural disasters, cyberattacks, regulatory changes, third-party infrastructure failures (including SIX bLink, Infomaniak, or Supabase), or Swiss federal or cantonal government actions.
15. Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. For material changes, we will notify you by email at least 14 days before the effective date. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance. If you do not accept the new terms, you may terminate your account before the effective date and receive a pro-rated refund for any paid period affected.
16. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms are governed exclusively by Swiss law, to the exclusion of any conflict-of-law principles. The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) does not apply.
Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms that cannot be resolved amicably shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts of the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland.
17. Severability and Entire Agreement
If any provision of these Terms is held invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions remain in full force. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any Data Processing Agreement, constitute the entire agreement between you and Helvint SARL with respect to the platform, and supersede all prior agreements, representations, and understandings.