The number of tenancy disputes in Switzerland jumped 42% in the first half of 2023 compared to the second half of 2022, reported the government this week. Across Switzerland a total of 17,519 tenancy or lease arbitration proceedings were initiated between January and June 2023. The rising number of disputes follows rent hikes, often triggered […]
Swiss government launches plan to stop rising rents
Switzerland, where only 36% of the population own their homes, is sometimes referred to as a nation of renters. So when rents rise, as they have recently, the subject becomes political. On Wednesday, Switzerland’s Federal Council announced that it was looking for ways to temper short term rent increases. Across Switzerland, 64% of the population […]
Rent disputes multiply in French-speaking Switzerland
The costs of mortgages and building maintenance are rising. Rents are following. In French-speaking Switzerland tenant arbitration organisations are receiving a deluge of complaints and requests for help from tenants, reported RTS. In Switzerland, it is common for rental agreements to contain a clause that allows rents to be adjusted up or down based on […]
The number of single-person households rising in Switzerland
At 37% of the total, one-person households are now the most common way to live in Switzerland, according to recently published data by Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office (FSO). The data from 2022, show that 37% of households contained one person, followed by the 32% that contained two, 13% that contained three, 12% with four and […]
Swiss government adjusts tenancy laws in favour of landlords
On 18 September 2023, the Council of States, Switzerland’s upper house, followed parliament in passing changes to Swiss tenancy laws that make life easier for landlords, reported parlament.ch. Two changes reduce tenants ability to sublet and make it easier for landlords to end rental contracts. Supported by 25 versus 11, the upper house passed a […]
Vacancy rate – even fewer homes available in Switzerland
Switzerland has one of the tightest housing markets in Europe. Only Iceland has fewer empty homes. On 1 June 2023, only 1.15% of homes were empty across Switzerland, according to data from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). Across the whole country there were fewer than 55,000 places available to those looking for somewhere to live, […]
Swiss rents could climb more than 15% by 2026
Home rent could rise 15% in Switzerland by 2026, according to Martin Tschirren, the head of Switzerland’s federal housing office, reported RTS this week. Tschirren thinks the rental reference rate could rise again over the coming year or two – the rental reference rate is an officially computed figure that reflects average mortgage rates. It […]
Swiss municipalities with most private swimming pools
This week RTS published a map showing which Swiss municipalities have the highest numbers of private swimming pools. Swimming pool champions are clustered mainly in Italian- and French-speaking Switzerland. Three of the top ten municipalities are in Ticino, five in Geneva and two in Vaud. Only the commune of Binningen in Basel Landschaft in German-speaking […]
Swiss building costs continue sharp rise
Between October 2020 and April 2023, Swiss building construction costs rose by 13.9%. On an annualised basis the cost of building has been rising at a rate of 4.3% over this period, a rate higher than general inflation – the consumer price index rose 2.6% over the year to the end of April 2023. Building […]
Swiss government moves closer to abolishing fake taxable rents
Every year, home owners in Switzerland who live in their properties must add an imputed rent to their taxable income, adding to their tax bill. The system was introduced in the 1940s to fund government shortfalls during the war. A number of politicians and members of the public have tried for roughly two decades to […]
