Finding accommodation in Switzerland is not the easiest of tasks. It is best to start the search before leaving your country. Depending on the length of your stay, different options make sense.

If you are coming to Switzerland for less than a month, hotels and B&Bs are most convenient. For longer stays, an apartment or a house tends to be more comfortable and even cheaper. You can search for housing on your own through one of the online real estate portals. If you wish to have some assistance or want to avoid dealing with Swiss owners who may not speak English, chose a temporary housing agency. If your budget allows full service, a relocation agency might be your best choice.

Hotels and B&Bs often offer weekly and monthly rates. For the renting of a temporary apartment, the minimal rental period is usually one month. When bringing your family along, it is better for them to follow you after you have found a suitable accommodation.

Why rent (mieten/loyer)?

Over 70 percent of the Swiss population rents. Renting a house or an apartment has advantages such as favourable tenant rights and easy cancellation of lease contracts. Lease contracts in Switzerland are usually made without time limitation. As Swiss tenants have a legal right to sublet their rented apartment to another person, there is quite a large market of furnished apartments that can be rented for a limited period of time.

Rent rates in Switzerland are comparable to those in other European countries. However, you will find variations between the cantons. Due to excess demand, rents are higher in cities like Basel, Geneva and Zurich. Most landlords will expect a three-month deposit (called Kaution or Depot), which is returned when you move out along with the interest earned over the rental period.

Accommodation is generally rented unfurnished, unless a tenant sublets his housing space for a limited period of time to another person.  Apartments are usually equipped with an oven, a refrigerator and often a dishwasher. Usually, a laundry machine for shared use is located in the basement.

In addition to the basic rent, apartment tenants should expect to pay electricity, heating and water. House tenants usually pay house maintenance (water pipes, gutter, garden, and chimney) and utilities.  

If a conflict arises between you and your landlord, being a member of your local tenants’ association (Mieterverband, Association des locataires) will prove beneficial.

Mortgages

Foreigners can buy residential property in Switzerland under the following rules:

• EU/EFTA nationals with a residence permit B can buy property if they will live in this property themselves.
• Other countries’ nationals can only buy property if they have a Swiss residence permit C. These rules do not apply to commercial real estate. You can find detailed information here.

It is recommended that you obtain at least three offers from different banks and insurance companies for mortgages, as there is strong competition between providers. Switzerland’s mortgage industry is characterised by:

• the highest withholding tax rate of any country;
• stable interest rates;
• the highest per capita mortgage industry in the world.

 Foreigners can get between 60 and 80 percent of the house price. When you buy land, an apartment or a house, moving duties and a land transfer tax are around four percent. This amount varies between cantons. The procedure for buying is to make an appointment with a local notary after arranging your finances. The notary’s job is to ensure the legality of the transaction.

In certain cantons, you have to pay a fee for the notary, which depends on the price of the object and can reach a considerable amount.  The buying price for the house or apartment is paid to the notary and is transferred only after change of ownership is properly registered. Mortgages in Switzerland are collateralised with the land on which the housing is located. The owner has a right to credit depending on the value of the land. The lender has a right to use the land if the borrower is unable to meet his or her mortgage payments. As Switzerland has high per capita mortgage embeddedness, the mortgage rate is the leading interest rate indicator in the country. Registration of the deed with the Land registry office is costly, running between 1.0 percent and 1.5 percent.

Main real estate agencies:

Privera - www.privera.ch
Wincasa - www.wincasa.ch (In French/German/Italian only)
SPG - www.spg.ch (In French only)
Moser Vernet & CIE - www.moservernet.ch
Naef - www.naef.ch (In French only)

Main agency for temporary housing & furnished apartments:
UMS Ltd Temporary Housing Switzerland - www.ums.ch

Main home-finding sites:
www.homegate.ch
www.immostreet.ch
www.houseland.ch
www.immoscout24.ch
www.ums.ch

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