https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Switzerland in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed With the number of available homes dwindling, finding an apartment or house in Switzerland is a major challenge. Just how bad is it – and where is it getting worse? https://www.thelocal.ch/20250912/where-in-switzerland-the-housing-shortage-is-getting-worse Fri, 12 Sep 2025 14:00:18 +0200 where-in-switzerland-the-housing-shortage-is-getting-worse Tall residential buildings are not very common in Swiss cities, but efforts to change this are gathering strength. https://www.thelocal.ch/20240409/why-there-is-a-push-in-switzerland-to-maker-buildings-higher Tue, 09 Apr 2024 15:41:08 +0200 why-there-is-a-push-in-switzerland-to-maker-buildings-higher Switzerland has been impacted by a scarcity of available dwellings — and consequently, high rents — for a longtime. So what do experts believe needs to be done to remedy the situation? https://www.thelocal.ch/20230913/how-bad-is-switzerlands-housing-shortage-and-what-can-be-done-about-it Wed, 13 Sep 2023 18:22:37 +0200 how-bad-is-switzerlands-housing-shortage-and-what-can-be-done-about-it As affordable rental accommodations are hard to come by in Switzerland’s largest cities like Zurich and Geneva, many apartment hunters are now shifting their search to suburban areas. What will this mean in the long term? https://www.thelocal.ch/20230420/how-switzerlands-urban-housing-shortage-is-spreading-to-the-countryside Thu, 20 Apr 2023 14:44:29 +0200 how-switzerlands-urban-housing-shortage-is-spreading-to-the-countryside Buying a house or a flat in Switzerland can be a very expensive undertaking. But if you're not too picky about where they are located, there are some relatively affordable options out there. https://www.thelocal.ch/20230303/the-cheapest-towns-to-purchase-property-in-switzerland-right-now Fri, 03 Mar 2023 16:45:52 +0100 the-cheapest-towns-to-purchase-property-in-switzerland-right-now Say you signed a registration for a flat in Switzerland, but then changed your mind. What, if any, fees are you liable for if you decide to withdraw your application? https://www.thelocal.ch/20220518/can-a-swiss-landlord-charge-a-fee-if-you-renounce-to-rent-an-apartment Wed, 18 May 2022 13:22:27 +0200 can-a-swiss-landlord-charge-a-fee-if-you-renounce-to-rent-an-apartment The cost of renting an apartment in Switzerland varies largely from canton to canton. Here's where you might find a bargain. https://www.thelocal.ch/20210226/where-in-switzerland-are-rents-cheapest-and-most-expensive Fri, 26 Feb 2021 16:22:15 +0100 where-in-switzerland-are-rents-cheapest-and-most-expensive Thinking of moving to another apartment in one of Switzerland’s major cities? Be prepared to pay out. https://www.thelocal.ch/20200214/this-is-how-much-it-costs-you-to-change-apartments-in-switzerlands-cities Fri, 14 Feb 2020 02:39:01 +0100 this-is-how-much-it-costs-you-to-change-apartments-in-switzerlands-cities According to an analysis of Swiss real estate market by Raiffeisen bank, some cantons have a larger selection of rental units than others. https://www.thelocal.ch/20201113/where-in-switzerland-are-you-most-likely-to-find-properties-for-rent Fri, 13 Nov 2020 13:03:50 +0100 where-in-switzerland-are-you-most-likely-to-find-properties-for-rent Despite the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, rents in Switzerland’s cities have continued to rise over the first six months of 2020. https://www.thelocal.ch/20200804/rents-on-the-rise-in-swiss-cities Tue, 04 Aug 2020 15:21:59 +0200 rents-on-the-rise-in-swiss-cities The average cost of renting a home in Switzerland increased in May, after falling in previously months due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. https://www.thelocal.ch/20200603/rents-increased-slightly-in-switzerland-in-may Wed, 03 Jun 2020 19:56:02 +0200 rents-increased-slightly-in-switzerland-in-may As of March 1st, more than 2.2 million Swiss households are now able to apply to have their rent lowered. Here’s what you need to know. https://www.thelocal.ch/20200306/what-you-need-to-know-about-swiss-tenancy-law-changes Fri, 06 Mar 2020 02:59:31 +0100 what-you-need-to-know-about-swiss-tenancy-law-changes Coronavirus dominates the news and the changes scheduled in Switzerland in March. But there is some good news on the horizon as well. https://www.thelocal.ch/20200303/everything-that-changes-in-switzerland-in-march-2020 Tue, 03 Mar 2020 22:55:35 +0100 everything-that-changes-in-switzerland-in-march-2020 One of two questions to be put to Swiss voters on February 9th asks whether the law should be changed to provide for more affordable housing across Switzerland. Here’s what you need to know. https://www.thelocal.ch/20200209/explained-switzerlands-referendum-on-making-housing-more-affordable Sun, 09 Feb 2020 08:47:37 +0100 explained-switzerlands-referendum-on-making-housing-more-affordable While low vacancy rates in Switzerland’s largest cities push rents higher, in smaller cities and towns more and more apartments are going unrented. https://www.thelocal.ch/20200206/apartment-vacancy-rates-highlight-switzerlands-rental-divide Thu, 06 Feb 2020 10:04:19 +0100 apartment-vacancy-rates-highlight-switzerlands-rental-divide A broad collective looking to cut the rising costs of housing across Switzerland has launched a campaign to reduce rental costs and make building more sustainable. https://www.thelocal.ch/20200108/affordable-housing-coalition-calls-for-reform-to-swiss-housing-laws Wed, 08 Jan 2020 11:47:41 +0100 affordable-housing-coalition-calls-for-reform-to-swiss-housing-laws Good news for renters in Switzerland this year, with rental prices falling on average across the country in 2019. Here’s the average drop - and where they declined the most. https://www.thelocal.ch/20200107/heres-how-much-rents-across-switzerland-fell-by-in-2019 Tue, 07 Jan 2020 11:50:55 +0100 heres-how-much-rents-across-switzerland-fell-by-in-2019 The Swiss will soon go to the polls to vote on the 'Affordable Rent Initiative' that would help create cheaper housing. But this proposal for low-cost housing is being challenged. https://www.thelocal.ch/20191115/opposition-to-cheaper-housing-is-mounting-in-switzerland Fri, 15 Nov 2019 11:14:19 +0100 opposition-to-cheaper-housing-is-mounting-in-switzerland New fluctuations in rent costs and apartment prices across Switzerland have shown that renting may be where the smart money is - at least in the short term. https://www.thelocal.ch/20191105/is-it-better-to-rent-than-buy-in-switzerland Tue, 05 Nov 2019 11:36:11 +0100 is-it-better-to-rent-than-buy-in-switzerland When Willy and Marie Zysset decided to liven up their house by painting it orange in the spring of 2014, they spoke to authorities in the Swiss city of Biel to find out if they needed permission to replace the original “dirty brown” paint job. https://www.thelocal.ch/20180529/swiss-court-rules-against-retirees-flashy-orange-house Tue, 29 May 2018 12:59:13 +0200 swiss-court-rules-against-retirees-flashy-orange-house