The rules at a glance
| Point | Rule | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Period for flats | Three months | Art. 266c OR |
| Date | A locally customary date. Without local custom: the end of a three-month rental period | Art. 266c OR |
| Lease says otherwise | A longer period or another date can be agreed | Art. 266a OR |
| Period or date missed | Notice counts for the next possible date | Art. 266a OR |
| Form for both sides | In writing | Art. 266l OR |
| Form for the landlord | Canton-approved form that explains how to challenge the notice or ask for an extension | Art. 266l OR |
| Family home, tenant gives notice | Express consent of the spouse or registered partner | Art. 266m OR |
| Family home, landlord gives notice | Sent separately to the tenant and to the spouse or registered partner | Art. 266n OR |
| Form rules broken | Notice is void | Art. 266o OR |
What "local dates" means
The dates differ by place. Your lease normally lists them. A fixed-term lease ends on its own, without notice, when the agreed time is over (Art. 255 OR).
Giving notice as a tenant
- Check the period and the dates in your lease.
- Write a letter, sign it by hand, and have every tenant named in the lease sign. In a family home, add the consent of your spouse or registered partner.
- Send it by registered post, early. According to the Swiss tenants' association (Mieterinnen- und Mieterverband), what counts is the day the landlord receives it, not the postmark. It must arrive before the notice period starts.
If the landlord gives notice
You can challenge the notice at the conciliation authority, or ask for an extension of the lease, within 30 days after you receive it (Art. 273 OR). On request, the landlord must give reasons (Art. 271 OR).
Leaving sooner
For important reasons that make the lease unbearable, either side can give notice with the legal period to any date (Art. 266g OR). You can also propose a replacement tenant (Art. 264 OR).
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This is general information, not legal advice.