Core tenant protections in Swiss law
Swiss tenancy law is firmly on the tenant's side. Here are the rights that matter most:
Deposit
- Capped at three months' net rent
- Held in a separate blocked account (Sperrkonto) in your name
- Paid out when you both agree, or to you alone if the landlord has taken no legal action (court case or debt enforcement) within one year after the tenancy ends
Protection from unfair termination
- The landlord must give at least three months' notice for an ordinary termination
- A termination without a valid reason can be contested
- You are protected from a "revenge eviction" after you assert your rights
Challenging the rent
- You can challenge a new rent at the conciliation authority within 30 days if it seems clearly too high
- The conciliation process is free
- A rent increase mid-lease can also be contested
Defects and rent reduction
- Notify the landlord in writing
- Give a reasonable window to repair
- After that, you can demand a rent reduction in proportion to how serious the defect is
Right to sublet
- You need the landlord's consent, but it cannot be unreasonably refused
- See can I sublet
Help from Mieterverband
The Mieterinnen- und Mieterverband is the tenants' association (ASLOCA in French-speaking Switzerland, ASI in Ticino). For a yearly fee, membership includes:
- Legal advice (phone, in-person)
- Letter templates
- Representation at Schlichtungsbehörde
- Local chapters in every canton
Many disputes are settled at conciliation, without going to court.
Where aptari fits in
Knowing your rights matters most once you have a flat. aptari helps you get there: one open feed of listings from Homegate, ImmoScout24, Flatfox and cooperative websites, and a Tenant Passport you fill once so you can apply without re-sending the same dossier to every agency. The Match Score even shows which flats you realistically fit before you apply.
See can landlord raise rent and what is Mieterverband.
General information, not legal advice.