Short-term rentals serve business trips, between-lease gaps, expat transitions and renovation displacement. Each window has a best-fit provider.
1-30 days · hotels and Airbnb
- Aparthotels (ApartHotel, Welcome Hotels): CHF 150-300/night with kitchenette
- Airbnb: legal but regulated · Zurich caps nights in some buildings, Geneva needs a permit. CHF 90-250/night
- Booking.com: filter for "entire apartment"
1-6 months · serviced apartments
- aptari: browse the whole market in one feed and filter for furnished and short-term, right next to regular listings
- Visionapartments: 700+ units across Zurich, Zug, Basel, Geneva and Lausanne · fully furnished, weekly cleaning. CHF 2,500 to 4,500 a month
- Senevita Living, Welcome Hotels: similar
1-6 months · sublease
Cheaper. The main tenant offers their flat while they are away. The rules are strict: you need the landlord's written consent, and the sublet rent cannot be much higher than the main rent. Platforms: Flatfox sublease, WG-Zimmer.ch. See can I sublet.
Registration
- Under 90 days: usually no Einwohnerkontrolle registration if you keep a foreign main residence
- 90 days plus: you must register · the host must provide an Aufenthaltsbescheinigung. Aparthotels often won't accept registration
Cost benchmark
Zurich 1-month short-term: CHF 2,800-5,000 (vs CHF 1,800-3,500 long-term for the same unit). The premium pays for furniture, utilities, flexibility, and no application competition.