Stepped rent (Staffelmiete).
Lease with pre-agreed annual rent increases. No negotiation, no challenge.
A Staffelmiete (stepped rent) is a lease with annual rent increases agreed in advance. Example: Year 1 CHF 2,000, Year 2 CHF 2,050, Year 3 CHF 2,100, and so on. Increases must be at least 12 months apart and stated in Swiss francs, not percentages, and the lease must run for at least three years (art. 269c OR). Since 1 October 2025 a step needs no official form, but the landlord must announce it in writing, no earlier than four months before it applies (art. 269d para. 5 OR, art. 19a VMWG).
Upside for you as a tenant: predictability. You know your rent for the coming years in advance.
Downside: the annual increases cannot be contested. In exchange, the initial rent is contestable, but only within the first 30 days.
In practice, stepped rent is less common today. Indexmiete is used more often.
General information, not legal advice.
General information, not legal advice.