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REVEALED: The six major Swiss cities where rents are falling

The Local Switzerland
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REVEALED: The six major Swiss cities where rents are falling
Apartment prices in Geneva have gone…through the roof. Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

While prices of rental properties have fallen in some of Switzerland's major cities in the past four years, in others they have continued to climb. Here's a look at the current situation.

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A recent study by Swiss comparison site Comparis shed light on trends in the country's rental market. 

Somewhat surprisingly rents have fallen in the majority of Switzerland's major cities in recent years, although there have been steep increases in both Zurich and Geneva. 

Geneva the rent rise champion

In the past four years, the median monthly rent for a 4.5-room apartment of 90 to 120 square metres in Geneva went up by 4.2 percent to 3,500 francs.

For a 3.5-room flat of 70 to 90 square metres, the rent is 2,640 francs — a hefty 9.5-percent increase.

These are the results of a study released on Monday by price comparison site Comparis.ch, which looked at how rents in Switzerland’s largest cities changed between 2017 and 2021.

READ MORE: Why is Geneva’s rent the highest in Switzerland?

However, in the two-room category (45 to 55 square metres) Lucerne takes the lead — the median rent there has risen by 4.8 percent to 1,300 francs.

Zurich is the most expensive in the small-sized accommodation category: rents in Switzerland's largest city climbed by 4 percent to 1,650 francs.

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This is because the proportion of one-person households has dropped in Geneva in recent years, while it increased in Zurich, according to Leo Hug, real estate expert at Comparis.

READ MORE: Tent for rent on Zurich apartment balcony costs CHF500

Rents have also increased slightly in Lucerne (1.25%) and Bern (0.4%). 

Where have rents fallen?

One of the surprising findings of the study is that rents have fallen in six of Switzerland's ten major cities. 

This includes Biel/Bienne (0.13%), Winterthur (0.45%), St Gallen (0.57%), Basel (4.5%), Lausanne (4.81%) and Lugano (10.53%). 

Lugano, in the southern canton of Ticino, has seen its rents fall by more than 10 percent in all housing categories.

It now has the cheapest rents of any of Switzerland's top ten cities, with an average of CHF1,700 per month. 

READ MORE: Reader question: How do I challenge my rent in Switzerland?

The reason, Hug said, is because “the hoped-for economic recovery thanks to faster [train] connections with the rest of Switzerland has not materialised so far”.

The population of Ticino's economic centre contracted by 2.1 percent between 2017 and the end of 2020, so rents are expected to decline further.

And the Lugano does not have the same appeal as Geneva, which can rely on its international organisations to attract foreign nationals, Hug said.

In Lausanne, median rents fell for large and medium-sized apartments, to 2,570 and 1,950 francs respectively, while they increased marginally for two-room dwellings, to 1,400 francs —10 francs more than five years earlier.

This chart shows how rents increased or decrease in 10 Swiss cities over the past four years. 

Image: Comparis

More information about renting in Switzerland can be found here:

In which Swiss canton can you find a rental bargain?

Top ten tips for finding an apartment in Switzerland

How much can it cost you to change apartments in Swiss cities?
 

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