Last year was a good one for tenants, according to the Swiss Real Estate Offer IndexExternal link, which was published on Tuesday. December alone saw rents dropping 0.4% on average. The most significant drops were in central Switzerland (-1.7%), the Lake Geneva region (-1.1%) and northwestern Switzerland (-0.9%). Meanwhile, rents increased in Ticino (+1.9%), the central Plateau region (+0.8%), the Zurich region (+0.6%) and in eastern Switzerland (+0.3%).
Access to home ownership became more expensive. Houses were advertised at prices that were 2.8% higher at the end of 2019 than at the beginning, with an increase of 0.5% in December. For apartments, the price increase for the whole of 2019 was only 0.4%, also thanks to a slight decrease in December (-0.2%).
For 2020 the byword is stability, as the situation is expected to change little, whether in terms of interest rates or general economic developments.
“Thanks to low interest rates, home ownership is still in demand, but due to rising prices it is not affordable for everyone,” said Martin Waeber, director of ImmoScout24, which compiled the index.
At the end of 2017, 59% of Swiss households, roughly 2.2 million, were living in rented accommodation, according to figures provided by the Federal Statistical Office. In February, Swiss citizens will vote on a proposal calling for 10% of all new dwellings built to be reserved for social housing.
More
More
Nine out of ten Swiss rent in major cities
This content was published on
Geneva, Zurich and Lausanne are the Swiss cities with the highest proportion of people living in rented accommodation.
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
This content was published on
The value of frozen Russian assets in Switzerland currently stands at CHF 7.4 billion, the Swiss Confederation announced on Tuesday. This represents an increase of CHF 1.6 billion in one year. Additional assets have been identified, according to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs.
This content was published on
The number of business start-ups in Switzerland accelerated in the first three months of the year, with entrepreneurs being particularly dynamic in Central Switzerland, Basel and Geneva.
Most Swiss authorities want to ban Nazi symbols in public
This content was published on
A majority of Swiss political parties, cantons and associations want to ban the use and distribution of Nazi symbols in public.
This content was published on
French and Swiss armoured and artillery units will train together to strengthen the defence capabilities of the Swiss army.
Harmful substances in particulate matter underestimated: Swiss research
This content was published on
Measurements significantly underestimate the amount of harmful substances in particulate matter, says an international research team under Swiss leadership.
Switzerland reopens its humanitarian office in Kabul
This content was published on
Switzerland opened its humanitarian office in Kabul in mid-March to provide targeted aid to the Afghan population in distress.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
How pension payments are making Swiss housing unaffordable
This content was published on
Under pressure to invest, Swiss pension funds plough money into real estate. But renters are now fighting back with direct democracy.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.