Several Swiss cities close to reaching limit on second homes
Montreux on Lake Geneva’s shores has already breached the accepted limit.
Keystone
According to the Le Matin Dimanche newspaper, many towns and cities are close to reaching the 20% limit on the proportion of real estate stock not occupied year-round.
The regulation limiting second homes to 20% came into force in 2016 and was the result of a successful people’s initiative in 2011. The rationale put forth by proponents was to protect the Alps from urbanisation.
Among the Swiss municipalities at risk of breaching the restriction are Fribourg, Bern, Nyon, Cologny and Sion, with a second home percentage between 17.5% and 19.6%. Montreux on Lake Geneva’s shores is already above the accepted limit at 22.5%.
“This situation imposes constraints on us,” acknowledged Montreux’s mayor Laurent Wehrli. He placed the blame partly on short-term lets of properties via the online platform Airbnb. The town plans bring down its share of second homes by raising the tourist tax in order to encourage long-term rentals and will also build more residential apartments.
However, some cities dispute the second homes rates calculated by the Federal Office for Spatial Development. Bern, for example, contests that accommodation for students or diplomats were included in the count, thus incorrectly inflating the rate of second homes. In a case where the 20% limit is crossed, it is up to the municipality concerned to prove that the calculation is incorrect. The town of Avenches was forced to make a tedious housing count this year and reduced its rate from 20.1% to 10.2%.
More
More
Swiss holiday property market shows signs of recovery
This content was published on
Prices for holiday homes in the Swiss Alps rose slightly in 2017, but are still failing to keep pace with the steadily increasing housing costs in the French and Austrian Alps, according to a UBS Alpine property survey.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day
This content was published on
On July 14, the Swiss Air Force will take part in the traditional air parade in Paris to mark the French bank holidays with an F/A-18 fighter jet. This is a first for Switzerland.
Swiss launch competition for memorial to Nazi victims
This content was published on
The victims of Nazi Germany are to be commemorated on the Casinoterrasse in Bern. A competition will be held to determine what the site will look like.
This content was published on
The cantonal police of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland have arrested and convicted five cocaine dealers in Chur within a week.
This content was published on
The Swiss business umbrella organisation Economiesuisse and the employers' association broadly support the package of agreements negotiated with the European Union.
Top Swiss politician experiences drone attack in Ukraine
This content was published on
Maja Riniker, president of the Swiss House of Representatives, said she had to spend two hours in a bunker during her trip to Ukraine because of Russian drone attacks.
This content was published on
A rockfall caused an interruption of several hours on the Albula line of the Rhaetian Railway between Thusis and Tiefencastel on Thursday.
This content was published on
A 600kg bull that escaped in the Montalchez region of canton Neuchâtel has been found in a pen surrounded by several cows.
Bern chatbot wins UN artificial intelligence award
This content was published on
The Bern-based chatbot "Sophia" has won the United Nations' "AI for Good Impact Award 2025". The chatbot is designed to help victims of domestic violence.
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
Think tank: Swiss second homes could be better exploited
This content was published on
According to Avenir Suisse, Swiss mountain regions, which cover the southern half of the country, struggle due to low economic growth, internal migration, the strong Swiss franc and the Lex Weber initiative to limit the construction of second homes, which came into force in 2016. However, a report by the think tank published on Tuesday,External…
Geneva’s property shortage continues to fuel exodus
This content was published on
Despite the construction of new homes in Geneva, the lack of property for sale continues to lead to an exodus to neighbouring canton Vaud and France.
How the government is regulating Airbnb in Switzerland
This content was published on
A new proposal could make it easier for tenants to sublet using online platforms such as Airbnb. Other regulations continue to clamp down.
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.