Lucerne is one of the top travel destinations in Switzerland. The Airbnb restrictions are not aimed at restricting tourism according to campaigners.
Keystone
Lucerne has become the latest Swiss city to limit short-term rentals, including Airbnb, to a maximum of 90 days a year.
Just over 64% of voters on Sunday approved a legal amendment put forward by the left-wing Social Democratic Party, according to official resultsExternal link.
The proposal aims to cap large-scale temporary rentals by commercial providers and make more living space available for local residents without hampering tourism, according to the campaigners.
The left-wing initiative amounts to a de facto ban for Airbnb, according to observers, as short-term rentals are only profitable for property owners after 90 days.
A watered-down counter-proposal by the local government failed to win a majority on Sunday.
Model Geneva
Restrictions on short-term subletting of accommodation have also been introduced in two regions in western Switzerland, notably Geneva over the past five years.
At a local level, the city of Bern also tightened legal conditions for short-term rentals by restricting the number of Airbnbs in one building in the historical old town.
Short-term rentals are subject to a tourism tax in several cantons, including Geneva, Zurich and Basel.
Swiss-EU treaties: signatures handed in for Kompass initiative
This content was published on
The committee behind the Compass Initiative submitted the signatures it had collected to the Federal Chancellery on Friday.
This content was published on
Esther Grether has died aged 89. Considered one of Switzerland’s leading entrepreneurs, the owner of the Basel-based Doetsch Grether Group was also a major shareholder in the Swatch Group and an art collector.
This content was published on
The flag of the Swiss Wrestling Federation has been received at the start of the Swiss Wrestling and Alpine Festival in Mollis, canton Glarus.
Figurine heads in Zurich school not considered discriminatory
This content was published on
The 16 carved figurine heads in the auditorium of the Hirschengraben school building in Zurich are not discriminatory, according to an independent expert report.
Swiss political parties report income of CHF22.4 million for 2024
This content was published on
Ten parties reported income totalling CHF22.4 million for 2024, less than in the 2023 election year. The reports are based on the regulations for transparency in political financing.
FIFA loses multi-million lawsuit against Blatter and Kattner
This content was published on
Former FIFA officials Joseph Blatter and Markus Kattner do not have to pay back their own bonuses or the bonus totalling CHF 23 million paid to another FIFA official to FIFA. This was decided by the Zurich Labour Court.
How cancer cells makes healthy cells work for them
This content was published on
Cancer cells manipulate neighbouring cells for their own purposes: a research team at ETH Zurich has discovered that they can reprogram neighbouring cells in such a way that they help the tumour to grow.
This content was published on
The ban on non-residents entering the swimming pool in Porrentruy, canton Jura, expires on Sunday and would be extended until the end of the season, the mayor said.
Natural disasters: most Swiss back forced resettlement
This content was published on
The authorities should be allowed to order forced relocations if there is a medium-term risk of a natural event, according to 58% of participants in a survey.
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
Swiss rule out relaxing Airbnb renting rules
This content was published on
Tenants must still seek permission from their landlord every time they want to rent via online platforms like Airbnb, says the government.
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.