Number of available homes to rent in Switzerland rises 21 percent in a year
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The latest Online Housing Index (OWI) has revealed that the number of apartments for rent in Switzerland has increased significantly in the last year. However, while the number of homes available has risen, equally high demand means prices remain sky-high.
House listings in Switzerland surge 21 percent
According to the OWI, compiled by the Swiss Real Estate Institute, 410.000 apartments were advertised for rent across Switzerland between April 2024 and March 2025. This amounts to an increase of 70.000 listings compared to the same period the previous year, or 21 percent.
The report theorised that because the number of homes being built has stagnated in recent years, the higher number of properties available was likely caused by a surge in demand for relocation by people already living in Switzerland. The fact that the reference interest rate increased twice in 2023 could also have coaxed more people to move.
Rental homes in Switzerland snapped up in just 23 days
With stories of massive queues for house viewings and random number generators being used to decide who can apply for homes becoming regular headlines in Switzerland, some may be confused as to how this could occur when the number of available homes is surging. The OWI explained that while there are more homes on the market, demand for housing has also risen.
Between April 2024 and March 2025, on average, homes were only listed for 23 days before being snapped up by tenants, a four-day drop compared to the previous year. Landlords in Zug have the shortest wait for new tenants: on average, properties in the region are listed and rented in the span of just 12 days.
Homes are also being snapped up extremely quickly in Geneva (14 days), Nidwalden (15 days), Schwyz (15 days), Graubünden (16 days), Obwalden (17 days) and Zurich (17 days). In fact, the only regions which appear to have enough homes to satisfy demand are Jura and Neuchâtel, where homes are listed for an average of 49 and 38 days, respectively.
In terms of the worst-affected cities, homes are listed for the shortest amount of time in Chur, Winterthur, Geneva and Lucerne. Interestingly, the housing market in Zurich has eased for the first time since 2021, meaning the Swiss metropolis no longer ranks among the top three.
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Jan studied History at the University of York and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield. Though born in York, Jan has lived most of his life in Zurich and has worked as a journalist, writer and editor since 2016.
While he has plunged head-first back into life in Switzerland since returning to the country in 2020, he still enjoys a taste of home at pub quizzes and karaoke nights.Read more