On June 1, 2026, 45’493 apartments were empty in Switzerland, which was 2962 less than a year earlier. The space number fell from 1.00 to 0.93 percent. According to the Federal Office for Statistics, it fell in a row in the sixth year.
The Federal Office for Housing (BWO) expects further rental increases there. Existing rental ratios are expected to have largely stable rents in 2026 due to low interest rates and low inflation. According to BWO, the market is particularly tensed for low purchasing power as well as in the large Zurich area, central Switzerland and several mountain regions.
The number of households is growing, while too little new housing is added. Even higher incomes can increase in the case of scarce supply. In addition, around 18 percent of the newly created apartments were replacements: such projects increase the housing stock less strongly than the number of finished apartments suggests.
The Federal Council therefore examines, among other things, changes in planning and construction law. It considers that the development of settlements inwards is more important when weighing with other interests.
These proposals are not yet a valid right. The federal government also points out that most licensing procedures are the cause of the cantons. For 2026, the BWO continues to expect too little additional apartments.The increased number of construction requests and permits can be... [truncated for model]