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Asking for a rent cut after the reference rate dropped, in French (Switzerland)
Switzerland · in French · for tenants
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For tenants in Switzerland whose rent was set at a higher reference mortgage rate than the current one: the written request to the landlord or the régie for a lower rent under Art. 270a of the Code of Obligations (CO), from the next termination date. It gives the rate your rent is based on, the current rate, the cut you ask for and the 30 days the landlord has to respond, and names your canton's conciliation authority should the landlord refuse. Check your entitlement first with the tenants' association ASLOCA's free calculator. Every tenant signs; send by registered post. In French.
- Made for use in Switzerland
- Last updated November 4, 2026
Published byDocMuse
When to use this document
- The reference mortgage rate went down, but your rent in Switzerland stayed the same.
- Your lease names a higher reference rate than the one published now.
- You checked your entitlement with an online calculator and now want to write to your landlord.
- You want your rent in Switzerland to go down from the next end date of your lease.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Tenant
- Tenant's address
- Landlord
- Landlord's address
- City
- Date
- Address of the property
- Date of the contract
- Date the rent was last set or adjusted
- Reference rate your current rent is based on, in % (for example 1.75)
- Reference rate published by the Federal Housing Office today, in %
- Rent reduction you ask for (in % or CHF a month)
- Current net rent a month, without service charges (for example CHF 1'850.00)
- Next possible termination date from which the reduction applies
- Canton of the flat: tenancy conciliation authority
- Closing formula (in French): “mes” if one person signs, “nos” if several sign
Common questions
- Is a Swiss tenant entitled to a rent cut at the current reference rate?
- Yes, when the rent rests on a reference rate above today's; the lease or the last rent notice states it. The rate has stood at 1.25% since 2 September 2025; the Federal Housing Office publishes it quarterly, next on 1 December 2026. A fall of 0.25 points gives a right to a 2.91% cut, a fall of 0.50 points 5.66% (Art. 13 para. 1 OBLF). The landlord may deduct 40% of inflation (Art. 16 OBLF) and cost rises since the last adjustment. Check with the free calculator of ASLOCA, the tenants' association (asloca.ch/calculateur). An indexed rent or a stepped rent does not follow the reference rate.
- When does a lower rent take effect after a Swiss tenant asks for it?
- From the next termination date (Art. 270a para. 1 CO), so the landlord must receive the request before the notice period starts, just like a notice: with three months' notice to 1 July, by the end of March. If it arrives later, the cut only applies from the date after. Every tenant signs the request, and it goes to the landlord or the régie by registered post.
- Where does a tenant in Vaud or Geneva turn if the landlord rejects a rent cut?
- The landlord has 30 days to respond. After a refusal or a partial cut, you can apply to the conciliation authority within 30 days of the reply; if there is no reply, within 30 days after the landlord's period ends (Art. 270a para. 2 CO). In Vaud that is the prefecture's conciliation board for the district where the flat is; in Geneva, the Commission de conciliation en matière de baux et loyers (justice.ge.ch), which offers free forms. Conciliation costs no court fees (Art. 113 para. 2 let. c CPC). Until an agreement or a decision, keep paying the current rent.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
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Related documents
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For tenants in Switzerland whose rent rests on a higher reference interest rate than today's: the written request to the landlord to lower the rent under Art. 270a of the Code of Obligations (OR), for the next possible termination date. It states the reference rate behind your current rent, today's rate, the reduction you ask for and the 30 days the landlord has to reply, and names your canton's conciliation authority in case of a refusal. Work out your claim first with the tenants' association's free calculator. Signed by every tenant and sent by registered post. In German.
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