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Request for a rent reduction after the reference rate fell (Switzerland)
Switzerland · in English · for tenants
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For tenants in Switzerland whose rent rests on a higher reference interest rate than today's: the written request asking the landlord to lower the rent under Art. 270a of the Code of Obligations (CO) from the next termination date. It states the rate behind your rent, today's rate, the cut asked for and the landlord's 30 days to answer, and names your canton's conciliation authority. Every tenant signs; send it by registered post (Einschreiben). Swiss authorities and courts work in their official language — German, French or Italian — so this English version is for dealings between private parties.
- Made for use in Switzerland
- Last updated November 4, 2026
- Document in English
Published byDocMuse
When to use this document
- The reference rate has fallen and you want to ask your landlord in Switzerland, in English, for a lower rent.
- Your rent in Zurich has stayed the same for years although mortgage rates have dropped.
- Your landlord has not passed on the lower reference rate without being asked.
- You want a written rent reduction request before turning to the conciliation authority.
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 %
- Who asks for the reduction: the only tenant, or all tenants together
- 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
Common questions
- Can I ask a Swiss landlord in English to lower my rent after the reference rate fell?
- Yes, if your landlord deals with you in English: between private parties any language both understand will do. The request must be in writing, signed by every tenant on the lease, and its proof of arrival matters, so send it by registered post (Einschreiben). If the lease is in German, French or Italian, the same request exists in that language and avoids any argument. Swiss authorities and courts work in their official language — German, French or Italian — so this English version is for dealings between private parties.
- How can I tell whether my Swiss rent still reflects an out-of-date reference rate?
- Look at the rate stated in your lease or in the last rent change: if it is above today's 1.25% (in force since 2 September 2025; the Federal Housing Office publishes it quarterly, next on 1 December 2026), you may have a claim. 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 VMWG). The landlord may set off 40% of inflation (Art. 16 VMWG) and cost rises since the last adjustment. The tenants' associations' free calculators (Mieterverband, ASLOCA, ASI) work it out; indexed and stepped rents do not follow the rate.
- My Swiss landlord refused the rent cut or ignored it — what is my deadline now?
- Thirty days. The landlord had 30 days to answer; after a full or partial refusal you can apply to the tenancy conciliation authority (Schlichtungsbehörde) within 30 days of the answer, and without an answer within 30 days after the landlord's period ends (Art. 270a para. 2 CO). You can apply in writing or orally (Art. 202 para. 1 CPC), and conciliation over a rented home carries no court costs (Art. 113 para. 2 let. c CPC). The reduction applies from the next termination date if the request reached the landlord before the notice period began, otherwise from the one after; until there is 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
- Request to lower the rent after the reference rate fell, in German (Switzerland)
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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