Swiss reference interest rate: could you ask for a rent reduction?
The Swiss reference interest rate is 1.25%. Here is how to find the rate behind your rent, compare it correctly and understand the next steps.
The short answer
The mortgage reference interest rate used for Swiss tenancy adjustments is currently 1.25%, unchanged from 2 September 2025. That does not automatically reduce every rent. The useful comparison is between the current rate and the rate on which your own rent is based.
1. Find the basis of your current rent
Start with your lease and the most recent rent-adjustment notice. One of them will often state the reference rate used to calculate the current net rent. If your rent was adjusted and you did not challenge that adjustment, the newer stated basis is normally the relevant starting point.
2. Compare it with the current published rate
The Federal Housing Office publishes the national reference rate every quarter. Its September 2026 publication confirms 1.25%. A rent still based on 1.50% or more may therefore carry a reduction potential in principle. A change of 0.25 percentage points corresponds, in principle, to a 2.91% reduction when the rate falls.
3. Expect more than one number
The reference-rate difference is not always the final result. Inflation and changes in maintenance or operating costs may be offset against it. Index-linked rents, graduated rents, subsidised housing and certain other arrangements follow different rules. This is why the calculation has to start from your documents rather than from a headline percentage.
4. Make the request in writing
Article 270a of the Code of Obligations provides for a written reduction request to the landlord. The landlord has 30 days to respond. If the request is rejected, only partly accepted or unanswered, the tenant may apply to the conciliation authority within the following 30 days. The Federal Housing Office recommends sending the request by registered mail.
Before you write
Gather these items first:
- your lease and every later rent-adjustment notice
- the reference rate stated in those documents
- your net rent, separate from service charges
- your contractual notice dates and the landlord’s correct address
This overview is general information. The amount and timing that apply to you depend on your lease, adjustment history and any countervailing cost factors.
Sources
This article provides general information, not legal advice. Individual facts and cantonal procedures can change the answer.