Region determines rent movements in September

Rental prices rose slightly again in September, but the picture varies from canton to canton. Rents rose most sharply in French-speaking Switzerland, while in other regions the fluctuations seen in the previous month levelled off again. However, over the year as a whole, advertised rents continue to rise almost everywhere, as the latest figures from the Homegate Rent Index show.

The Homegate Rent Index for asking rents is compiled by the property marketplace Homegate in collaboration with Zürcher Kantonalbank (ZKB). It measures the monthly, quality-adjusted change in rental prices for new and re-let flats based on current market offers. Compared to the previous month, the index increased by 0,4 points in September and now stands at 131,6 points (up 0,3%). Compared to the previous year, asking rents have risen by 2,7% across Switzerland.

Change in the cantons
With the canton of Vaud (up 1,2%), advertised rents at the cantonal level rose most sharply in French-speaking Switzerland compared with the previous month. This was followed by Schaffhausen and Obwalden (both up 1,1%). In Central Switzerland, however, the trend is moving in a different direction, as can be seen in Nidwalden (down 1,5%) and Uri (down 1,2%). In Nidwalden in particular, the temporary upward trend that occurred in August has been corrected. This is also illustrated by the fact that, despite the decline in September, Nidwalden has the highest increase compared to the previous year (up 7,8%). However, rents on offer also rose in all other cantons without exception compared to September 2024.

Change in the cities
Among the cities analysed, Lugano, however, shows no correction. Here, asking rents have once again increased significantly compared to the previous month (up 3,2%). This is also evident compared to last September, when asking rents were 6,3% lower. And in Lausanne, advertised rents also rose noticeably last month (up 1,4%), while in the remaining cities they remained below one percentage point. Nevertheless, in all eight analysed cities, a partly significant upward trend compared to the previous year can be observed, in addition to Lugano, especially in Lucerne (up 5,2%).

Method of quality adjustment
The development of asking rents in Switzerland is adjusted for the different quality, location and size of the flats. The advantage of this so-called hedonic method is that the real rental price development for new and re-let flats is reflected on Homegate. The Homegate Rent Index is the oldest quality-adjusted rent index in Switzerland and is considered a reference source for real estate professionals to determine the price of rental properties.