In September, asking rents in Switzerland rose slightly overall. However, there are clear differences depending on the canton, both compared to the previous month and the previous year. Compared to September 2023, asking rents have risen by more than eleven per cent in some cases. This is shown by the current figures from the Homegate Rent Index.
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 rose by 0,2 points in September and now stands at 128,1 points (up 0,2%). Compared to the previous year, asking rents have risen by 3,9% across Switzerland.
Change in the cantons
In September, there was no or only a slight change in asking rents in many cantons. In only around a third of the cantons, they moved down or up by more than half a percentage point. The strongest increase in asking rents was in the canton of Schwyz (plus 3,1%), followed by Uri (plus 1,3%) and Fribourg and Basel-Stadt (plus 1% each). The coming months will show whether the sharp increase in the canton of Uri will be sustained. In September, asking rents fell in Schaffhausen (minus 1,4%), in the canton of Graubünden (minus 1%) and in Valais (minus 0,7%). In contrast, there was a year-on-year increase in all cantons, which was even in double figures in the cantons of Schwyz (up 11,4%) and Zug (up 11,1%).
Change in the cities
In the cities surveyed, asking rents increased in Basel, in particular, with an increase of 1,1%, while they fell by 0,5% in Lausanne. All other cities surveyed recorded changes of between 0 and 0,5%. Compared to September 2023, the figures here are also exclusively positive, especially in Lucerne (up 8,2%) and Zurich (up 6,8%).
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.
