How do you cancel a lease in Switzerland?

The real rule

Why the Swiss laugh, and what it means if you're new here.

A Swiss lease does not end on any day you choose: it ends on set dates, the Kündigungstermine, and the three months count back from there. So a move in six weeks can leave you tied to the old flat for longer. If you need to leave sooner, you can offer a suitable replacement tenant who can pay the rent, and that can end your duty early. As a newcomer, look up your dates before you sign for a new flat.

How to get an apartment in Switzerland

The rule, explained

ch.ch and the Zurich courts explain ordinary notice for a flat. Under Article 266c of the Code of Obligations, the notice period is three months, to a set termination date (Art. 266a para. 2). Article 266l sets the form: the notice must be written and signed, by every tenant on the lease, and for a family home by the spouse too. The Swiss Tenants' Association adds one detail: notice counts on receipt, not by postmark. If you want to leave before your date, Article 264 helps: a suitable, solvent replacement tenant can end your duty early. The dates in the film belong to a fictional lease, so check the ones in yours.

Sources: ch.ch, rental agreements; Zurich courts, ordinary notice and form of notice (Art. 266a, 266c, 266l OR); Swiss Tenants' Association, notice counts on receipt; Code of Obligations, Art. 264 (replacement tenant)

Questions people ask

What is the notice period for a flat in Switzerland?

Three months, to a termination date in the lease (Art. 266c OR).

Does the postmark count when I cancel my lease?

No. The notice counts when it is received, not by postmark (Swiss Tenants' Association).

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