Differentiated development of asking rents in Switzerland at the beginning of the year
Die neuesten Daten des Mietindex zeigen zu Beginn des neuen Jahres eine leichte Zunahme der nationalen Angebotsmieten um 0.3 Prozent, wobei kantonale und städtische Unterschiede markante Trends aufweisen.
At the beginning of the year, the Swiss property market recorded a mixed trend in asking rents. While the Homegate rent index reports a slight increase of 0.3 per cent at national level, the cantonal and urban data reveals a mixed picture. For example, the canton of Schwyz saw a decline of 2.6 per cent, while Nidwalden recorded an increase of 3.7 per cent. Zurich also recorded a slight decline in asking rents for the first time in months.
This index, which is calculated in cooperation between Zürcher Kantonalbank and the property marketplace Homegate, is based on the hedonic method, which measures changes in rents taking into account the quality, location and size of the flats. In January, the index rose by 0.4 points to 125.6, which corresponds to a monthly increase of 0.3 per cent. Compared to the previous year, asking rents rose by 1.9 per cent nationwide.
Cantonal fluctuations were particularly pronounced in January, with changes of over 6 percentage points. While some cantons such as Valais and Appenzell recorded an increase, others such as Glarus and Basel-Stadt experienced a decline. Despite the slight decline in the canton of Zurich since August 2023, the canton still shows considerable year-on-year growth of 7.1 per cent.
In the cities, Lausanne and Lugano saw a decrease in asking rents, while Zurich and Bern experienced an increase. With annual growth of 11.5 per cent, Zurich remains at the forefront of rental price development among the cities surveyed. Geneva, Lucerne and Berne also recorded significant increases.
The rental index serves as an important reference source for property professionals in order to realistically reflect the price development of rental properties. The latest data emphasises the importance of taking a differentiated view of the market in order to fully capture and understand the dynamics of asking rents in Switzerland.