Commission supports selective changes to tenancy law
The National Council's Legal Affairs Committee has voted in favour of two bills concerning changes to tenancy law. The amendments are intended to restrict the contestation of initial rents and make it easier to prove local and neighbourhood custom.
The National Council’s Legal Affairs Committee has passed two important bills aimed at improving the legal situation in tenancy law. One of the bills stipulates that in future, initial rents can only be contested if the renting party was in an emergency situation at the time the contract was concluded. This is intended to reduce legal uncertainty and avoid lengthy proceedings.
The second bill deals with making it easier to prove the so-called “local and neighbourhood custom”. This is intended to lower the requirements for the proof of comparative rents and enable the admission of industry-established statistics as evidence. The aim is to improve the comparability of rents and thus prevent abusive rent demands.
Decision following consultation
The Commission’s decision is based on the results of the consultation on the parliamentary initiatives of former National Councillor Hans Egloff. Despite the minority motions tabled, the committee was clearly in favour of implementing the initiatives in accordance with the wording.
The bills that have now been adopted are expected to be debated in the National Council in the 2025 spring session.