01
0.1%
Vacancy rate
City of Zurich · 1 June 2025
News · Tenancy · Housing market
Airbnb in Zurich is being restricted: What the new ruling means for tenants, landlords and the housing market
The Federal Supreme Court has upheld Zurich’s new rules aimed at preventing ordinary apartments from being permanently converted into Airbnb accommodation and business apartments. Occasional home sharing is affected far less than professionally operated short-term rentals, and the often-mentioned 90-night limit is not part of this ruling.
Author: Nikita von Niederhäuser, UrbanHome real estate expert Updated: · Reading time: approx. 18 minutes
02
235
vacant apartments
extremely tight market
03
7’620
second homes
3.2% of housing stock
04
5’320
professionally managed apartments
2.2% of housing stock
Why the ruling matters
Few vacancies.
Many apartments.
Protect housing.
Zurich has one of Switzerland’s tightest housing markets.
Housing and planning measure
01
Only 235 vacant homes
On 1 June 2025, only 235 homes were vacant, corresponding to a vacancy rate of 0.1%.
02
7,620 second homes
At the end of September 2025, Zurich Statistics also recorded 7,620 second homes and 5,320 professionally managed apartments.
03
Prevent permanent conversion
The City wants to stop apartments in areas with a minimum residential-share requirement from being permanently removed from the ordinary housing market and instead repeatedly let to changing guests for weeks or months.
Federal Supreme Court confirms public interest
The Federal Supreme Court considers this housing and planning objective lawful. It confirmed that the City may adopt rules in the public interest even though they affect property rights and economic freedom.
Timeline
Since
2021
From City Council to Federal Supreme Court.
Several political, cantonal and judicial steps led to today’s rule.
Article status
8 August 2026
21
22 September 2021
City Council adopts partial revision
Zurich City Council adopts the partial zoning-code revision on non-counting towards the residential share.
22
22 March 2022
Canton approves the amendment
The Canton of Zurich’s Building Directorate approves the amendment.
24
14 March 2024
Administrative Court dismisses the appeal
The Administrative Court of the Canton of Zurich dismisses the appeal against the rule.
01
30 April 2026
Federal Supreme Court upholds the rule
The Federal Supreme Court dismisses the appeal by four business-apartment companies, judgment 1C_401/2024.
02
25 June 2026
Ruling becomes public
The Federal Supreme Court issues its press release and the ruling becomes publicly accessible.
03
8 July 2026
Commencement decided
The City Executive sets commencement for 1 September 2026.
04
15 July 2026
Official publication
The commencement decision is officially published, with a 30-day appeal period.
05
8 August 2026
Current status
1 September remains the intended commencement date; the official notice still mentions the appeal route.
New Zurich zoning rule
What the new Zurich rule actually does
Zurich Airbnb rules 2026: What the Federal Supreme Court ruling means for tenants, landlords, business apartments and the Zurich housing market.
01
Regularity
Repeated short-term letting
The apartment or part of it is repeatedly offered for short stays.
02
Commercial character
Commercial use
It is supplied commercially, not merely as private hospitality.
03
Duration
Less than one year
Each rental is limited to less than one year.
04
Principal residence
Nobody lives there permanently
Nobody simultaneously has their principal residence or a legally equivalent use in the apartment.
05
Residential share
No longer counted
If these conditions are met, the apartment no longer counts towards the prescribed minimum residential share of the property or building.
06
Authorisation
Check change of use
Once the rule takes legal effect, changes of use such as converting an apartment into a business apartment must be declared to the building authority and may require a permit, even without construction work.
Legal status
Judgment 1C_401/2024 upheld the rule on its merits. The City set 1 September 2026 as the commencement date; the published decision provided for an appeal.
Do not confuse
What the ruling expressly does not mean
01–03
No blanket ban
The rule is targeted
This is not a general Airbnb ban throughout the city.
This is not an automatic 90-night limit created by the Federal Supreme Court ruling.
Leases longer than one year and open-ended leases are not covered by this specific zoning rule.
04–06
Exceptions
Not every use is affected
The City explicitly says that occasionally letting one’s own home during holidays or other absences is not the target of the rule.
Commercial short-term letting may still be possible where no minimum residential share applies or enough space remains outside that share.
Hotels are treated differently under the zoning code and generally continue to count towards the residential share.
Important
The 90-night limit is not yet law
The popular initiative “Protect housing – regulate Airbnb and business apartments” also proposes a general ban on short-term letting for more than 90 nights per calendar year if the vacancy rate was below 1% in at least one of the preceding three years.
This 90-night rule is, however, not part of the Federal Supreme Court ruling and was not yet in force on 8 August 2026. The City Executive is preparing a counterproposal to be submitted to the City Council by early January 2027. [5] [10]
90
Nights
Proposal of the popular initiative
✕
Not yet in force
separate political proposal
For tenants
What does the ruling mean for tenants?
Tenants need to distinguish planning law from tenancy law. The new Federal Supreme Court ruling primarily concerns permitted residential use under Zurich’s building and zoning regulations. Swiss subletting law continues to apply separately.
01
Consent
Obtain the landlord’s consent
Anyone who sublets all or part of a rented apartment for payment via Airbnb or a similar platform generally needs the landlord’s consent.
Under Article 262 of the Swiss Code of Obligations, consent may be refused, particularly if the terms are not disclosed, are abusive or cause significant disadvantages.
02
Occasional letting
Principal home during holidays
Occasionally letting one’s principal home during holidays is much less problematic under the new zoning code than operating a rented apartment permanently for changing short-stay guests.
Tenants should nevertheless not list a rented apartment on Airbnb without their landlord’s consent.
Airbnb is not banned outright
Professional and recurring short-term letting without a genuine principal residence faces additional planning-law restrictions on top of tenancy law.
For landlords and owners
Check residential share and change of use
01
Residential share
Check the property first
Before offering professional short-term accommodation, owners should check the minimum residential share that applies to their property.
The question is not simply whether a unit was built as an apartment, but whether it still counts towards the prescribed residential share.
02
Change of use
A permit may be required
Permanently converting an ordinary apartment into a business apartment or comparable commercial short-stay accommodation may require a change-of-use permit.
The City says it will investigate specific reports of non-compliant uses.
Existing properties
Do not automatically assume grandfathering
The City considers that protection for existing uses does not automatically apply to commercial short-term activities that can easily be reversed.
The Federal Supreme Court also noted that the lower courts had assumed basic protection for existing uses in their proportionality assessment. Existing properties therefore call for a case-by-case planning-law review.
The ruling changes nothing for ordinary long-term rentals.
Business Apartments
What does it mean for professional operators?
Professional providers of furnished business apartments are the most affected group. Four such companies appealed against the zoning amendment.
01
Business model
Significant restriction
The Federal Supreme Court acknowledges that the new rule can significantly restrict this business model.
02
Proportionality
Court considers intervention reasonable
The Court considers the intervention proportionate because economically meaningful uses remain possible and residential-share obligations vary between areas.
03
Neighbourhoods
City centre more affected
Central neighbourhoods with high concentrations of second homes and serviced apartments are especially relevant. The rule may have a stronger effect there.
Housing market
No price crash.
More protection.
Long-term impact.
The rule is more likely to influence Zurich’s housing market over years than months.
Preventive effect
01
No immediate sharp rent decline
The ruling is unlikely to cause an immediate substantial reduction in Zurich rents. Even the Federal Supreme Court notes that the contribution to preserving primary housing may be limited.
02
Some apartments may return
Every apartment previously used exclusively for short stays that returns to long-term letting adds to ordinary housing supply.
03
Above all, prevent further conversions
The rule is mainly preventive. It makes it harder for additional ordinary rental apartments to be converted into higher-yield short-stay accommodation.
Not thousands of apartments overnight
Zurich remains a market with an exceptionally low vacancy rate and very rapid re-letting.
0.1
Vacancy rate
0.1%
City of Zurich · 1 June 2025
235
Vacancy
235 apartments
vacant on the official reference date
238K
Housing stock
238’472
apartments at the end of 2025
7.6K
second homes
7’620
3.2% of housing stock
5.3K
Apartments
5’320
professionally managed · 2.2%
2.7K+
Double counting
over 2,700
unoccupied apartments also counted as second homes
Interactive check
Could the new zoning rule apply?
Check the main characteristics of the actual use.
Assessment
This simplified check is not legal advice. The applicable residential share, principal residence status and actual use of the property are decisive.
5
Criteria
for an initial assessment
§
Sources
Check the legal basis
Typical cases
How different situations are assessed
01
Holiday letting
Rent out principal home for two weeks
Assessment: Generally not the focus of the zoning rule.
What to do? Still check landlord consent under tenancy law.
02
Year-round short-term letting
Empty apartment rented by the day or week
Assessment: Core case may be covered.
What to do? Check residential share and change-of-use permit.
03
Business apartment
Three to six months
Assessment: Highly relevant.
What to do? The new rule may exclude the apartment from the residential-share calculation.
04
Long-term rental
Open-ended lease
Assessment: The special short-term rule does not generally apply.
What to do? Comply with ordinary tenancy and building law.
05
Airbnb room
Room in an owner-occupied principal home
Assessment: Much less affected.
What to do? Check the lease, house rules and landlord consent.
06
Hotel
Treated differently
Assessment: Hotel use is treated differently under planning law.
What to do? Under the confirmed rule, hotel use generally remains countable.
What to do now
Practical steps for those affected
T
For tenants
Clarify consent and permitted use
- Obtain the landlord’s consent before listing on Airbnb.
- Disclose prices and terms transparently.
- Do not permanently convert a rented home into a business operation without legal review.
- Respect house rules, neighbours and permitted use.
O
For owners
Check residential share and permits
- Check the property’s required residential share under zoning rules.
- Document existing and planned short-term uses.
- Clarify building-permit requirements with the City before changing use.
- Do not rely on blanket grandfathering protection.
P
For professional operators
Review each property individually
- Prioritise properties in residential-share zones.
- Assess genuine principal residences separately from pure business-apartment operations.
- Check permit status for each property.
- Also monitor the initiative and the City’s counterproposal.
S
For home seekers
Keep searching proactively
- Create search alerts for Zurich and neighbouring municipalities.
- Do not expect the market to ease in the short term.
- Also monitor cooperatives, first lets and commuter towns.
- Prepare all application documents in advance.
Apartment search Zurich
Why this matters to people seeking housing
If commercial short-stay apartments gradually return to the ordinary rental market, they are unlikely to remain vacant for long.
With a vacancy rate of only 0.1%, speed matters.
On UrbanHome, you can use the property search to specifically compare apartments in Zurich and set up an alert for new listings.
Sources
Sources and data status
Information date: .
- Federal Supreme Court: judgment 1C_401/2024 of 30 April 2026
- Federal Supreme Court: press release of 25 June 2026
- City of Zurich: Federal Supreme Court upholds commercial short-stay rule
- City of Zurich: commencement decision for partial zoning revision
- City of Zurich: popular initiative and planned counterproposal
- Zurich Statistics: serviced apartments and second homes 2025
- Zurich Statistics: vacancy rate 2025
- Zurich Statistics: housing stock and construction 2025
- Swiss Tenants’ Association: subletting and landlord consent
- City of Zurich: text of popular initiative proposing 90-night rule
More on Zurich’s housing market
Related guides
01
Airbnb Switzerland: Where does the 90-day rule apply?
Short-term rental rules in 2026.
02
Affordable apartments in Switzerland in 2026
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03
Affordable living around Zurich
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04
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05
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06
All renting guides
Further UrbanHome guides for renters in Switzerland.
Direct answers
Frequently asked questions about the Zurich Airbnb ruling
The most important answers in brief.
14
Questions & answers
Is Airbnb banned in Zurich from September 2026?
No. The confirmed zoning rule is not a city-wide Airbnb ban. It mainly restricts recurring commercial short-term letting without a principal residence in areas with a prescribed minimum residential share.
When is the new rule expected to start?
The City Executive set 1 September 2026. The commencement decision was published on 15 July with an appeal route. This article reflects the status of 8 August 2026.
Is there now a 90-night limit?
No. The 90-night proposal is part of a separate popular initiative and not part of the Federal Supreme Court ruling.
Can I rent out my own home during holidays?
The City explicitly says occasional letting during absences is not the target of the new zoning rule. Tenants nevertheless need landlord consent.
What does “less than one year” mean?
The zoning rule covers recurring commercial rentals with individual terms shorter than one year. Multi-year or open-ended leases are outside this specific short-term rule.
Does the rule affect every Zurich district equally?
No. The prescribed minimum residential share is crucial. Where it is low or zero, the restriction is weaker.
Do owners need to apply for a building permit?
The City says converting a home to a business apartment may require a change-of-use permit even without construction work.
What changes for tenants under the law?
Swiss subletting law remains in force. Paid subletting generally requires the landlord’s consent.
Can a landlord forbid Airbnb?
Consent can be refused on statutory grounds, for example abusive conditions or significant disadvantages. Listing without consent creates considerable risk.
Are business apartments affected?
Yes. They are explicitly among the uses whose permanent expansion the zoning revision aims to limit.
Are hotels affected?
Hotels are treated differently under planning law and generally continue to count towards the minimum residential share under the confirmed rule.
Will Zurich rents fall because of this?
A substantial immediate rent decline is unlikely. But the rule could prevent further conversions and return some units to the long-term rental market.
How many second homes are there in Zurich?
At the end of September 2025, the City recorded 7,620 second homes, equal to 3.2% of the housing stock.
Where can I find apartments if they return to the ordinary rental market?
Use search alerts and several channels. UrbanHome lets you search Zurich specifically and monitor new rentals automatically.
UrbanHome News
View sources for the ruling →
Key takeaways
Conclusion: No Airbnb ban, but much greater pressure on professional short-stay models
The Federal Supreme Court did not impose a general Airbnb ban. It did, however, confirm an important planning tool for Zurich: homes without a principal resident that are regularly and commercially rented for less than a year may no longer count as ordinary residential use in areas with a minimum residential-share requirement.
The effect is much smaller for occasional private letting. For professional short-stay operations and business apartments, planning and permit requirements become more demanding.
For the housing market, the measure is more about long-term protection against further displacement than a quick fix for high rents.
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