(Financial) services Slight increase in asking rents in July

Rents on the Swiss housing market rose only slightly in July. According to the rental index published by the real estate portal Homegate on Thursday, asking rents rose by an average of 0.2 percent to 128.7 points.

The index, which measures the change in rental prices for new and re-let apartments based on current market offers, shows varying developments in the cantons. Rents increased in Uri (+1.9 percent), Glarus (+0.8 percent), Ticino (+0.7 percent) and Thurgau (+0.6 percent).

In the remaining cantons, however, advertised rents changed only minimally or even declined, according to Homegate. The canton of Nidwalden saw the sharpest fall in advertised rents (-1.2 percent).

In the cities, meanwhile, the cost of living in rental apartments increased, particularly in Lugano (+1.0%) and Zurich (+0.7%). However, they fell in Lucerne (-1.5 percent) and Geneva (-1.2 percent)

Increase on the previous year

The housing situation in Switzerland continues to be characterized by a housing shortage and therefore rising rents. Compared to the previous year, asking rents as measured by the Homegate Index have risen by 5.2%.

Among the cantons, the frontrunners are Schaffhausen (+9.4 percent), Zug (+9.3 percent) and Glarus (+8.9 percent). In the cities, the most significant increases in asking rents over the past twelve months were recorded in Lucerne (+8.1 percent) and Zurich (+7.9 percent).