Given Switzerland is a small country with a limited supply of land (and a housing shortage as a result), the construction priority is given to main residences. Building of secondary homes is strictly regulated and in some parts banned altogether.
What exactly is meant by ‘second home’ in Switzerland?
There are two categories falling under this description: second homes and second places of residence.
A second place of residence, as the name suggests, is a place where a person lives while working or studying in the country, but is not their primary residence.
These are common, for instance, with cross-border workers whose primary residence may be in a neighbouring country but who have a place of residence near their work in Switzerland.
A second home for the purposes of the law is therefore a second residence which is not used for work or study.
The official government definition is as follows:
“In Switzerland, a second home is a house or apartment that is neither used by a person who is resident in the commune concerned nor used for work or education purposes. Second homes are often used either as holiday homes or are rented to private tenants.”
What are the rules for building these second homes?
In a 2012 referendum, Swiss voters approved a measure limiting the construction of these residences.
Consequently, the Federal Act on Second Homes (LRS), which came into force on January 1st, 2016, stipulates that second residences can’t exceed 20 percent of any community’s overall housing stock.
This legislation also requires all Swiss municipalities to draw up a housing inventory once a year, so that the state of their primary and second housing market is clear.
What is the situation now?
Based on the 20-percent threshold, these seven municipalities are now off-limits to new second-home construction, according to a press release published by the Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE) on March 31st, 2025.
They are:
- Reichenbach im Kandertal (BE)
- Basse-Allaine (JU)
- Heiligenschwendi (BE)
- Langenbruck (BL)
- Mauraz (VD)
- Rebévelier (BE)
- Scharans (GR)
These communities are joining 337 others where a share of second homes also exceeds 20 percent, and a new, non-primary construction can therefore not take place.
As it is, most second residences are located in traditionally tourist areas of Valais, Ticino, Graubünden, as well as in the Bernese Oberland.
READ ALSO: How can I buy a second home in Switzerland?
Advertisement
Does this mean you can no longer own a second home in these communities?
It doesn’t mean that at all.
You can purchase existing properties, but you can’t build new ones.
If you apply for a construction permit, it will be denied.
The only possible exceptions to these rules are additions to the already existing tourist accommodations, like hotels.
Also, if you happen to own a primary residence in these towns, you can’t all of a sudden decide to convert it into a holiday home.
This, in fact, has proven to be a problem in several cities, including Geneva, where primary residences have been transformed into holiday homes, and can no longer be rented out to permanent tenants.
Such a transformation further exacerbates the housing shortage.
