What does a holiday rental in Switzerland earn?
Across the markets Terrivio tracks, gross yields in Switzerland typically range from 3.5–5% and net yields from 2–3% after operating costs and acquisition costs. The spread between the two is the whole story: platform fees, cleaning, management, utilities, insurance and local taxes usually consume 35–50% of gross revenue.
Worked example: a €600,000 property at €220 per night and 50% occupancy books about 183 nights and grosses roughly €40,260 a year (6.7% gross yield). After 25% variable costs and €7,500 fixed costs, NOI is about €22,695 — a net yield of 3.6% on the total investment of €624,000.
Purchase costs and taxes in Switzerland
Budget roughly 4% on top of the asking price for acquisition costs. The main component is 0–3.3% cantonal transfer tax + ≈0.5–1% notary & registry. These costs are sunk on day one, which is why Terrivio divides NOI by the total investment — not the asking price — to compute net yield.
Rental income is taxed at federal, cantonal and communal level; the imputed rental value on owner-used homes is being phased out after the 2025 vote. Wealth tax applies to the property's tax value.
Tourist tax: Kurtaxe CHF 2–7 per night depending on resort. It is normally collected from guests but affects your competitive nightly rate.
Short-term rental rules in Switzerland
Non-residents may only buy holiday homes in designated tourist communes under Lex Koller quotas, and the Second Homes Act caps second homes at 20% per commune. Most resorts require guest registration and collect a Kurtaxe.
Regulation is the biggest single risk in European STR investing. Terrivio's risk score weights regulatory risk at 25% and flags night caps, licence requirements and enforcement intensity for every analysed listing.
Where to look: cities and portals in Switzerland
Popular short-term rental locations include Zermatt, Verbier, Davos, Interlaken, Lugano and Lucerne. Each has a different seasonality profile — Terrivio shows the 12-month revenue curve so you can see how much of the year carries the return.
Listings are mostly published on Homegate, ImmoScout24.ch, Comparis and newhome. Terrivio reads these portals directly: paste the listing URL and the pipeline extracts price, size, rooms and location automatically.
How to analyse a Switzerland listing with Terrivio
- Copy the listing URL. Open the property on Homegate or another supported portal and copy the address bar URL.
- Paste it into Terrivio. Terrivio scrapes the listing, geocodes the address and pulls market ADR and occupancy for the segment (property type, bedrooms, location).
- Review yield and cashflow. You get gross and net yield, NOI, monthly cashflow, break-even occupancy and 10-year IRR — using Switzerland-specific acquisition costs and taxes.
- Check risk, tax and rules. The report shows the 10-dimension risk score, the recommended tax regime for Switzerland and the STR rules that apply to the exact city.
Frequently asked questions
Is a holiday home in Switzerland a good investment in 2026?
It depends on the micro-location and on regulation. Typical net yields are 2–3%; the best results come from locations with year-round demand and clear licensing. Always model the net figure, not the gross.
How much are purchase costs in Switzerland?
Plan for roughly 4% of the price: 0–3.3% cantonal transfer tax + ≈0.5–1% notary & registry, plus notary, registry and agent fees where applicable.
Do I need a licence to rent out short-term in Switzerland?
Non-residents may only buy holiday homes in designated tourist communes under Lex Koller quotas, and the Second Homes Act caps second homes at 20% per commune. Most resorts require guest registration and collect a Kurtaxe.
Which Switzerland property portals does Terrivio support?
Terrivio analyses listings from Homegate, ImmoScout24.ch, Comparis and newhome and 40+ other European portals. Paste any listing URL to start.