How much deposit can a Swiss landlord ask for?

A maximum of three months' net rent for a residential lease, under Art. 257e CO. Many ask for less.

Where is the deposit held?

In a blocked bank account opened in the tenant's name. The landlord cannot withdraw it without your agreement or a court decision.

Does the deposit include charges?

No. The three-month cap applies to net rent, before ancillary charges.

When do I get my deposit back?

After the final handover. If the landlord makes no claim within a year of you leaving, you can ask the bank to release it.

Do I have to have the flat professionally cleaned?

Your lease usually requires the flat back in a spotless state, and Swiss inspections are strict. Nothing obliges you to hire someone, but a failed cleaning inspection is deducted from your deposit and typically costs more than the clean would have.

How the Swiss rental deposit works

Article 257e of the Code of Obligations caps a residential deposit at three months' net rent, and requires it to sit in a blocked account in your name. Both halves of that matter.

The cap is a maximum, not a price

Three months' net rent is the ceiling. Plenty of landlords ask for two, and student residences often ask for one. If an advert asks for more than three, the clause is not enforceable.

Net rent means the rent before charges. A CHF 1,000 room with CHF 150 of charges has a deposit ceiling of CHF 3,000, not CHF 3,450.

It is still your money

The deposit goes into a blocked account opened in your name at a Swiss bank. The landlord cannot take it unilaterally: releasing it needs your agreement or a court decision. Interest accrues to you.

This is why "we will hold your deposit for you" from a private landlord is a warning sign, not a convenience.

If you cannot raise it

A deposit guarantee company will cover the cash for an annual premium, so nothing is blocked. You are still liable for damage — it is a guarantee, not insurance for you.

Be clear that this is a different problem from needing a guarantor. A deposit guarantee gets you past the cash; a guarantor gets you past the agency.

Getting it back

At the end of the tenancy, after the handover inspection. If the landlord neither claims against it nor agrees to release it within one year of you leaving, you can ask the bank to return it.

Photograph everything on the day you move in, before you unpack. That single habit settles most deposit disputes before they start.

The other half is the cleaning. Swiss handover inspections are unusually strict — inside the oven, behind the fridge, the window runners — and a flat that fails is the most common reason a deposit comes back short. A professional end-of-tenancy clean costs less than the deduction usually does.

Common questions

How much deposit can a Swiss landlord ask for?: A maximum of three months' net rent for a residential lease, under Art. 257e CO. Many ask for less.
Where is the deposit held?: In a blocked bank account opened in the tenant's name. The landlord cannot withdraw it without your agreement or a court decision.
Does the deposit include charges?: No. The three-month cap applies to net rent, before ancillary charges.
When do I get my deposit back?: After the final handover. If the landlord makes no claim within a year of you leaving, you can ask the bank to release it.
Do I have to have the flat professionally cleaned?: Your lease usually requires the flat back in a spotless state, and Swiss inspections are strict. Nothing obliges you to hire someone, but a failed cleaning inspection is deducted from your deposit and typically costs more than the clean would have.

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