Property templates and checklistsSwitzerland

Reviewed October 28, 2026. Not legal advice. Have a notary or lawyer check your case before you sign.

Buying

1
Make a written offer
The buyer sends it to the seller or the estate agent. It binds nobody, and a reservation payment can usually be reclaimed.
2
Public deed for every contract
Land sales, preliminary contracts and purchase options need a public deed (OR Art. 216). A private compromis or reservation is void.
3
Permit for persons abroad
A person abroad needs a cantonal permit to buy most homes (Lex Koller).
4
Notary drafts, both parties sign
A notary (Urkundsperson) drafts the sale deed from the parties' data. Both parties sign it before the notary.
5
Notary system depends on canton
Zurich and Schaffhausen have state notaries, and Zurich's keep the land register. Bern, Basel, Aargau, French- and Italian-speaking cantons use freelancers.
6
Ownership on registration
The buyer becomes owner only when the land register records the transfer (ZGB Art. 656).
7
Taxes
The seller pays the cantonal property gains tax. Zurich has charged no transfer tax since 2005, but many other cantons do.

Main law: Code of Obligations (OR Art. 253 to 273c) and the federal ordinance VMWG, in every canton. Many rules are mandatory.
Deposit cap: 3 months' rent at most, in a bank account in the tenant's name.
Notice, open-ended lease: At least 3 months for either party, to a local termination date or one in the lease. The tenant gives notice in writing.
Landlord's notice: On the official cantonal form. For a family home, also sent separately to the spouse, or the notice is void.
Initial rent form: Required in cantons that impose it during a housing shortage, including Zurich and Bern.
Challenge of the initial rent: The tenant can challenge it within 30 days of moving in.
Disputes: First to the conciliation authority (Schlichtungsbehörde) of the district.
Vaud framework agreement: The RULV is generally binding from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2032.