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Buyer's due diligence checklist for Switzerland

Buyer's due diligence checklistPrüfliste vor dem Kauf einer Liegenschaft oder Eigentumswohnung

The documents and checks a buyer of an existing house or flat in Switzerland should get before the notary sets the signing date: land register, public-law restrictions, building condition, condominium documents, leases, buyer status under the Lex Koller, financing and taxes.

Use it from the first visit until you sign the deed before the notary. Ask the seller in writing for each document. If the deed excludes the seller's warranty, a defect you did not check before signing is your risk.

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

Key facts

Applies to
German-speaking cantons, with Zurich sources. Federal rules apply everywhere. Cantons differ on taxes, fees and building rules.
Public land register data
Plot description, owner, form and date of ownership, without showing an interest (ZGB Art. 970 para 2).
Also public under federal rules
Easements, land charges and most annotations (ZGB Art. 970 para 3).
Mortgages
Visible only with a credible interest (ZGB Art. 970 para 1).
Good faith in the land register
A buyer who relies in good faith on an entry is protected. Nobody can claim not to have known an entry (ZGB Art. 970 para 4, Art. 973).
Builders' lien
Registration possible up to 4 months after the work is finished (ZGB Art. 839).
Condominium contributions
The community can register a lien on a unit for contributions of the last 3 years, against each owner in turn (ZGB Art. 712i).
Defect notice after purchase
60 days, or 60 days from discovery for a defect a normal inspection could not reveal (OR Art. 219a, since 1 January 2026).
Limitation of defect claims
Claims expire 5 years after the transfer (OR Art. 219a).
Own funds
At least 10% of the lending value from funds outside the 2nd pillar (Swiss Bankers Association guidelines).
Mortgage repayment
Debt down to 2/3 of the lending value within 15 years (Swiss Bankers Association guidelines).
Leases
Pass to the buyer with the property (OR Art. 261).
Zurich transfer tax
None since 1 January 2005. The seller's property gains tax is secured on the property.

The checklist

Seller, title and land register

  • Current full land register extractGrundbuchauszug

    It shows the owner, plot, easements, land charges, notes, pre-emption rights and mortgages. Every registered entry binds you as next owner.

  • Cadastral plan and official survey areaKatasterplan, amtliche Vermessung

    The seller owes compensation for a missing area stated in the land register only if the seller expressly guaranteed it (OR Art. 219 para 2).

  • Identity of every owner, marital status, and consent of the spouse for a family homeZustimmung des Ehegatten (Art. 169 ZGB)

    All owners must sign. A spouse must consent expressly to the sale of the family home.

  • Texts of the registered easements and land chargesDienstbarkeitsverträge

    The extract shows only a short title such as a right of way. The underlying deed sets who may do what and who pays maintenance.

Planning and public-law restrictions

Building condition

  • Building insurance policy and its insured valueGebäudeversicherungsausweis

    The insured value and any reservations in the policy tell you about the building and its risks.

  • List of works with dates and invoices for the last years, and proof that the contractors are paidRenovationsliste, Schlussrechnungen

    It shows what needs renewing soon. Unpaid contractors can register a lien up to 4 months after finishing (ZGB Art. 839).

  • Heating system type and age, energy bills and any energy certificateHeizung, Energieausweis (GEAK)

    Replacing an old heating system is a large cost, and the energy bills show the running costs.

  • Inspection by an independent building expertBauexpertise

    If the deed excludes the warranty, the expert report is your only protection. After the sale, notify a defect within 60 days of finding it.

Condominium (Stockwerkeigentum)

  • Deed of constitution with the unit plans and value quotasBegründungsakt, Aufteilungsplan, Wertquote

    It defines which rooms are yours and your share of common costs, which follows the value quota (ZGB Art. 712h).

  • Rules of the condominium and house rulesReglement, Hausordnung

    They may restrict letting, pets or use, and may give the other owners a pre-emption or objection right (ZGB Art. 712c).

  • Minutes of the owners' meetings for the last yearsProtokolle der Stockwerkeigentümerversammlung

    They show decided works, disputes and special levies.

  • Accounts, budget, renewal fund statement and confirmation that the seller's contributions are paidErneuerungsfonds, Beitragsbestätigung

    The community can register a lien on the unit for unpaid contributions of the last 3 years, also against you as new owner (ZGB Art. 712i).

Buyer status and financing

Leases, taxes and costs

Formalities

A due diligence list is a checklist by nature.

  1. You do not sign this checklist.
  2. Anyone can get the basic land register data without showing an interest (ZGB Art. 970 para 2 and 3).
  3. A full extract that also shows mortgages and other entries needs a credible interest (ZGB Art. 970 para 1). Ask the seller for a current one.
  4. In Zurich the state Notariate keep the land register.
  5. Every canton has introduced the cadastre of public-law restrictions (ÖREB-Kataster), but it does not yet cover every municipality.
  6. In Zurich the ÖREB-Kataster is freely accessible online.
  7. Ask the seller in writing for the building and condominium documents. Have the notary attach the important ones to the deed.

Common mistakes

  • Relying on the agent's brochure for the area and the plot. Check the land register extract and the cadastral plan.
  • Not checking the ÖREB extract. Zoning, protected monuments and contaminated sites limit what you can build or change.
  • Buying a flat without reading the condominium minutes and the renewal fund statement. Works already decided or needed can cost more than the fund holds.
  • Ignoring recent works on the building. Unpaid contractors can register a lien up to 4 months after finishing, even after you bought.
  • Assuming you can move into a let flat soon. The lease passes to you, and you can end it early only for urgent own use.
  • Underestimating costs. Zurich has no transfer tax, but you pay notary, land registry and mortgage registration fees. Other cantons add a transfer tax.

Legal basis

Sources

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