On September 25, 2026, the Federal Council rejected the Rent Control Initiative and announced an indirect counterproposal. This counterproposal relies on a statistically determined comparative rent for the initial rent and on adjustments during the term of the lease, but expressly dispenses with the automatic and regular rent controls required by the initiative.
This is precisely where the new mobilization comes in. The submission of 100,000 signatures for a petition against the counterproposal has been announced for Tuesday, October 13, 2026, in Bern. The conflict is thus no longer just about a popular initiative, but about the political question of how far the state should intervene in rent control.
Market Remains Under Pressure
The political back-and-forth is taking place against the backdrop of a housing market that continues to tighten. In mid-September 2026, the Federal Office for Housing reported that the situation had worsened further in 2025 and during the first half of 2026. The federal government’s report describes the shortage for those seeking housing—especially for households with low purchasing power—as more severe than at any time since 2014.
As a result, the debate over initial rents, rent challenges, and oversight has immediate implications for property owners, management companies, and investors. Where new leases meet a tight supply, the pressure shifts from the existing housing stock to market entry. This is precisely where the counterproposal aims to introduce greater transparency, while the initiative seeks to enshrine systematic oversight of abusive rents in the Constitution.
Dispute Over Impact and Burden
The lines of division now run right through the industry. The Federal Council justifies its rejection of the initiative by citing the high cost of an automatic control system and instead seeks to create clearer and more transparent rules. Critics from the real estate industry also warn against additional bureaucracy and dispute that stricter rent controls will solve the supply problem.
For the real estate industry, one thing is particularly clear: the housing shortage is not merely a matter of construction and supply, but is increasingly being played out in rental law. The next concrete step is the submission of the petition in Bern on October 13, 2026. After that, the conflict is likely to escalate further in the Federal Assembly once the draft legislation for the indirect counterproposal is presented.
