Biel is reorganizing its extensive real estate portfolio. In August 2026, the municipal council adopted a strategic framework to ensure that maintenance, investments, school facilities, and land policy are no longer based on scattered data and fragmented

511,000 square meters of unused commercial space in the two Basel cantons mark an abrupt reversal of the trend. While the housing market continues to dry up, vacancies in retail, commercial, and warehouse spaces in particular are rising sharply, intensifying the pressure on property owners and

With the sale of BuildingMinds to the Zurich-based platform Lookthrough, the AI analysis of institutional real estate portfolios is becoming more integrated. The combined platform is expected to utilize data from more than 100,000 buildings in 64 countries; the transaction is scheduled to close in

The Bern cantonal government wishes to revise the rules governing ownerless land and plots. Land that cannot be cultivated, such as rocks and glaciers, is to belong to the local authorities. In the case of ownerless sections of road, arable land or industrial sites, the local authorities are to be

The federal government is taking direct action regarding apartment buildings. A proposal released on June 19, 2026, aims to require landlords and condominium owners to install the basic infrastructure for electric vehicle charging stations when necessary. This is precisely what is sparking massive

In Switzerland, asking rents remained virtually unchanged in July 2026, although they fell in 15 cantons. The national index remained at 134 points. This reflects a noticeable summer lull, whilst the year-on-year comparison, at plus 2.4 per cent, still does not indicate any easing of price

Bern is taking action regarding garages and multi-storey car parks. The Federal Council wants to oblige owners of residential properties to install the basic infrastructure for charging electric cars upon request. This is precisely what has now sparked a dispute over costs, responsibilities and

For households on BKW’s basic service plan, electricity will become even more affordable in 2027. According to the company, for an annual consumption of 4,500 kilowatt-hours, the bill will decrease by about 95 francs per year. At the same time, a voluntary grid tariff will be introduced, offering

In Zurich, 18.4 per cent of tenants in self-supporting council flats exceed the income thresholds. This affects around 1,400 out of approximately 7,700 flats. The city does not yet know which households are affected, as the figures are calculated anonymously. Individual checks are not planned until

In Geneva, a landlord failed in his attempt to have a rent—which had quadrupled following unauthorized renovations—recognized as a permissible luxury rent. The Federal Supreme Court upheld the order to repay 193,609 francs and pay a fine of 32,000

Switzerland once again reduced its CO₂ emissions in 2025. Emissions from fuels fell particularly sharply, by about 5 percent. This is a clear signal for the real estate sector, as more efficient buildings and an increase in renewable heating systems were, according to the federal government, the

In Zurich, 18.4 percent of the evaluable urban rental agreements exceed the income limit. This is above the permitted 15 percent threshold. However, immediate action is not required because the rent regulations are based on a three-year average, and a move is only required if the limit is

Zurich plans to decommission the gas distribution network between Hauptbahnhof and Bürkliplatz between 2033 and 2035, depending on the situation. This increases the pressure on approximately 500 buildings to switch their heating and cooking systems to the CoolCity lake water network or other

The Swiss rental housing market is at a standstill. More and more people are unable to find suitable housing, while others remain in apartments that no longer suit their life circumstances. The “Swiss Alliance for Housing” is therefore calling for a clear change of course—away from subsidies

The USPI Geneva has accompanied its 2025 annual report with a clear call to action for policymakers and the administration. The association highlights 320,000 properties under management, 650 million Swiss francs in construction investment, and increasing pressure on refurbishment, new-build

New York is expensive, ruthless, and notoriously unaffordable. Now its new mayor is getting serious. Starting in October 2026, rent increases will be capped at zero percent for nearly one million apartments. It’s a political earthquake and a signal that resonates far beyond the

Zurich wants to create affordable housing, but in doing so is driving up prices. How is that possible? It’s quite simple: when the government uses taxpayer money to bid alongside private developers and squeezes out private cooperatives. The NZZ has uncovered this contradiction. It’s

In future, the City of Zurich will be able to impose stricter restrictions on business apartments and professional short-term lettings in residential areas. Following the Federal Supreme Court’s ruling, the revision to the BZO (Zoning Ordinance), which was adopted in 2021, is expected to come

For companies, condominium ownership is not just a matter of location, but also a shared risk. With the Federal Council’s message of May 13, 2026, renovation funds, quorum requirements, and clear rules for new construction are coming even more into

Across Switzerland, the number of rental apartments advertised between April 2025 and March 2026 was about 4 percent lower than in the previous year. At the same time, the average time an apartment remained listed in Zurich fell to 12 days, marking the lowest figure ever recorded for a major Swiss

With more than 140,000 signatures submitted, the rent initiative is now on the political agenda. For property owners, managers, and developers, this brings into focus not only the issue of rent levels, but also questions of oversight, return on investment, and additional regulation of existing

The Federal Council wants to grant tenants and condominium owners in residential buildings the right to have the basic infrastructure for electric vehicle charging stations installed. For owners and property managers, this would make the expansion of parking facilities, load management, and cost

The canton of Solothurn plans to increasingly transfer real estate that is not essential to its operations under building lease agreements. In doing so, it shifts renovation risks to third parties, while retaining ownership of the land and securing ongoing income from building lease

The fairmieten association was founded in Winterthur. Its aim is to introduce clearer standards and greater fairness to the Swiss rental market through a code of conduct. The Raiffeisen Pension Fund Cooperative and the Rivora Collective Foundation are already on

The handover of a building to the user is considered a critical bottleneck in the real estate life cycle. Often underestimated, the quality of commissioning has a significant influence on potential follow-up costs, operational stability and the satisfaction of all

Schindler Elevators has launched two modernisation packages for ageing hydraulic lifts in the USA: Schindler ReStore and Schindler ReNew. This enables building owners to proactively modernise their lifts before repair costs are incurred or lifts have to be replaced altogether.

The North American representative of insurer Zurich has unveiled a new video telematics initiative as part of National Construction Safety Week. The aim is to promote safe driving behaviour on construction projects and thus reduce risks for construction stakeholders. The initiative is part of a

The new Helvetia Housing Report has analysed the moving patterns of 55- to 74-year-olds. When moving house, this generation tends to prefer out-of-town locations or moving abroad. This frees up central properties, which are then used more space-efficiently by younger

Some media are proclaiming the end of the home office. The figures tell a different story. In Switzerland and Germany, hybrid working has not only persisted, but established itself as a structural constant of the modern working world. A new CBRE analysis shows that what is currently happening is

Real estate companies invest in AI tools - and reap complexity instead of clarity. The reason rarely lies in the technology. It lies in the database, which is not approached