Inform authorities about rising reference rates: We are threatened by the rent shock

class=”sc-29f61514-0 kHgAwW”>

It is a first: for the first time since the introduction of the reference interest rate in 2008, it is rising. The Federal Housing Service (BWO) increased it from 1.25 to 1.50 percent at the beginning of June. “This new penalty will apply from tomorrow,” says Martin Tschirren, director of the BWO. It will be difficult for many tenants. The increase allows landlords to increase the rent by 3.0 percent.

But: “There is no general rent increase. It depends on the individual case,” says Tschirren. Because an increase is only allowed if the lease is based on the current reference interest rate of 1.25 percent. The Federal Housing Office assumes that this is only the case for about half of the rental contracts. This is because reference interest rate reductions in the past are not always passed on – lease contracts therefore still have a higher reference interest rate in some cases. These tenants therefore do not have to fear a surcharge. There are, however, regional differences.

Landlords must abide by the rules

Landlords should adhere to certain requirements, such as meeting deadlines. For this, rent increases must be announced on a form approved by the canton. According to Tschirren, inflation can also be compensated. That has hardly been done in recent years.

How high the rents actually rise depends strongly on the individual case. However, if no inflation has been offset in recent years, 40 percent of inflation since the last rent increase could be passed on. At the media conference, Tschirren called for three percent for the reference rate and two percent for inflation. “But it depends a lot on the individual case.”

The increase in the reference rate is related to the increased Saron mortgage, says Tschirren. This depends on the interest rate changes of the National Bank. A further increase in the reference interest rate is ‘expected’ in the winter (Blick reports). If that happens, landlords will likely increase the number of tenants again by 3 percent, Tschirren confirms. But he could not say exactly when this new increase will come. “The winter is long.”

parties respond

The FDP warned of rising rents and an intensification of the housing shortage due to the announced increase in the reference interest rate. More apartments are needed and building must become more attractive, the party writes in a message on Twitter.

In addition to rising rents, there will be a historically low number of building applications and 51,000 missing apartments in 2026, the FDP explains. She sees “a lot” of potential in the approval process for the construction of new apartments. Among other things, the party wants to ensure that building applications can be submitted digitally. In addition, automatic approvals are required for simplified procedures after the deadline has passed.

After the announcement of the higher reference rate, the SP reiterated its demands for a rent moratorium and rent control. Higher rents are only allowed if landlords can demonstrate that they do not earn excessive returns. Further steps would be considered. “If we do nothing now, we are at the beginning of a social crisis in this country,” warned SP co-chair Cédric Wermuth (37). The increase mainly affects people with a low income.

The SP accuses the real estate sector of enriching itself and collecting “increasingly outrageous returns”. The real estate companies would not have passed on the discounts of recent years to the tenants. The current situation is illegal, criticizes SP country council member Jacqueline Badran (61). (SDA/brother)

Source:Blick