Careers at Nievergelt & Stoehr

Federal Council opens consultation on major amendments • 15 April 2026 • Consultation deadline: 15 July 2026 Executive Summary On 15 April 2026, the Swiss Federal Council opened a public consultation ( Vernehmlassung ) on a significant tightening of the Federal Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Persons Abroad (BewG), commonly known as the “ Lex Koller ”. The proposed amendments aim to curb foreign acquisition of Swiss residential property against the backdrop of a

In practice, it is not uncommon for a tenant (lessee) to be faced with a termination of their lease agreement that, at first glance, may appear “unlawful.” However, Swiss tenancy law provides various legal remedies for responding to a termination that does not comply with legal requirements. It is therefore important to distinguish between three different legal situations: null and void termination, invalid termination, and contestable termination. These are concepts that hav

The current partial revision of the Spatial Planning Act introduces significant changes for construction and housing in rural areas. At the heart of the reform is the explicit strengthening of agriculture: in the relevant zone, agricultural needs will in future be given an even clearer priority over other uses. This has direct implications for how immissions such as odours or noise are addressed. The new provisions affect both residential projects within the agricultural zone

"Deemed rental value": what is it and how is it calculated In Switzerland, homeowners are required to declare as income the so-called deemed rental value ; that is the theoretical rent they would receive if they rented out their property instead of living in it. This imputed value aims to ensure fair treatment between tenants (who pay rent) and homeowners (who benefit economically from living in their own property).[1] The deemed rental value is set based on market prices in