Temporary housing in Switzerland for your first months

Direct answer: which temporary accommodation should you choose?

For the first Swiss weeks, choose written accommodation with clear total cost, term, cancellation conditions and actual address. Before starting work or applying for a permit, ask the commune of residence which proof it accepts. A hotel, serviced apartment, shared flat or sublet is not automatically suitable or unsuitable; registration evidence must be checked for the specific address.

Decision guide

• Hotel or serviced apartment: flexible, but check extension, total cost and residence evidence.

• Shared flat: may cost less and provide community; verify the contract, house rules, landlord and confirmation.

• Furnished short-term rental: check ancillary costs, inventory, deposit and termination.

• Sublet: require the landlord’s consent and disclosed conditions.

• Staying with friends: rely on it for registration only after the owner or main tenant and commune confirm the evidence.

1. Do not infer registration from a platform name

Earlier pages made a blanket claim that hotel or Airbnb addresses could not be registered. We removed it. What matters is where you actually live, which document proves it and what the commune requires. Acceptance of a booking confirmation, short-term agreement or host declaration can vary.

The SEM free-movement FAQ says EU/EFTA citizens taking employment for more than three months must register with the commune of residence within 14 days of arrival and before starting work. Before booking, give the commune the address, accommodation type and proposed evidence.

2. Compare all terms

We removed fast-changing city price ranges. Clarify the start and end date, extension, cancellation, utilities, cleaning, internet, parking, deposit, occupants, guests, pets, nameplate, post, residence confirmation, inventory, defects and key handover.

3. Subletting and consent

Under Article 262 of the Code of Obligations, a tenant may sublet with the landlord’s consent. Consent may be refused on defined grounds, including undisclosed or abusive terms or major disadvantage. Obtain the sublease and required consent, not just the keys.

4. Fraud, personal data and deposit

The National Cyber Security Centre warns about payment before viewing, an absent landlord, keys by post and unusual payment methods. The Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner requires proportionate data collection; do not send unnecessary identity or bank data to an unverified provider.

Where the agreement is legally a residential lease, Article 257e caps the security at three months of rent and requires a bank account or deposit in the tenant’s name. Hotel or platform bookings may use a different contract model, so identify the contracting party and contract type.

5. Move to long-term housing

1. Reserve enough time to avoid accepting an unchecked long-term offer.

2. Prepare the permanent application dossier immediately after arrival.

3. Search several areas based on realistic commute time.

4. Review expiry and the last extension date every week.

5. For the permanent lease, check deposit, termination and handover separately.

Continue with the Swiss apartment-search guide, then the lease and deposit and handover checklist.

Last factual review: 4 August 2026. The commune decides which residence evidence it accepts; the specific agreement determines the contract type.