{"id":6191,"date":"2025-10-13T04:59:40","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T02:59:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/heuristic-burnell.87-106-72-239.plesk.page\/?p=6191"},"modified":"2025-10-14T08:34:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T06:34:10","slug":"second-home-second-primary-residence-there-are-differences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/we-net.ch\/en\/second-home-second-primary-residence-there-are-differences\/","title":{"rendered":"Second home in Switzerland: Second \/ primary residence? Law, differences & buying tips"},"content":{"rendered":"
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SECOND HOME - SECONDARY\/PRIMARY RESIDENCE? DIFFERENCES TO THE REGULATION IN SWITZERLAND<\/span><\/h2>\n

In Switzerland, the principle of \u00abunity of residence\u00bb applies. This means that, in principle, you can only have one residence in the true sense of the word within the Swiss Confederation, namely a main residence or primary residence. However, there are exceptions for so-called secondary residences in Switzerland, such as holiday homes.

<\/span>With the adoption of the second homes initiative in 2012, Swiss voters voted in favour of restricting the construction of second homes. The Federal Act on Second Homes (ZWG) implements the constitutional article (Art. 75b BV) and has been in force since 1 January 2016. All municipalities are obliged to compile an annual housing inventory. \u00abCold beds\u00bb and \u00abempty flats\u00bb - these were the buzzwords used to convince the Swiss people in March 2012 to restrict the construction of new second homes. The law implementing this came into force. At the time, Susanne Leutenegger Oberholzer, SP National Councillor for Basel, campaigned for the adoption of the second homes initiative. It became known that she had bought her own second home shortly before the vote. Two weeks before the vote, Mrs Leutenegger Oberholzer bought a second home in the holiday village of Valbella, which belongs to the political municipality of Vaz\/Obervaz. According to federal building and housing statistics, there are around 5,300 flats in Vaz\/Obervaz. According to estimates, 76.6% of these are second homes. The purchase would have been possible even after the vote, as the use of traditional flats remains free.

<\/span>Is such a purchase still possible today under the new legal situation? And what points need to be considered?
<\/b>We provide comprehensive answers to these and other questions in our article on the topic of second homes in Switzerland.

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LEGAL BASIS: POPULAR INITIATIVE AND SECOND HOMES ACT<\/span><\/h2>\n

Ordinance on the second home initiative:<\/span><\/h3>\n

The so-called Second Homes Ordinance has been in force since 1 January 2013 (following the adoption of Franz Weber's popular initiative \u00abStop the unbridled construction of second homes\u00bb, which was voted on 11 March 2012). It applies to the construction of new second homes in municipalities with a proportion of second homes of more than 20%. Such municipalities may only authorise new second homes under strictly defined conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Definition of a flat:<\/span><\/h3>\n

It seems clear what a flat is. However, the law is precise and defines a dwelling as a structural unit of rooms that is habitable and has a kitchen (Art. 2 para. 1 ZWG). Let us therefore look at when a dwelling is considered a primary residence in order to derive the definition of a secondary residence.<\/span><\/p>\n

Primary residence:<\/span><\/h3>\n

A primary residence is deemed to exist if the dwelling is used by at least one person who has settled in the municipality (Art. 2 Para. 2 ZWG). A dwelling is equivalent to a primary residence if it:<\/span><\/p>\n