How to request a rent reduction in Geneva

When the reference interest rate falls, your rent can fall with it. Here is when you can ask, how much to expect, and exactly how to make the request in Geneva.

When you can ask for a rent reduction

In Switzerland, rents are tied to a national reference interest rate (taux hypothécaire de référence). When that rate goes down, part of your rent is no longer justified, and you have the right to ask your landlord to lower it. You do not have to wait for the landlord to offer: the reduction is almost never automatic, so you have to request it.

You may have a case for a reduction when:

• the reference rate is lower now than it was when your rent was last set or last adjusted;
• your rent has never been reviewed even though the rate has dropped since you moved in;
• your rent looks high compared with similar flats in the area (a separate and much harder argument, judged on strict legal criteria, not a simple price comparison).

The reference rate explained

The reference rate is published every quarter by the Federal Office for Housing and is the same for the whole country. It moves in steps of 0.25%. Each 0.25% fall in the rate entitles you to roughly a 2.9% rent reduction, before other factors are taken into account.

That 2.9% comes from the Federal Office for Housing itself, so you can quote it. It applies while the reference rate is below 5%, because the ordinance scales the adjustment to the level of rates (OBLF art. 13). The rate has been 1.25% since 2 September 2025, so at today’s levels 2.9% is the right number to use. Check the current rate and the next review date before you write.

The landlord is allowed to offset part of that reduction against general cost inflation (at most 40% of the change in the consumer price index, and only if the landlord claims and justifies it: OBLF art. 16 sets 40% as a ceiling, not as the normal deduction) and any documented rise in maintenance and operating costs. So the net reduction is often a little smaller than the headline figure. What matters is the rate that applied when your rent was last set, not the rate the day you moved in if your rent was adjusted later.

How much to expect

As a rough guide: find the reference rate that applied when your current rent was fixed, compare it with today’s rate, and count the number of 0.25% steps between them. Multiply by about 2.9%, then expect the landlord to shave off a portion for inflation and costs. Even after that, a reduction of a few percent on a Geneva rent is real money over a year.

Not sure what rate your rent was set at? It is often written on your lease or your last rent-adjustment notice. If not, ask the landlord in the same letter to confirm it.

How to make the request

The request goes to your landlord or managing agency (régie) first, not to any tribunal. Send it as a registered letter (courrier recommandé) so you can prove it arrived, and keep a copy.

Your letter should:

• state your current rent (excluding charges);
• ask for the rent to be reduced in line with the fall in the reference rate;
• ask the landlord to reply using the official form (formule officielle) and to state the new rent;
• be signed by every tenant named on the lease.

The toolkit letter below does all of this for you.

What happens next

Your landlord normally has 30 days to respond. Three things can happen:

• They agree and send you the new (lower) rent on the official form. Keep it.
• They refuse, or offer less than you are entitled to.
• They do not reply within 30 days.

If they refuse or stay silent, you can take the matter to the Commission de conciliation en matière de baux et loyers (the rent conciliation authority) within 30 days of their answer or of the deadline passing. This step is free, and most disputes are settled there without a court. A short letter to the Commission is enough to open the case.

Timing: aim for the next lease term date

A rent reduction takes effect at the next date on which your lease could be terminated (the prochain terme), and you generally need to respect your lease’s notice period, commonly three months for apartments, before that date. In practice that means sending your request well in advance, so it reaches the landlord at least three months before the next term. If you miss it, your request simply applies at the following term instead.

Related guides

• How to challenge a rent increase in Geneva (the reverse situation)
• Terminating your rental lease in Geneva

This article is general information for people renting in Geneva and is not legal advice. Rent law is federal, but deadlines and the exact reduction depend on your lease and the reference rate history. If your case is complex or the amount is significant, consider contacting ASLOCA or a rent-law specialist.