Want to terminate your apartment lease? A template helps you handle this process correctly and on time. Although ending a rental agreement can often be stressful, it becomes significantly easier with the right guidance. In Switzerland, the statutory notice period for apartments is usually three months. It’s important that your termination notice reaches your landlord on time.
Our comprehensive guide therefore offers you all the essential information about terminating an apartment lease: from practical templates and samples to helpful tips for proper termination and information about early termination of your apartment in Switzerland.
Quick Guide: Terminating Your Apartment Lease in 5 Steps
- Check the notice period: Review your lease agreement for the applicable notice period (standard is 3 months in Switzerland).
- Create termination letter: Use our legally sound template for apartment termination and fill in all required information.
- Obtain signatures: Ensure that all persons named in the lease agreement sign the termination letter.
- Send the termination: Send the notice by registered mail with return receipt to have proof of delivery.
- Receive confirmation: Request written confirmation of the termination from the landlord.
How Do I Properly Terminate My Apartment Lease? – Using a Template for Apartment Termination
If you want to terminate your apartment lease, you must give notice within the required timeframe. The statutory notice period for rental apartments in Switzerland is at least three months. Use our samples and templates for terminating your apartment to avoid mistakes and comply with legal requirements.
Your apartment termination notice should include the following information:
- Your name and address
- The address of the rental apartment
- Declaration of apartment termination – A reason is not mandatory but can be helpful
- The desired termination date
- Handwritten signatures of all main tenants
- Request for written confirmation of the termination by the landlord
👉 Attention: For married couples living together, both persons must sign the apartment termination, even if only one person signed the lease agreement.
Our Free Templates for Apartment Termination in Detail
Template for regular termination
This template includes:
- Pre-formulated text modules according to Swiss tenancy law
- Correct forms of address and greeting
- Placeholders for all relevant personal data
- Legally reviewed wording for apartment handover
The template is available in Word format and can be easily adapted to your personal situation. You only need to insert your personal data, print it out, and sign it.
This is how the lease termination in Switzerland looks
Template for early termination
This specialized template additionally includes:
- Legally reviewed wording for early contract termination
- Text modules for proposing a replacement tenant
- Information on the legal requirements for replacement tenants
- Optional justifications for early termination
This template is also available in Word format and can be individually customized.
The Safest Option: Terminating the Rental Apartment by Registered Mail
As a tenant, you are responsible for ensuring that the apartment termination reaches the landlord on time. To avoid any risk, you should deliver the termination by registered mail.
Options for sending:
- Registered mail with return receipt: Postal delivery is made in person. Receipt is acknowledged, and you receive written confirmation.
- Registered mail with additional service “Personal Delivery”: The letter is delivered exclusively to the named person.
Alternatively, you can deliver the apartment termination in person and have the receipt confirmed in writing. deally, you should have one or more witnesses who can confirm the delivery, that you have deposited the letter into the letterbox, in case of doubt. However, it is even quicker if you hand over the notice in person and have the reception acknowledged by the landlord in writing.
Notice Periods and Dates for Regular Termination of the Apartment
Regular termination of an apartment requires compliance with the contractually or legally established notice period of three months. If specific termination dates are defined in the lease agreement, these apply. If not, the customary local termination dates are relevant. In Zurich, for example, these are March 31, June 30, and September 30.
For canton-specific particularities regarding notice periods and dates, visit our detailed guide on regional rental regulations in Switzerland.
Important: What matters is not the date of the postmark, but the date of receipt by the landlord! The lease termination must therefore arrive at the landlord one working day before the beginning of the notice period.
Template for Early Termination of Your Apartment – What to Consider?
Do you want to move out before the agreed termination date? You can terminate your apartment early, but you must provide a solvent and reasonable replacement tenant.
Requirements for a replacement tenant:
- Fully capable of legal acts and financially solvent
- Willing to take over the lease agreement under unchanged conditions
- No negative credit check
The landlord has 30 days to check whether the replacement tenant can fulfill the lease agreement. If the landlord refuses without reason, you are released from the payment obligation.
Download our template for early termination of your apartment as a Word document now.
This is how the extraordinary lease termination in Switzerland looks
When Can Tenants Terminate Without Notice?
In certain situations, tenants have the right to terminate their lease agreement without observing the usual notice period. Immediate termination of the apartment is particularly possible if the rental apartment is in a condition that is not in accordance with the contract and significantly impairs its use.
Reasons for immediate apartment termination:
- Defective heating during winter months
- Unreasonable pest or vermin infestation
- Health-endangering water quality
- Massive noise disturbance that is the landlord’s responsibility
- Serious defects that make living unreasonable
A common problem with immediate termination is legal evidence. Since there is no exact law for every case, the opinion of an independent expert is often required, which can cause additional costs.
In addition, the property owner can insist on a reasonable period for remedying the defects if they do not want to accept the immediate termination. Before you as a tenant pronounce an immediate termination, legal advice is strongly recommended to strengthen your legal position and avoid possible financial disadvantages.
What Special Cases Exist in Apartment Termination in Switzerland?
How Does Termination Work for a Fixed-Term Lease?
A fixed-term lease ends automatically on the agreed date specified in the lease agreement. In this case, no regular termination is required. Nevertheless, there are situations in which early termination may be possible:
- The tenant must move out for health reasons.
- The apartment has significant defects that make use unreasonable.
- The landlord seriously violates their obligations.
A waiver of termination is only permissible for a maximum period of four years and must apply equally to both parties. After this period, the normal right of termination applies again.
How Does Apartment Termination Work After a Death?
When a tenant dies, the lease agreement does not automatically end. Rather, the tenancy passes to the heirs, who are now responsible for the apartment and the incurred rental costs.
What should heirs do?
- Submit the termination in writing as early as possible.
- Use a template for apartment termination to correctly record all relevant information.
- If several heirs are handling the dissolution, all heirs should sign the termination.
- Clarify outstanding rent payments and utility bills to avoid later claims.
Termination of the Apartment by the Landlord – When Is It Permissible?
A landlord cannot terminate the lease agreement without good reason. Tenancy law in Switzerland protects tenants from unjustified terminations.
The following reasons can justify termination by the landlord:
- Personal use: The landlord or close relatives need the apartment for their own use.
- Serious contract violations by the tenant: E.g., outstanding rent payments, repeated violations of house rules.
- Planned renovations or conversions: If renovation work makes further use of the apartment impossible.
Termination Protection for Tenants in Switzerland
Tenants have the right to contest a termination. For this purpose, a conciliation authority can be called within 30 days of receiving the termination.
Frequently Asked Questions about Apartment Termination
1.) Can my landlord reject my termination?
No, as long as the termination is correctly formulated and the legal deadlines are observed, your landlord cannot reject the termination. Written confirmation is recommended but not mandatory.
2.) When is my termination considered received?
The termination is considered received as soon as it has actually been delivered to the landlord. The date of the postmark is not decisive.
3.) How do I ensure that my termination is legally delivered?
Use registered mail with return receipt or personal delivery with receipt to have legally secure proof of delivery.
4.) Do I have to renovate the apartment before I move out?
Whether renovations are required depends on the lease agreement. Normal signs of wear do not need to be fixed, but individual agreements may exist. Check your lease agreement for clarity.
5.) When should I terminate my apartment if a notice period of 3 months applies?
For the termination to reach the landlord on time, it should arrive at the latest one working day before the start of the notice period. For a termination on June 30, the termination must therefore reach the landlord by March 31 at the latest.
Terminating an Apartment in Switzerland Made Easy
- Use a legally sound template or sample for apartment termination to avoid mistakes.
- Make sure that the three-month notice period is observed.
- Send the termination by registered mail with return receipt or deliver it in person with a receipt.
- If you want to move out early, provide a reasonable replacement tenant or use a template for early termination of your apartment.
- Landlords may only terminate under certain conditions, such as personal use or serious contract violations.
Our templates for apartment termination in Switzerland are legally reviewed and available to you in both Word and PDF format. This allows you to create your termination quickly and legally secure.
Download a sample for apartment termination now and terminate your apartment correctly! ✅
