Zurich average 1-bed rent: CHF 2,300/mo Year-on-year rent increase: +4% Zurich vacancy rate near record low Reference interest rate change affects rents Oerlikon sees new supply Deposits are capped at three months' rent and must be held in a blocked bank account. Rent increases must be justified (reference interest rate, inflation) and sent on an official form. Zurich average 1-bed rent: CHF 2,300/mo Year-on-year rent increase: +4% Zurich vacancy rate near record low Reference interest rate change affects rents Oerlikon sees new supply Deposits are capped at three months' rent and must be held in a blocked bank account. Rent increases must be justified (reference interest rate, inflation) and sent on an official form.
Switzerland · Rent guide
Zurich Rent Guide 2026
Average rent costs by neighbourhood, yearly rent increases and tenant rights in Zurich. The typical one-bedroom rent is CHF 2,300 per month, up 4% year on year.
Average rent by neighbourhood
| Neighbourhood | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | Yearly increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seefeld | CHF 3,000 | CHF 4,300 | +3.4% |
| Enge | CHF 2,800 | CHF 3,900 | +3.6% |
| Kreis 4 (Langstrasse) | CHF 2,200 | CHF 3,100 | +4.5% |
| Oerlikon | CHF 2,000 | CHF 2,800 | +4.2% |
Indicative 2026 figures (per month, CHF). Compare with real tenant-reported rents on RentScore.
Average rent per square metre in Zurich
CHF 46 / m² per month
City-wide indicative average, based on a typical 50 m² one-bedroom flat. Central neighbourhoods cost more:
- Seefeld: CHF 60 / m²
- Enge: CHF 56 / m²
- Kreis 4 (Langstrasse): CHF 44 / m²
- Oerlikon: CHF 40 / m²
Deposit laws in Zurich
- Deposits are capped at three months' rent and must be held in a blocked bank account.
- Always get a written inventory with dated photos at move-in to protect your deposit.
How do foreigners and expats without a local credit score find a home in Zurich with RentScore?
- Check the building first: read verified tenant reviews, rent history and street safety on RentScore before you contact a landlord.
- Know the fair price: use the neighbourhood averages above and the RentScore rent estimate so you are not overcharged as a newcomer.
- Replace the missing credit score: offer an employment contract, recent payslips, a reference from your previous landlord and your RentScore rental history.
- Consider a rent guarantee service or a larger (but legal) deposit instead of a local guarantor — never pay more than the legal limit shown above.
- Upload your lease to the free RentScore contract check: RentScore flags hidden clauses, unfair rent increases and deposit traps in your own language.
- Ask the RentScore advisor below any local question, in any language.
Tenant rights in Zurich
- Deposits are capped at three months' rent and must be held in a blocked bank account.
- Rent increases must be justified (reference interest rate, inflation) and sent on an official form.
- You can challenge an unfair initial rent within 30 days of moving in.
- Disputes go first to the free conciliation authority (Schlichtungsbehörde).
Ask the RentScore advisor about renting in Zurich
Ask anything about rents here
For example: Which neighbourhood is cheapest for a 2-bedroom? Can my landlord raise the rent twice a year?
Other city rent guides
New YorkSan FranciscoLos AngelesTorontoVancouverMontrealMiamiChicagoLondonBerlinParisAmsterdamDublinBrusselsBarcelonaMadridLisbonMunichGenevaViennaMilanRomeAthensPragueBudapestBucharestWarsawOsloStockholmCopenhagenHelsinkiTokyoOsakaSeoulTaipeiHong KongSingaporeKuala LumpurBangkokPhuketPattayaHo Chi Minh CityHanoiJakartaBali (Denpasar/Canggu)ManilaDubaiAbu DhabiDohaRiyadhSydneyMelbourneAucklandWellingtonIstanbulAnkaraİzmirMexico CitySão PauloBuenos AiresBogotáJohannesburgEstimate a fair rent