This is the text, translated from French to English, of an important ASLOCA petition.
Please sign it here: https://www.attaque-locataires-non.ch/participer/signer-lappel/
The real estate circles and their relays in the Federal Parliament are taking action. At the last session, the majority of the National Council adopted two proposals which seriously undermine the protection of tenants in Switzerland.
The first initiative was submitted by the former elected representative of Zurich, Hans Egloff, president of the Swiss association of owners and lessors. It tackles subletting by requiring the prior consent of the owner for the conclusion of such a contract and by allowing the termination of the lease for the sole reason of not having obtained it. It removes the tenant's right to sublet by allowing the lessor to decide in its own right to refuse the sublet, without having to justify his choice and without allowing the tenant to oppose it.
This change would have very concrete consequences for tenants, and in particular for all people who wish to leave their home for a specific period (for example for reasons of professional mobility or studies). By attacking the right to sublet, real estate circles want to be able to sort out tenants. Anyone who has a very expensive rent and has large means will most certainly be authorized to sublet. On the other hand, the lessor will refuse the request to sublet affordable housing to force the tenant to return the apartment and allow it to be rented again at a much more expensive rent.
The second initiative was submitted by the former Ticino elected official Giovanni Merlini. His proposal aims to allow the purchaser of a dwelling inhabited by a tenant to more easily terminate his lease to make him leave. Currently, a lessor who wishes to terminate a lease must be able to invoke a “concrete and urgent” reason. However, Merlini's proposal eliminates this notion.
The interests of those who have the means to buy an apartment would take precedence over those of the tenant in place. Another advantage for landlords: easily authorize retaliatory leave against tenants who have asserted their rights. To kick a tenant out, a landlord would only have to invoke the wish to want to settle (him or a loved one) in the apartment concerned. This initiative opens the door to unfair expulsions and numerous abuses. It would effectively remove the protection of the tenant, who would then be exposed to the risk of losing his accommodation after contesting an abusive rent or asking to remove a defect (mold, etc.).
ASLOCA is preparing to fight these attacks by popular vote. Other battles will follow, with in particular the will of the real estate circles to remove the possibility of contesting the initial rent and to make impossible to contest abusive rents, based on a market of shortage. You have to prepare for it.
