Second-home quota by commune
Communes above a 20 % second-home share fall under the building restrictions of the Zweitwohnungsgesetz. The restriction mainly focuses on new build and conversion, while a dwelling that lawfully existed on 11 March 2012 is generally free of it. The exceptions listed below the map are important to keep in mind.
Communes by canton
| Gemeinde | Share |
|---|
What is still permitted above 20 %
The prohibition is Art. 6 Abs. 1 ZWG: in a commune above 20 %, no new second homes may be authorised. These are the exceptions the statute itself makes.
| Exception | Reference | Substance |
|---|---|---|
| Existing dwellings | Art. 10; Art. 11 Abs. 1 | A dwelling that lawfully existed, or was lawfully permitted, on 11 March 2012 is an altrechtliche Wohnung. It is free as to the type of residential use, subject to any cantonal or communal restriction. This covers most existing stock in a restricted commune. |
| Rebuilding and extension | Art. 11 Abs. 2 (as amended, in force 1 Oct 2024) | Such dwellings may be renovated, converted, demolished and rebuilt. Inside the building zone the Hauptnutzfläche may be extended by at most 30 % of that existing on 11 March 2012 — and additional dwellings and buildings may be created within that allowance. |
| New primary residences | Art. 7 Abs. 1 lit. a | New dwellings remain permitted where they are used as an Erstwohnung, or as a dwelling equated with one. |
| Owner’s Einliegerwohnung | Art. 7 Abs. 2 lit. a | A touristically managed dwelling in the same building in which the owner has their principal residence. |
| Structured accommodation | Art. 7 Abs. 2 lit. b; Art. 8 | A dwelling not tailored to the owner’s personal needs and managed within a strukturierter Beherbergungsbetrieb. Federal Court case law requires spatial and functional integration into the hotel operation — a management contract alone does not qualify. |
| Protected buildings | Art. 9 | New dwellings in protected buildings, where that is the way to preserve them. |
Art. 6 Abs. 2 also reserves Art. 26 (project-specific special zoning plans) and Art. 27 (preliminary clarifications made before 18 December 2007).
How to read this
Being in a red commune usually doesn’t restrict an existing home. The restriction bites mainly on new build and conversion, and the exceptions are wide.
The shading follows the measured share; the law follows the status. For 11 communes these differ while a review is open. Those are hatched on the map.
Indicative only. These figures are an official determination at a fixed date and may since have changed, and a commune’s share says nothing on its own about an individual property. This is general information, not legal, planning or investment advice. Confirm the current position with the commune or the competent cantonal authority before acting on it.
Sources and currency of the data
- Reference date
- 31 December 2025
- Determination published
- 31 March 2026
- Commune boundaries
- 1 January 2026 · 2110 communes
- Retrieved
- 4 September 2026
- Next update due
- end of October 2026
Second-home shares, dwelling counts and restriction status: Bundesamt für Raumentwicklung (ARE), Wohnungsinventar und Zweitwohnungsanteil, Stand 31.03.2026. Reproduced under the Opendata BY licence — free use, commercial use permitted, source citation required.
Commune boundaries: swiss-maps, derived from Bundesamt für Statistik and swisstopo, boundary status 1 January 2026. Geometry has been simplified for display and must not be used to determine which commune a parcel falls in.
Statute: Bundesgesetz über Zweitwohnungen (ZWG), SR 702, version in force 1 October 2024. Neither the ARE nor swisstopo has reviewed, approved or endorsed this presentation of their data.