Moving Dates in French-Speaking Switzerland and Leases

A moving date (terme) is the date on which a lease can end. The Swiss Code of Obligations refers to local custom and, failing that, to the end of a lease quarter (art. 266c of the Swiss Code of Obligations, CO). These dates therefore differ from one canton to another, sometimes from one region to another, and your contract may provide for others. Always read your lease before setting a date, then book your move early, because everyone moves at the same times.

What is a lease termination date?

An open-ended lease cannot be ended on just any day. A tenant can leave it by meeting two cumulative conditions: a notice period, then a termination date (terme), that is, the precise date on which the lease ends.

For a home, the notice period is three months, unless the contract provides for longer. Notice must expire on a date set by local custom or, failing that, at the end of a lease quarter (art. 266c CO). In practice:

• the notice period is the minimum time between sending notice and the end of the lease;
• the termination date is the permitted end date, the only one on which the lease can actually end;
• the lease quarter is counted from the start of your contract, not necessarily from the start of the calendar year.

Notice given without regard to the termination date will not end the lease on the date you hoped for: it generally applies to the next one. That is why it pays to look at the calendar before signing a new lease.

Where to find the dates that apply to you

There is no single list for the whole of French-speaking Switzerland. Proceed in this order:

1. Re-read your lease and its general conditions: they may state the applicable dates or a notice period longer than three months.
2. Ask the letting agency (régie) or the landlord. They know the dates used for your building.
3. Contact a tenants’ association if the contract is silent or ambiguous.
4. Ask the canton or the commune if you still have doubts about local custom.

Do not rely on what a friend living in another canton told you, or on a date seen in an advert: only the local custom of your commune and what your lease says count. For the termination procedure itself (written form, sending, spouse’s consent for the family home), see the guide on terminating a lease in Switzerland.

Why everyone moves on the same dates

When customary dates are concentrated on a few days, hundreds of households leave their homes at the same time. The effects are predictable:

• Removal companies are in high demand. Slots fill up well in advance and the most popular dates go first.
• Rental vans become scarce. If you plan to move on your own, book the vehicle as soon as the date is known.
• Parking becomes a headache. Occupying the public road with a lorry, a furniture lift or a skip may require prior permission from the commune or the police. Check a few days or weeks ahead, and earlier still if your street is narrow or busy.
• Move-out inspections (états des lieux) follow one another. The letting agency may have several key handovers on the same day, which leaves little margin if cleaning runs late.
• Related services are also booked up: cleaning, house clearance, furniture lift.

None of this is inevitable. Good planning is almost always enough to avoid last-minute stress.

Planning ahead: the timeline to follow

Here is a realistic sequence, to adapt to your situation.

1. As soon as you are thinking of leaving: identify your lease’s termination date and check your notice period.
2. As soon as the date is likely: request several quotes from removal companies. The more common the date, the earlier you need to start.
3. Before sending notice: if your spouse or partner must consent for the family home, obtain their express agreement (art. 266m and 266n CO). Notice must be given in writing (art. 266l CO).
4. A few weeks before: book a furniture lift if needed, request any parking permit from the commune, and plan the end-of-lease cleaning.
5. Around moving day: notify your departure and arrival to the residents’ registration office (contrôle des habitants), within the period set by your canton. In many communes, this can be done online via eMoving (eUmzugCH).

A full moving checklist helps you not to forget anything in these steps.

Easing the pressure: shifting, overlapping, replacing

If the customary date is a problem for you, several options exist, to be examined with your lease in hand.

• Choose a weekday rather than the last day of the month or the most popular date, if your lease allows it: movers are often more available then.
• Negotiate an overlap: a new lease starting before the old one ends gives you a few days to move in stages, clean without rushing and hand back the home in good condition. You then pay two rents for the overlapping period, to be weighed against the gain in peace of mind.
• Use storage if the two homes are not available at the same time. Storage lets you keep your belongings between two dates.
• Put forward a replacement tenant if you have to leave before the termination date: by proposing a solvent candidate willing to take over the lease on the same terms, you can be released (art. 264 CO). The replacement tenant guide explains the process.

Do not plan to hand back the keys on the very day you receive the new home without any margin. Poorly done end-of-lease cleaning can delay the handover: plan it in advance, for example with an end-of-lease cleaning service.

In French-speaking Switzerland: what changes by location

The cantons of Geneva, Vaud, Valais, Fribourg, Neuchâtel and Jura do not all work in the same way. What may vary, and what you should check with the commune or canton:

• the customary dates themselves, which may differ from one canton to another, even from one region to another;
• the notification deadline to the residents’ registration office;
• the parking rules and permits for lorries, furniture lifts or skips;
• the organisation of eMoving, available in many communes but not all.

Location also affects logistics. In cities, such as Lausanne or Geneva, competition for parking and for slots is stronger, and buildings without a lift or narrow streets make access harder. In the mountains, snow, ice and winding roads call for margin in the schedule, especially in winter. For regions close to the border, a move between France and Switzerland adds customs and administrative formalities that lengthen the timescale.

Doing it yourself or getting help

A private individual can perfectly well manage a small move alone: a studio or two-room flat, little heavy furniture, easy access and friends available. In that case, the most important thing is to lock in the van and parking early, and not to underestimate the time spent packing and cleaning.

Once the volume grows, access is difficult, there are many floors or the date falls in a very busy period, professionals are often needed. They know the local constraints and can organise the day. The site passes your request on to removal companies in the region, who provide a free, no-obligation quote: you then compare at your own pace. You can request a quote by describing your route and dates, or see the page on residential moving.

Frequently asked questions