Terminating a Sublease in Switzerland: Notice Periods, Template & Generator

Notice Periods for Subleases: 2 Weeks or 3 Months?

"Two weeks to the end of the month" appears in almost every flatshare guide. It is not what the law says. CO Art. 266e lets you terminate a furnished room with two weeks' notice, but to the end of a one-month rental period, not of a calendar month (There is no official English version of the Code of Obligations; wording paraphrased by ConvivaPlus.) The rhythm is set by the tenancy, not the calendar: a rental month that starts on the 15th ends on the 14th of the following month.

The notice period in Switzerland does not depend on whether you are a "subtenant"; it depends on what you are renting. The Code of Obligations draws a clear distinction between furnished rooms and unfurnished living spaces. And this is precisely where most mistakes are made.

A furnished room (i.e. a room with a bed, wardrobe, and table, typical in flatshares) falls under this short 2-week period. The bar is low, but the timing must be exact: miss the period or the date and your notice automatically applies to the next possible date (CO Art. 266a para. 2).

For unfurnished flats (including rooms without the landlord's own furniture), CO Art. 266c applies: the notice period is 3 months to the locally customary date or, where there is no local custom, to the end of a three-month rental period. Which date that is, the law does not say: local custom decides.

What many people don't know: the sublease agreement can specify shorter or longer notice periods than the law provides, but only in favour of the subtenant. A contractual clause imposing a notice period of more than 3 months on the subtenant is void. This guide is part of our termination letter hub, where you can also find templates for sublease agreements, employment contracts and insurance.

Flatshare Models in Switzerland: Who Gives Notice to Whom?

You have no contract with the property owner, and yet they may call you to order directly. Under CO Art. 262 para. 3, the landlord may address the subtenant directly to make them use the flat only as the main tenant is permitted to. What the landlord cannot do is give you notice: there is no contract between you.

Who terminates whom depends on the flatshare model: in a main-tenant sublet you give notice to the main tenant; in a joint tenancy everyone must give notice together; with individual contracts each person gives notice directly to the landlord. In Switzerland these three common variants exist, and each has different consequences for notice periods, formalities and responsibilities.

Model 1: Main Tenant–Subtenant. One person holds the tenancy agreement with the landlord. All others are subtenants. The main tenant is simultaneously the "landlord" of the subtenants. Notice is given to the main tenant, not to the property owner. This model is the most common in Swiss flatshares.

Model 2: Joint Tenancy. All flatshare residents are jointly named in the tenancy agreement. Here, no individual flatmate can "give notice": all must terminate jointly or agree on a contract amendment with the landlord. If only one person wants to move out, the consent of all co-tenants and the landlord is required.

Model 3: Individual Tenancy Agreements. Each resident has their own contract with the landlord. Here, everyone gives notice independently, directly to the landlord, with the standard notice periods under CO 266c (3 months). Subletting does not exist in this model.

Official Form: When Is It Required?

The furnished-room exception that so many guides promise is not in the law. CO Art. 266l covers residential and commercial premises: both sides must give notice in writing, and the landlord must use a form approved by the canton (There is no official English version of the Code of Obligations; wording paraphrased by ConvivaPlus.) Without it, the notice is void under CO Art. 266o, even if everything else is correct.

For subleases the following applies: if the main tenant gives notice to the subtenant, they are the "landlord" and must use the official form, for a furnished room just as for a flat. If the subtenant gives notice to the main tenant, a signed letter is enough, but it must be in writing.

The official form varies by canton. In Zurich it is called the "Formular zur Anzeige der Kündigung" and is available from the rent tribunal or online. Berne, Basel, Lucerne: every canton has its own. Our termination letter generator accounts for this.

A plain email or WhatsApp message does not do it: the written form requires a handwritten signature (CO Art. 14) or a qualified electronic signature. Send a signed letter by registered mail so you can prove receipt. The appropriate template can be found on our specialist page for sublease terminations.

Termination Letter Generator: Template in 4 Languages

If you give notice as the main tenant, your letter is only half the termination: the cantonal form belongs with it, for a furnished room just as for a flat. Our generator takes the doubt off your hands: you enter your details, choose your flatshare model, and the legally sound termination letter is created automatically, in German, French, Italian or English, PDF export included.

The generator automatically distinguishes between furnished rooms (2 weeks to the end of a one-month rental period) and unfurnished residential premises (3 months to the locally customary date). You simply select what applies to you.

You can find the full generator on our termination letter hub page: where you will also find templates for standard tenancies, employment contracts and insurance. This sublease specialist page is a tailored version with all flatshare-specific fields.

Important: The generator creates the cover letter. If you are a main tenant giving notice to a subtenant, you additionally need the official form from your canton. The generator will prompt you about this.

Cantonal Specifics: Zurich, Berne, Geneva & More

The notice periods in the CO apply throughout Switzerland, but the locally customary dates vary from canton to canton. With a 3-month notice period, this can make the difference between "out next month" and "still paying for another six months".

No federal law mentions 31 March. For flats, CO Art. 266c refers to the locally customary date and only where there is no local custom to the end of a three-month rental period (There is no official English version of the Code of Obligations; wording paraphrased by ConvivaPlus.) The date that can decide half a year's rent is therefore not written in any article, but in local custom.

In Zurich, the locally customary termination dates are 31 March and 30 September. In practice, 30 June and 31 December are also accepted, but only if contractually agreed. The Zurich conciliation authority offers its own online form.

In the canton of Geneva, particularly tenant-friendly rules apply. The locally customary dates are also end of March and end of September, but the Avis de l'Office des baux et loyers must be enclosed without fail. In Vaud, the formule officielle is obtained through the Préfecture.

For Berne, Basel and every other canton the principle is the same: what counts is the custom where the flat is located, and a date agreed in the contract takes precedence (CO Art. 266a). Tenants' Association advice and the cantonal conciliation authorities will tell you the date for your municipality free of charge.

The 5 Most Common Pitfalls When Terminating a Sublease

1. Wrong notice period. The room is furnished, but the subtenant gives 3 months' notice. Or the reverse: unfurnished, but only 2 weeks' notice observed. Both are problematic: too long wastes money, too short is invalid.

2. No written contract. Verbal sublease agreements are valid but almost impossible to prove in a dispute. Without a contract, it is often not even clear whether the room qualifies as "furnished". Tip: draw up a written contract retrospectively if necessary.

3. Notice given to the wrong person. In a joint tenancy, notice must be given to all co-tenants. In the main tenant–subtenant arrangement, notice goes to the main tenant, not to the landlord. Sent to the wrong address = invalid.

4. Forgotten landlord's consent. Under CO Art. 262, the main tenant requires the landlord's consent for subletting. Without this, the main tenant risks termination of their own tenancy agreement. This problem often only becomes apparent when the subtenant gives notice.

5. The cash deposit. The law does not provide for it: under CO Art. 257e, a cash deposit must be placed by the landlord (in a sublet, the main tenant) in a savings or deposit account at a bank in the tenant's name, and for residential premises it may not exceed three months' rent. Without a receipt there will be a dispute: your canton's conciliation authority can help free of charge.

The ConvivaPlus Sublet Notice-Period Matrix maps all six common flatshare and sublet scenarios (main tenant→subtenant, subtenant→main tenant, 3-person flatshare, furnished room, couple separation, commercial sublet) to the applicable notice period under CO Art. 266c/d/e. You see at a glance which of the three periods, 2 weeks, 3 months or 6 months, applies to your specific situation, instead of digging through twelve articles of law.

Methodology: the matrix's notice periods come directly from the Code of Obligations (CO Art. 262, 266a–266o, 272–273c), each row with its article, checked against the official wording on fedlex (version of 1 January 2026). We deliberately do not publish a regional rent index on this page: there is no official survey of sublet-room rents by region, and we do not publish a figure without a source for every row.

Rights and Obligations: What Applies After Termination

Your extension ends at the latest with your main tenant's lease. Under CO Art. 273b, a sublease can only be extended for the duration of the main lease (There is no official English version of the Code of Obligations; wording paraphrased by ConvivaPlus.) The same article protects you the other way round if the sublet is only a pretext: where its main purpose is to get around the protection against termination, the subtenant enjoys that protection regardless of the main lease.

After giving notice, you must return the room in the same condition as when you took it over, normal wear and tear excepted. This is precisely where most conflicts arise: at the handover. A handover and return protocol is therefore strongly recommended.

The subtenant can request an extension if ending the lease would cause them or their family hardship not justified by the landlord's interests (CO Art. 272). It is excluded only in the cases listed in CO Art. 272a, such as rent arrears; there is no exception there for furnished rooms.

The main tenant may not simply lock out the subtenant or change the locks, even after the notice period has expired. Taking matters into one's own hands is a criminal offence. The proper course of action is through the conciliation authority and, if necessary, the courts.

In the case of unjustified termination, the subtenant can challenge it at the conciliation authority within 30 days. Conciliation in Switzerland is mandatory for tenancy law disputes: it is not possible to go directly to court. You can find all further templates and model letters in the termination letter hub.