Logistics & equipment
Swiss Moving Dates (Zügeltermin)
Also known as: Zügeltermin · Swiss moving day · customary termination date · ortsüblicher Termin · moving season Switzerland
The «Zügeltermin» is the customary local date on which Swiss tenancies end and flats change hands — in the Canton of Zurich usually the end of March, June and September. On and around these dates, clearance and moving companies are booked out and prices are higher.
Why everyone moves on the same day
Swiss tenancy law ties notice periods to customary local dates («ortsübliche Termine»). Across most of the Canton of Zurich these are the end of March, the end of June and the end of September. The consequence: on those cut-off dates a large share of all tenants move at the same time.
In practical terms for you: in the two weeks before a moving date, clearance firms, removal companies and cleaning companies are largely fully booked, and prices are higher.
Book early
For clearances around a moving date we recommend a lead time of six to eight weeks. Anyone enquiring only ten days beforehand often finds no slot at all — and if they do, it is at an off-peak time or with an express surcharge.
Moving the job to the days just after the cut-off date is rarely possible, because the flat has to be handed over by the date itself. The realistic alternative is to bring the clearance forward by one or two weeks.
The buffer is what really matters
Plan at least one week between the clearance and the handover. That is when the final cleaning («Endreinigung») takes place, and it leaves room to fix anything flagged at the inspection. Anyone who schedules clearance, cleaning and handover on three consecutive days has a problem at the slightest delay.
A real-world example
A family in Dietikon has to hand over their flat by 31 March. They book in mid-February. The clearance takes place on 20 March, the final cleaning on 23 March, the pre-inspection («Vorabnahme») on 25 March. Two items are flagged at the pre-inspection and are fixed before the final handover on 30 March. Without that buffer the handover would have failed.
Services that cover this
Frequently asked questions about Swiss Moving Dates (Zügeltermin)
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