Challenge or Extend a Termination

The 30-day deadline right at the top, then check the formalities, request the reasons and file in time with the conciliation authority. With template letter and request form.

Checked on 21.08.2026 by Jens Herbst, BoVitaWe keep every document current and check it regularly against the sources.

Who is this document for?

For tenants who have received a termination and want to know whether they can challenge it, and for anyone who instead needs more time.

What is inside

  • The 30-day deadline from receipt, with a field to fill in immediately at the top
  • Five checks on formalities, quicker than the question of good faith
  • Template letter for requesting the reasons (Art. 271 para. 2 CO)
  • The six grounds from Art. 271a para. 1 CO, each explained separately
  • The exceptions in paragraph 3 that almost every guide leaves out
  • Template for the conciliation request, with relief sought and structure

How to fill it in

  1. 1Enter the date of receipt at the top and count the 30 days before reading on.
  2. 2Send the letter requesting reasons immediately; the deadline runs regardless.
  3. 3Work through part 3 and note which letter fits your case.
  4. 4File the conciliation request WITHIN the 30 days, even if no reasons have arrived yet.
  5. 5Document your flat search from day one, it is the strongest argument for an extension.

Frequently asked questions

For tenants in Switzerland who have received a termination: both for challenging it and for requesting an extension where the termination is valid but you need time.

30 days from RECEIVING it, not from the date it takes effect (Art. 273 para. 1 CO). This is the single most important figure in the procedure: miss it and you lose the challenge regardless of how good your reasons were.

Not unprompted, but it must be on request (Art. 271 para. 2 CO). That is why the first step is the letter in part 2. If no reasons follow, or if they look like a pretext, that is an indication for a challenge. The termination does not become void by itself, though.

Not as a blanket rule. The bar in Art. 271a para. 1 lit. e CO does NOT apply in cases of urgent personal need, rent arrears, serious breach of the duty of care, sale of the property, important reasons or bankruptcy (para. 3). Relying on it without knowing the exceptions means relying on something that may not apply to your case.

The conciliation procedure is free of charge in tenancy matters (Art. 113 para. 2 lit. c CPC). You need no lawyer, and the authority also gives advice.

If the template alone is not enough

In-depth guideCancelling a Swiss Apartment Lease (2026): Notice Periods, Local End Dates, Templates + CalculatorThe article goes deeper than the document: deadlines, examples and where to turn.Let it fill itself interminate apartment lease switzerlandThe tool does the same work, just without the typing.

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