Guide for companies

Staff housing in Switzerland: the guide for companies

New specialists from abroad, a project team for several months or fitters on a construction site: Sooner or later almost every growing company faces the question of where its people should live. This guide shows the options, what they cost, what applies legally and for taxes, and how you arrange housing for your team in days instead of weeks. Written from practice: We operate our own furnished rooms and also rent them to companies for their employees.

By Jens Herbst, Founder of BoVita Property ManagementUpdated on 3 July 20269 min. read

Furnished room as staff housing in Brugg, BoVita

Topics

Contents

1.Which companies face this question
2.Hotel, serviced apartment or furnished room?
3.What staff housing really costs
4.Double occupancy: it pays off twice for teams
5.Contract models: company as tenant or employees directly
6.Registration and posted workers: the legal guard rails
7.Taxes and salary certificate: if the company pays for housing
8.Checklist: how to organise housing for your team
9.How it works at BoVita: the Brugg example
10.Frequently asked questions from companies
11.Sources

Own room operationOne contact for your team

Which companies face this question

Housing in Switzerland is scarce: The vacancy rate stood at 1.0 percent on 1 June 2025 (Federal Statistical Office). If you bring a specialist from abroad, send a construction or assembly team to a region for months or employ seasonal staff, you cannot wait for each person to find a flat on their own. In practice this mainly concerns construction and trade businesses with out-of-town projects, industrial and care companies recruiting internationally, and employers organising a first home for expats starting a new job.

The good news: Companies neither need hotel budgets nor have to furnish and manage flats themselves. Furnished rooms with all-in rent close exactly this gap.

Hotel, serviced apartment or furnished room?

Four models have become established for housing employees. They differ mainly in cost, flexibility and how much administration remains with your company.

Option	Cost level	Suitable for
Hotel or aparthotel	Very high, daily rates	Short assignments up to about two weeks
Serviced apartment	High, often several thousand francs per month	Executives and individual specialists
Own company flat	Medium, plus furnishing, contracts and self-management	Large, permanent locations
Furnished room, all-in	Low, at BoVita from CHF 720 per month including utilities	Project teams, fitters, new employees and expats

Practical classification, not quotes. What matters are assignment length, number of people and how much administration your company wants to handle itself.

What staff housing really costs

With furnished all-in rooms the price is a single, plannable figure: At BoVita rooms start at CHF 720 per month, including furniture, utilities, wifi and professional management. There are no furnishing costs and no utility statements for your company. For comparison: Even a budget hotel room costs a multiple of that per month, without a kitchen and without a homelike feel.

For budgeting this means: One team member lives for a fixed three-digit amount per month, terminable after the agreed minimum rental period. That keeps project calculations simple and avoids surprises in expense reports.

Double occupancy: it pays off twice for teams

In selected properties we offer double occupancy on request: two employees share a room with two beds. Whether it is possible is decided by the owner of the property in question; at present it works at Rathausplatz 6 in Brugg, for rooms from around 11 square metres. The room then costs up to 20 percent more, because utilities and furnishing for the second person are added. Per person, however, the price drops by around 40 percent compared to single occupancy.

For construction and assembly teams this lowers the cost per head considerably: the team lives together in the same building, close to the site. For taxes, shared accommodation is a standard case too: The Swiss tax authorities’ guidance sheet N2 explicitly states that multiple occupancy of the room is already reflected in the flat rate.

Discuss housing for your team

In a short, non-binding initial consultation we clarify your needs, the period and available rooms for your employees.

Arrange an initial call with the founder

No obligation and free of charge.

Contract models: company as tenant or employees directly

There are two proven contract models. Either your company rents the rooms as the contracting party and assigns them flexibly to its own people, the room simply stays when staff change. Or the employees sign the rental contract directly, then the responsibility lies with them. For furnished rooms the short statutory notice period of two weeks applies (Art. 266e Swiss Code of Obligations), unless the contract provides otherwise; in practice it is managed via a minimum rental period. The deposit belongs in a blocked account in the tenant’s name (Art. 257e CO).

Registration and posted workers: the legal guard rails

Legal guardrails

If employees live in the municipality for a longer period, they must register with the residents’ office. A special case is posting from abroad: Then the Posted Workers Act explicitly obliges the employer to guarantee accommodation of customary standard (Art. 3 EntsG). Anyone relying on overcrowded rock-bottom solutions risks sanctions and reputational damage. Proper, professionally operated rooms meet this standard.

With a posting, two deadlines run in parallel and are often confused. The employer notifies the assignment at least eight days before work starts, through the federal notification procedure. Independently of that, the posted person registers with the residents’ office as soon as cantonal law treats them as a resident. Each canton defines that threshold itself, in Zurich for example from three consecutive months. One notification does not replace the other.

The registration deadline itself is set by cantonal law, not by federal law. Municipalities therefore do not set it themselves, they enforce cantonal law. In the three cantons relevant to us it is fourteen days in each case.

The employer must guarantee posted employees accommodation that meets the customary standard at the place of work with regard to hygiene and comfort.

Legal basis: Art. 3 Posted Workers Act (PWA, SR 823.20, translated)

Canton	Deadline once the duty arises	Legal basis
Aargau, that is Aarau, Wohlen and Brugg	14 days	§ 14 Register- und Meldegesetz, SAR 122.200
St. Gallen	14 days	Art. 6 Gesetz über Niederlassung und Aufenthalt, sGS 453.1
Zurich	14 days	§ 10 Meldewesen- und Einwohnerregistergesetz, LS 142.1

As of July 2026, checked against the cantonal collections of laws. For foreign nationals, the permit procedure at the cantonal migration office runs in parallel.

Not legal advice: This guide classifies the most important rules. Binding are the law, the rental contract and the information of the competent authorities, for postings in particular SECO.

Taxes and salary certificate: if the company pays for housing

If your company covers the housing costs, this is a fringe benefit and belongs in the salary certificate. The flat rates in the tax authorities’ guidance sheet N2 serve as orientation: CHF 345 per month for a room, CHF 990 per month for full board and lodging. If the company provides an entire flat instead of a room, the local market rent applies. Your fiduciary will clarify the details; the key point is to declare it properly, then staff housing remains an uncomplicated instrument for tax purposes as well.

TAX FLAT RATE

CHF 345

per month: flat rate for a room provided by the employer according to guidance sheet N2 (salary certificate). Multiple occupancy of the room is already reflected in the rate.

More on this in the related guide: Posting workers to Switzerland: notification, deadlines, accommodation

Checklist: how to organise housing for your team

With these points you clarify your needs in half an hour and avoid the typical pitfalls.

Clarify needs

Define number of people and period, including possible extension
Decide single room or double occupancy per person
Check commute to the assignment site, a few minutes is ideal
Set budget per person and month, always compare all-in

Contract and administration

Choose the contract model: company as tenant or employees directly
Align minimum rental period and notice periods with the project duration
Settle the deposit, blocked account or rental deposit insurance
Plan registration with the residents’ office within 14 days
For postings: ensure the accommodation standard under Art. 3 of the Posted Workers Act

During operation

Agree on one fixed contact person for all rooms
Define the process for staff changes, the room stays, the person changes
Announce extensions early, good rooms go fast

How it works at BoVita: the Brugg example

Our houses are curated flatshares, oriented towards young professionals, students and expats. In selected properties we deliberately rent mixed and also to companies for their employees. The best example is Rathausplatz 6 in Brugg: 19 units under full renovation, 17 furnished rooms, a studio and a 3.5-room flat, expected to be ready from autumn 2026, a few minutes’ walk from Brugg railway station. Rooms from CHF 720 all-in, with double occupancy for teams in large rooms, the flat for up to three people.

For companies this means concretely: one enquiry, one contact person, digital contracts, and your team has a home. We handle care, cleaning organisation of the shared areas and communication with the residents, on request via WhatsApp. And if you own a property yourself that is suitable as staff housing: These are exactly the properties we set up and operate on behalf of owners.

Frequently asked questions from companies

What does staff housing cost in Switzerland?

A furnished all-in room at BoVita starts at CHF 720 per month, including utilities, wifi and furniture. Hotels cost a multiple per month, serviced apartments often several thousand francs.

Can our company act directly as the tenant?

Yes. Either the company rents the rooms and assigns them flexibly to its own people, or the employees sign the contract directly. With the company model the room simply stays when staff change.

Is double occupancy of rooms allowed and sensible?

Not in every property. Double occupancy requires the consent of the property owner; at present we offer it at Rathausplatz 6 in Brugg, for suitable rooms from around 11 square metres. The room then costs up to 20 percent more, but per person it becomes around 40 percent cheaper than single occupancy. For taxes, multiple occupancy is explicitly reflected in the N2 flat rate.

What applies to employees posted from abroad?

The Posted Workers Act obliges the employer to guarantee accommodation that meets the customary standard at the place of work regarding hygiene and comfort (Art. 3). Enforcement runs via SECO and the cantons.

How quickly are rooms available?

With free rooms within days: enquiry, offer, digital contract, move-in. Viewings are possible on site or by video. For larger contingents an early reservation pays off.

Do employees have to register at their place of residence?

Yes, with the residents’ office of the municipality of residence, within 14 days of moving in. The deadline is set by cantonal law and is fourteen days in Aargau, St. Gallen and Zurich alike. For posted workers, the employer’s notification eight days before work starts comes on top; it does not replace registration at the place of residence. We support with the necessary documents on the tenancy.

How is paid housing treated in the salary certificate?

As a fringe benefit. The flat rates of guidance sheet N2 serve for valuation: CHF 345 per month for a room, CHF 990 for full board and lodging; for an entire flat the local market rent. Your fiduciary clarifies the details, this is not tax advice.

About BoVita

BoVita is a property management company from Switzerland with a rare specialisation in furnished rooms, flatshares and co-living. We take over the full management of properties, from rent collection and utility-cost statements to tenant changes, and add depth where conventional management firms reach their limits. This guide bundles our hands-on knowledge for owners and management companies.

Sources

This overview is based on the following sources and legal foundations. All information without guarantee.

Looking for housing for your team?

Tell us how many people need accommodation and from when. You will receive a concrete offer with available rooms within a short time, one contact person included. Initial consultation with the founder, non-binding and free of charge.