Reference interest rate falls to record low
The mortgage reference interest rate falls to an all-time low of 1.5%. It is therefore 0.25 percentage points below the last published rate.
According to the Federal Housing Office (FHA), the reference interest rate, which is based on the quarterly volume-weighted average interest rate for domestic mortgage claims, has fallen again.
The average interest rate, which was calculated as at March 31, 2017, fell from 1.64% to 1.61% compared to the previous quarter. The reference interest rate applicable under tenancy law is therefore 1.5%, rounded to the nearest whole number, and has been valid since June 2, 2017. It will remain at this level until the average interest rate falls below 1.38% or rises above 1.62%.
As the reference interest rate has fallen by 0.25 percentage points compared to the previous quarter, tenants are in principle entitled to a reduction of 2.91 percent if the rent was adjusted when the interest rate was last reduced, according to the BWO.
The mortgage reference interest rate and the underlying average interest rate are published quarterly by the BWO. In 2008, it replaced the interest rate for variable mortgages previously applicable in the individual cantons.
