Save on utility costs in a rental apartment

What counts as ancillary costs in Switzerland?

Ancillary costs are expenses connected with the use of the rented property that have been allocated to the tenant under the lease. Common examples include heating, hot water, water and sewage, caretaking, snow clearing, garden maintenance and common-area electricity.

For a meaningful comparison, distinguish between net rent, agreed ancillary costs and household expenses billed directly to you, such as your own electricity contract.

Only expressly agreed ancillary costs are billed separately

Under Article 257a CO, tenants pay ancillary costs separately only if this has been specifically agreed. The individual cost categories should therefore be identifiable from the lease.^[1]

Advance payments, flat rate or included: the difference

How to check the annual ancillary-cost statement

For advance payments, the landlord must generally provide a statement at least annually. Check whether each item is in the lease, whether the allocation key is understandable, how costs changed from the previous year and whether your advance payments were credited correctly.

Article 257b CO gives tenants the right to inspect supporting documents.^[1][2]

Which costs cannot simply be passed on?

Repair and maintenance work is generally not an ordinary ancillary cost to be shifted to tenants through the annual statement. Question items that look like property maintenance, capital expenditure or repairs rather than running user-related costs.

Reduce heating costs: the biggest everyday lever

Energy Switzerland recommends around 20°C in living rooms, 17°C in bedrooms and corridors and 23°C in bathrooms. Each degree of room temperature can change heating costs by roughly 6–10%.^[5]

• Use thermostats rather than open windows to control heat.
• Keep radiators clear.
• Reduce temperatures during longer absences.
• Avoid permanently tilted windows.
• Air the apartment intensively for 5–10 minutes roughly three times a day.

Save hot water without losing comfort

Hot water is another important energy user. Shower instead of taking full baths, shorten shower time, avoid unnecessarily high water temperatures and use efficient shower heads or flow restrictors where practical.^[7]

Reduce electricity costs – even when they are billed separately

Electricity inside the apartment is often billed directly by the energy supplier rather than through the landlord’s ancillary-cost statement. It still affects your real housing budget.

Useful measures include LEDs, eco programmes, full washing machines and dishwashers, less tumble-dryer use and switching off standby devices.^[6]

Adjust advance payments and avoid large surprise bills

If every annual statement produces a large additional bill, consider asking for more realistic monthly advance payments. This does not reduce the annual cost, but it makes the cash flow more predictable.

Special case: first year in a new building

In the first year of a new building, extra heating energy may be required to dry out the construction. Swiss tenant guidance describes specific reductions depending on the move-in period. This is a niche rule worth checking if first-year heating costs appear unusually high.

Compare gross housing costs when moving

A property with a lower net rent can still be more expensive once ancillary costs are added. Compare gross rent, billing model, heating system and previous ancillary-cost statements where available.

Search lower-cost rental apartments on UrbanHome

Use the UrbanHome rental search to compare current properties. In addition to rent, consider building age, heating system and energy condition because these can materially affect future housing costs.

Checklist: systematically reduce housing costs

• lease ancillary-cost items checked
• advance / flat-rate / included model identified
• annual statement compared with previous year
• allocation key and unusual items checked
• supporting documents inspected where needed
• room temperatures adjusted
• short intensive airing instead of tilted windows
• hot-water use reduced
• standby and inefficient appliances checked
• advance amount reviewed after repeated extra bills
• gross housing cost compared when moving

Sources and data date

Legal position and sources checked on 9 August 2026.

• Swiss Code of Obligations: Articles 257a and 257b
• Ordinance on the Rent and Lease of Residential and Business Premises
• Swiss Tenants Association: heating and ancillary costs
• Swiss Tenants Association: practical ancillary-cost guidance
• Energy Switzerland: efficient heating
• Energy Switzerland: household electricity savings
• Energy Switzerland: saving energy in the bathroom

Frequently asked questions

Conclusion

Saving on ancillary costs in Switzerland starts with two questions: what do you legally owe, and which costs can you influence through your behaviour? Checking the annual statement can identify incorrect charges, while efficient heating, ventilation and hot-water use reduce consumption. When moving, compare the full monthly housing cost rather than the net rent alone.