Key facts
- September to November brings the highest prices of the year.
- In 2026 the expected entry into force of Zurich's new rule falls in this season, provided no appeal follows.
- Kilchberg passed its own decision in June 2026; cantonal approval is still outstanding.
- Starting in autumn means starting in the strongest season — and in the window in which the legal position may change.
Two things that coincide this year
The Zurich autumn is economically the strongest time of the year: trade fairs, congresses, the start of the semester and city breaks all coincide. Anyone pricing the autumn badly loses more than in any other quarter.
This year something else is added. The city of Zurich has named autumn 2026 as the expected date on which the new rule on second homes let for limited periods takes effect, provided no appeal follows.
For owners in the city that means: the strongest booking weeks of the year and the moment at which admissibility may change possibly lie side by side. That is no reason to panic, but it is a reason to look deliberately at bookings with a long lead time.
What that means in practice
Anyone accepting bookings for late autumn should know whether the use at their address is affected. A booking you cannot later honour costs not only the revenue but the rating — and host cancellations affect the ranking.
The route to knowing is the same as ever: clarify the zone, keep the information in writing, and where the position is unclear, do not accept long-lead bookings you may not be able to honour.
Anyone not in the city of Zurich but in a lakeside municipality or the surrounding area is in a different position — there the relevant municipal code applies. In June 2026 Kilchberg adopted its own resolution, whose cantonal approval is pending. No inference can be drawn from the city rule to the neighbouring municipalities in either direction.
Your figures, not our examples
The calculator takes the number of rooms, the neighbourhood and the fit-out and shows you a range — with the arithmetic beside it, not as a single figure you have to take on trust.
Estimate the returnThe pricing side of autumn
Regardless of the legal position, the same rule applies to autumn as always, only with greater effect: the events calendar brings more than any pricing tool. A tool recognises demand once others have booked; a calendar entry recognises it beforehand.
In practice: the dates of the big Zurich autumn events belong in the calendar now, with premiums set ahead of the demand. Anyone adjusting in September sells the best nights at the price of the second best.
And the opposite direction, considered less often: between the events, gaps of two to three nights arise that cannot be sold at the autumn price. For those gaps a lower minimum stay is worth having — not a lower price across the whole month.
Frequently asked questions
September to November, peaking in autumn. Trade fairs, congresses, the start of the semester and city breaks coincide; that brings the highest prices of the year. Spring is the second strongest period. Weak are the second half of August — because business travellers are on holiday — and January and February. That is exactly the inverse of a holiday destination, and anyone pricing on a holiday-resort pattern loses in both directions: vacancy in August, margin given away in September.
Only if you know whether the use at your address is affected by the new rule. The city of Zurich has named autumn 2026 as the expected date of entry into force, provided no appeal follows — that coincides with the strongest booking weeks. A booking you cannot later honour costs more than the revenue: host cancellations affect the ranking. Clarify the zone, keep the information in writing, and where the position is unclear, do not accept bookings with a long lead time.
No. The city of Zurich’s rule applies to the city’s territory. Every municipality has its own building and zoning code, and no inference can be drawn from the city’s to the neighbouring municipalities in either direction — some are more open, others stricter. Kilchberg is the case to know: on 16 June 2026 the municipal assembly adopted a revised building and zoning code prohibiting hotel-like operations in purely residential zones. Cantonal approval was pending at the time of our research. The only reliable information comes from the building administration concerned.
And for your property?
Sources
State of our research: 30 July 2026. Official rules change — check the current position with the competent authority.
