Key facts
- July is the strongest month at 56.0 per cent occupancy, January the weakest at 37.8 — 18.2 points apart.
- In a holiday region the gap easily reaches 50 points. Zurich's curve is flatter than people think.
- May breaks the pattern at 49.9 per cent and is the third-strongest month — that is the trade-fair share.
- A new listing does not follow the curve: in its first year it sits at around 82 per cent of the later level, whatever the month.
The twelve months
The strongest month in Zurich is July at 56.0 per cent occupancy, the weakest January at 37.8. Between them lie 18.2 points. That is less than half of what a holiday region shows — and the reason short-term letting in Zurich works year-round at all.
The shape of the curve is notable: it follows a leisure destination with a strong summer, not a business-travel city. May falls outside that pattern and, at 49.9 per cent, is the third-strongest month — that is the trade-fair share.
| Month | Factor | Occupancy |
|---|---|---|
| January | 0.87 | 37.8 % |
| February | 0.90 | 39.1 % |
| March | 0.97 | 42.1 % |
| April | 1.03 | 44.7 % |
| May | 1.15 | 49.9 % |
| June | 1.08 | 46.9 % |
| July | 1.29 | 56.0 % |
| August | 1.20 | 52.1 % |
| September | 1.06 | 46.0 % |
| October | 1.00 | 43.4 % |
| November | 0.90 | 39.1 % |
| December | 0.95 | 41.2 % |
What the curve means for pricing
A fixed nightly rate across the year leaves money on the table, and at both ends. In July it is too low for demand; in January too high to fill the nights that otherwise stay empty.
More important than the monthly curve, though, are the individual weeks. A large trade fair lifts demand within a few days far above any monthly figure — and those days are known months in advance. Anyone not holding the calendar against them sells the most expensive nights of the year at the average price.
Conversely, for the weak months: January and February are not filled by price alone but by length of stay. A minimum stay of one night instead of two, plus a weekly discount, achieves more there than ten francs off the nightly rate.
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 returnWhat the curve does not say
It describes the market, not your property. Three deviations are common and none of them is in the table.
- A new listing does not follow the curve — in its first year it runs at around 82 per cent of the later level by our assumption, regardless of month. Starting in July therefore does not show 56 per cent.
- Properties aimed at business travellers have a flatter curve than the market and a weekly pattern instead: full Monday to Thursday, empty at the weekend. The monthly figure hides that.
- On Lake Zurich and outside the city the curve is steeper than in town, because the business-travel share that carries the weak months is missing.
Frequently asked questions
July and August, at 56.0 and 52.1 per cent occupancy. May, at 49.9 per cent, is the third-strongest month and falls outside the holiday pattern — that is the trade-fair share. The weakest months are January at 37.8 per cent and February and November at 39.1 each.
By 18.2 points, between July at 56.0 and January at 37.8 per cent. For a short-term market that is remarkably flat: in a pure holiday region there are easily 50 points between them. The reason is the business-travel share of around 30 per cent, which carries the weak months.
In spring. Then the strong May and July lie ahead of you while the listing collects reviews and grows out of the ramp-up. Starting in November means facing the weakest months with the weakest listing. If the flat is already standing empty, though, waiting costs more than the better starting date brings in.
Yes, but with different settings. 37.8 per cent occupancy is a good third of the nights — that carries the running costs and more. What works there is not price alone but length of stay: a minimum stay of one night instead of two, plus a weekly discount, fills more nights than ten francs off.
They describe the market, not your flat. Three common deviations: a new listing runs at around 82 per cent of the market level in its first year, regardless of month. Properties aimed at business travellers have a flatter annual curve but a weekly pattern. And on Lake Zurich and outside the city the curve is steeper, because the business-travel share is missing.
And for your property?
Sources
State of our research: 10 August 2026. Official rules change — check the current position with the competent authority.
