The mortgage reference rate was introduced in 2008 with the aim of harmonizing the rent structure on the nationwide Swiss level. It is determined quarterly by the Federal Office of Housing (FOH) and is decisive for rent adjustments in existing tenancies. Since its introduction, the mortgage reference rate has fallen steadily and reached a historic low of 1.25% on March 3, 2020, at which it had since remained set.
Today, the FOH increased the mortgage reference rate for the first time in over 14 years, setting it at 1.5%. The new mortgage reference rate will apply from June 2, 2023.
If the required contractual conditions under the relevant lease agreements are in place, this adjustment of the mortgage reference rate entitles the landlord to unilaterally increase the rent by up to 3% (subject to further increases based on other factors such as inflation) as of the next possible termination date.
Landlords who wish to exercise this right may assert these increases in compliance with the contractual and statutory form and deadline requirements. In any case, increases must be notified using an official form, must include a justification and must be delivered at least 10 days before the start of the notice period. When sending the rent increase notification by registered letter, it should be noted that in case of failed delivery on first attempt, delivery is deemed to have taken place only after the expiry of the postal seven-day collection period.
The tenant has the right to terminate the lease agreement within the cooling-off period or to contest the rent increase within a 30-day period starting from notification of the rent increase.

Increase of the mortgage reference rate

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Real Estate

Financing and Investment Products

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Homburger News

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Pollen Street Capital has acquired Etops Group, further consolidating the European wealthtech market by adding to its existing investments in niiio Finance Group, fundsaccess, MiFID-Recorder, and FundHero. As part of the transaction, key shareholders of Etops Group agreed to reinvest in the wider group.
Pollen Street Capital is a private capital asset manager with more than GBP 4.2 bn in assets under management.
Etops Group is a Swiss-based provider of software solutions and business process outsourcing services in the wealth management sector.
The Homburger team advising Pollen Street Capital comprised Andreas Müller, Olivier Bühlmann, Jonas Stähli and Harun Cetin (all Corporate / M&amp;A, Real Estate), Reto Heuberger and Philippe Weber (both Tax) and Daniel Junginger (Financing and Investment Products).

Homburger advised Pollen Street Capital on its acquisition of Etops Group

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IP / IT

Healthcare / Life Sciences

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Novartis

On August 22, 2023, Novartis (SIX: NOVN) announced that it had agreed to transfer its real estate and certain infrastructure-related assets and services pertaining to the Life Science Park Rhine Valley in Stein, Canton of Aargau, Switzerland, to the industrial park operator Getec. Currently, almost 2,000 employees work in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies on the Life Science Park Rhine Valley.
Upon completion of the transaction, the management and further development of the life science park will be taken over by Getec. The transfer is expected to be completed by the end of 2023 and 25 employees will move from Novartis to Getec.
Homburger advises Novartis alongside Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer on the Swiss law and tax aspects of the transaction. The Homburger team is led by Daniel Häusermann (Corporate / M&amp;A, Real Estate) and includes Olivier Bühlmann, Daniel Kuhn (both Corporate / M&amp;A, Real Estate), Stefan Gäumann (Real Estate), Oriana Schöni (Corporate / M&amp;A), Reto Heuberger, Peter Müller and Philippe Weber (all Tax), Jürg Frick (Financing and Investment Products), Gregor Bühler and Marc Bircher (both Employment), Andri Hess (IP / IT, Healthcare / Life Sciences), Allegra Arnold and Katharina Bratvogel (both Competition, Regulatory), as well as other professionals.

Homburger advises Novartis on the transfer of the Life Science Park Rhine Valley to Getec

On July 13, 2023, Homburger received the «Impact Deal of the Year» award at the LMG Life Sciences Awards EMEA 2023 for its work on <a href="https://www.homburger.ch/en/news/homburger-advises-csl-with-respect-to-its-announced-public-tender-offer-to-acquire-vifor-pharma">CSL/Vifor</a>. Our team was led by partners Dieter Gericke and Daniel Häusermann. It also included members from our Tax, Financing and Investment Products, Competition and Regulatory, IP / IT, Corporate/M&amp;A, and Employment and Executive Compensation teams.
The awards aim to recognize complex and impactful work across an array of legal specialisms that operate within the life sciences industry.

Homburger honored with LMG Life Sciences EMEA award for «Impact Deal of the Year»

Olivier
Bühlmann

Homburger advised Pollen Street Capital on its acquisition of Etops Group

Homburger advises Novartis on the transfer of the Life Science Park Rhine Valley to Getec

Homburger honored with LMG Life Sciences EMEA award for «Impact Deal of the Year»

Increase of the mortgage reference rate

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OlivierBühlmann

Homburger advised Pollen Street Capital on its acquisition of Etops Group

Homburger advises Novartis on the transfer of the Life Science Park Rhine Valley to Getec

Homburger honored with LMG Life Sciences EMEA award for «Impact Deal of the Year»

Increase of the mortgage reference rate

Join the Team

Olivier Bühlmann

Career

Languages

Bar Registration

Teams

Olivier
Bühlmann