Well, if the Referenzzinssatz goes up again, the landlord can ask for an increase due to this

My friend sent a letter and she got a 200 chf reduction on a monthly rental of 2100. She used a different letter with a 30 day reply limit and some art number

I'm assuming she missed one or two of the previous interest rate reductions.

She only moved a few months ago so not sure

Thanks so much for your helpful experiences and advice. This week I actually rang our real estate agent to ask when our next 'echeance de bail' is, and she said it isn't until 1 April 2016 because there is only one per year!!!! Surely this can't be correct - I thought there were 3 or 4 times in a year when we can apply for this rent decrease.
Can any of you learned folk please advise?
Many thanks.

My agency refused and I wrote to the Commision de Concilliation in Lausanne a few weeks ago. I got a letter from them yesterday saying my case could go before the commision, but no date yet. I think it takes about 6 to 8 weeks. I'm paying 3% and the rate was 2% when I made the request but has since gone down again.
I wasn't 100% sure about it but showed the letters to a lawyer at the oav.ch - they have a "permanence" some evenings where you have 15 minutes with a lawyer for 40chf. In fact, it was free when I went because it was their anniversary or something. Anyway, they advised me to go for it (but in lawyer speak!) and basically said the agency were just trying it on. Just to let you know there is a next step if you are refused and want to take it further...

Just on the permanence juridique, it's first come first served so best to go as it opens at 4pm, then they give you a ticket and tell you what time to come back. The site is oav.ch and the one in Lausanne is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday normally, from 16.00 to 19.00.

Thanks for all the tips, my 1 year contract expires in October so I still have time to do this.

I was just thinking this request might just backfire on me, i.e. if I send them the letter asking for a reduction that they in return will send me a letter saying they won't be renewing the contract and I am then in trouble for finding a new flat for a family of 4....

The last thing I want to do is upset the almighty regie.

Not sure if it's worth the effort for my case.

Signed the rental contract in Dec 2014 based on 2% interest rate and moved in Mar 2015.
Today, 30th Jun is my first possible termination date.

So i should be able to apply for a rent deduction now?
And try to send the letter in before end of July? Thanks in advance.

I didn't bother. When I last did it, the reduction was from 3% to 2% and according to the calculations on my new contract, this resulted in a 10% rent reduction but there was also an increase of around 2-3% to cover various factors. The end result, therefore, was a reduction of 7-8%.

I haven't applied for this reduction as it would be a 0.25% interest rate change and I'm not sure if the uplift would simply cancel it out. My rent is "only" 1000Fr anyway. I'll wait for the next change

I recently asked for rent reduction because the interest rate is now lower. However, the landlord said he is not fine with it and in case we keep going that direction we will for sure get it but he will do everything to increase it again as soon as he can. How can he rise it?what should I do?

I sent the letter away and a week later had a confirmation of 14.26% basic rental reduction.

Sounds like a tosser... you can have a chat with https://www.mieterverband.ch/mv-zh.html

Do they speak English? I am a bit scared he will make me problems once I will leave the flat taking the deposit money.

What was your before and after interest rate?

Curious to hear as well. Did your interest rate go from like 2.85% ti 1.75% or so?

Your landlord can increase your rent if/when the interest rate goes up -- and that will be an automatic increase, regardless of whether you applied for a reduction when the rate went down or not. You can be sure your landlord will be "fine with that". So why wouldn't you ask for the reduction to which you're almost certainly entitled, now?

That's obviously not true. If he has a contract, as I do, specifying an interest rate of 2% and the rate goes up from 1.75% to 2%, the landlord can not increase the rent.

it was 3.5% and went to 1.75%

Yes... obviously... I didn't think I had to spell out every possible permutation!

It makes perfectly sense, that's why I sent him the letter. I am now scared that once I will leave the flat he can find many ways to steal my deposit. What about heating?how does one know if the money they ask are exactly what we have to pay?