Buying a Holiday Home in Montreux Under Lex Koller

The two laws that apply

Foreign buyers seeking a holiday home in Montreux must satisfy two separate legal frameworks. Lex Koller governs who can buy — it restricts foreign nationals from purchasing residential property without cantonal authorisation. Lex Weber governs what can be built — it caps the proportion of secondary residences in any Swiss municipality at 20 percent.

In Montreux, both laws apply simultaneously. A foreign buyer must obtain Lex Koller authorisation, and the property must be an existing secondary residence (new-build secondary residences are generally prohibited under Lex Weber).

What "Foreign Buyer Eligible" means in practice

Properties marketed as "Foreign Buyer Eligible" in Montreux are those that have been granted authorisation for foreign ownership under Lex Koller. This status is attached to the property, not the buyer — it means the property has previously been authorised for foreign purchase and can be sold again to a foreign buyer within the quota system.

Not all properties in Montreux carry this designation. Buyers should confirm Foreign Buyer Eligible status before making an offer, as a property without this status cannot be sold to a non-resident foreign buyer regardless of the buyer's willingness to pay.

Size and use restrictions

A holiday home purchased under Lex Koller authorisation must be used exclusively as a private holiday residence. The buyer and their immediate family may use it for personal stays. Commercial rental — listing the property on short-term rental platforms or renting it to third parties — is not permitted under the authorisation conditions.

The property must not exceed 200 square metres of net living area and the plot must not exceed 1,000 square metres. Properties that exceed these limits may still be eligible if they were authorised under earlier, more permissive rules.

The quota and timing

The Canton of Vaud allocates a fixed number of Lex Koller authorisations each year. Once the annual quota is exhausted, no further authorisations are granted until the following year. Buyers should verify quota availability before committing to a purchase, as a sold-out quota can delay completion by up to twelve months.

In practice, the notary handling the transaction will confirm quota availability and submit the authorisation application. Buyers should factor potential quota delays into their timeline.

Key points

• Both Lex Koller and Lex Weber apply to holiday home purchases in Montreux
• Only Foreign Buyer Eligible properties can be sold to non-resident foreign buyers
• The property must be used exclusively as a private holiday home — no commercial rental
• Size cap: 200 sqm net living area, 1,000 sqm plot
• Annual cantonal quota limits the number of authorisations granted