Digital library of construction informatics and information technology in civil engineering and construction
Digital library
Paper: eres2007_166
| Paper title: | Why Do Swiss Rent? |
| Authors: | Bourassa, Steven; Martin Hoesli |
| Summary: | At 34%, Switzerland has the lowest home ownership rate in Western Europe. This is a puzzle given the economic strength of the country. We use 1998 household survey data for five Swiss cantons to explore some possible reasons for this. We estimate a tenure choice equation that allows us to analyze the impacts of a number of key variables on the ownership rate. We pay particular attention to the relative cost of owning and renting, which is a function of house prices, rents, and the user cost of owning. The latter is a function of income tax policy and expected house price inflation, among other things. We also measure mortgage underwriting criteria and consider rent control and other policies affecting rental housing. By simulating a number of hypothetical changes to taxation and other policies, underwriting criteria, and price levels, we assess the importance of these variables in explaining the ownership rate. We conclude that high house prices—relative to rents and to household incomes and wealth—are by far the most important cause of Switzerland’s low ownership rate. |
| Type: | |
| Year of publication: | 2007 |
| Series: | ERES:conference |
| Download paper: | |
| Citation: | Bourassa, Steven; Martin Hoesli (2007). Why Do Swiss Rent?. 14th Annual European Real Estate Society Conference in London, UK, http://itc.scix.net/paper/eres2007_166 |
hosted by University of Ljubljana
includes:
W78
includes:
W78
inspired by SciX, ported by Robert Klinc [2019]