Housing in Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein has a private housing market rather than a generally documented state allocation system for rental homes. Tenants usually conclude a private rental agreement, while buyers conclude a purchase agreement subject to applicable property rules. In 2025, 711 apartments, or 3.6% of the housing stock, were not occupied at the end of the year. Detached houses represented 56.2% of residential buildings. In 2020, the home-ownership rate was about 47%, while 49.9% of households rented. The average gross rent for a four-room apartment was CHF 1,963. Home ownership was recorded for about 57% of households with a Liechtenstein reference person and 28% of those with a foreign reference person. People staying in Liechtenstein for more than three months generally need a residence permit. Access for EEA nationals is subject to quotas, and nationals of third countries do not generally have an unrestricted entitlement to a permit. Family reunification can require suitable housing with sufficient space and a secured livelihood. The Ausländer- und Passamt (APA) handles residence and immigration matters. A rental agreement is governed mainly by the Allgemeines Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (ABGB). Rent consists of the agreed rent plus actual use-related additional costs. The tenant can request access to supporting documents for those costs. Unless the agreement says otherwise, rent is payable at the end of each month. A rental security may not exceed three monthly rents and is held in a bank account or deposit in the tenant's name. Subletting requires the landlord's consent. A tenant returning the home early can generally avoid continuing payment by presenting a financially solvent replacement tenant on the same terms. Tenants have duties of care, consideration and timely notification of defects. Landlords have to remedy defects; depending on the circumstances, a defect can support a rent reduction, damages or court-ordered deposit of rent. A rent increase has to be written and justified and reach the tenant at least 14 days before the beginning of the applicable notice period. The tenant can challenge the rent or increase in court within four weeks. A fixed-term residential agreement ends at its agreed date without ordinary termination. An indefinite residential agreement generally has a three-month notice period ending on a month-end. A single room or parking space generally has a four-week period ending on a month-end. Agreements for residential or commercial premises have to be terminated in writing. After payment arrears, the landlord gives a written period of at least 14 days before terminating a residential agreement with at least 14 days' notice. Serious reasons can permit termination without notice, although residential premises generally receive at least 14 days. Exceptional hardship can lead to an extension of up to one and a half years. The tenant returns the home in the contractually required condition. The landlord has to report recognizable damage promptly and can generally bring a claim for it for no more than 12 months after the tenancy ends. When ownership changes, the tenancy generally continues, although the buyer may be able to terminate for personal need. Buying land, a co-ownership share or certain rights in land can require approval under the Grundverkehr rules. The Office of Justice and the Grundverkehrsbehörde handle this approval. A transaction requiring approval has to be submitted within four months. A recognised interest can include an inländisches Wohnbedürfnis, meaning a genuine housing need in Liechtenstein. Liechtenstein, Swiss and EEA nationals with the required residence status can qualify under the applicable rules; nationals of third countries generally need at least ten uninterrupted years of residence. Typical limits are one plot and one condominium unit, or two condominium units, with a plot generally limited to 1,440 square metres. If approval is based on a future housing need, moving the residence to Liechtenstein within three years can be imposed as a condition. Constructing, converting or demolishing a detached or multi-family house, or changing its use, generally requires a building permit. The eBaugesuchLI system supports submission and processing, while the Amt für Hochbau und Raumplanung (AHR) and the affected municipality handle the relevant procedure. A preliminary inquiry can clarify whether a planned project is feasible before a complete application. Wohnbauförderung is a state interest-free loan for construction, ownership-related conversion or purchase. Applicants generally need to be adults, live in Liechtenstein and hold Liechtenstein or EEA nationality, or qualify as an equivalent Swiss applicant. The average income for the previous two years is generally limited to CHF 112,200, increased by CHF 5,000 for each minor child. The home normally has to provide 60 to 150 square metres of net living space. The basic loan ranges from CHF 67,300 to CHF 168,300, with an increase of one third for compact construction. Payment follows completion and land-register entry; repayment begins in the fifth year. The loan is secured in second rank and linked to a prohibition on sale. Renting out a subsidised property generally requires AHR approval and is limited to three years after completion or purchase, with a reasoned extension possible up to five years. Vacancy for more than one year, unauthorised use or unauthorised letting can trigger repayment with interest. Subsidised ownership is intended for continuous personal occupation and generally cannot be sold before full repayment. Mietbeiträge are housing-rent contributions administered by the Amt für Soziale Dienste (ASD). They target families and single parents with dependent children who rent their home and have had civil-law residence in Liechtenstein for at least one year. The home is generally limited to three and a half rooms for two people, plus one additional room for each further person, and it cannot have a luxury or unusually high standard. The entitlement begins in the month when the complete application is submitted, with monthly payment. Published household-income limits are CHF 58,355 for one person, CHF 68,965 for two, CHF 74,270 for three, CHF 79,575 for four, and CHF 84,880 for five or more people; the contribution is approximately CHF 233 to CHF 1,379 per month depending on household income and size. One official English-language page gives CHF 68,695 for a three-person household, so the current legal position should be checked before relying on a threshold or amount.