Short-term rental in Verbier: regulations and permits

The Lex Weber in Val de Bagnes: what it really changes

The federal law on second homes (Lex Weber, in force since 2013) caps the share of second homes at 20% per commune. Val de Bagnes, which includes Verbier, has around 55%: the commune far exceeds the cap, and the construction of new "conventional" second homes has been frozen there since 2013. The first consequence for owners: supply is structurally limited, which supports both the value of existing properties and rental demand.

Contrary to popular belief, the Lex Weber does not prohibit short-term rental — it regulates construction, not rental use. Two regimes coexist in Verbier. Dwellings built or authorised before 11 March 2012 / the 2013 entry into force benefit from grandfathered rights ("old dwellings"): they can be lived in, rented year-round or short-term, freely. Dwellings created after that date in a commune above the quota may only be built under certain conditions, notably as dwellings designated for tourist accommodation within the meaning of the law: these must be rented out on a lasting basis on the tourist market — renting is then no longer a right, but an obligation entered in the land register.

Before buying or renting out, you therefore need to verify the property's exact status: land register extract, any tourist-use designation, and the communal building regulations. This verification is part of our free audit, and we also cover it in detail in our guide to buying to let in Verbier.

The registration requirement: the Valais register of landlords

In Valais, cantonal accommodation legislation (the law on accommodation, catering and the retail trade in alcoholic beverages, and its ordinance) requires any natural or legal person who rents or sub-lets a dwelling for tourist purposes, for payment and without hotel services, to register with the communal authority of the place where the dwelling is located. The communes keep a register of landlords, whose data is used for police, tax and statistical checks.

In practical terms, in Val de Bagnes this means: registering your property with the commune before publishing your listing, then declaring guests on each arrival via electronic arrival forms and collecting the tourist tax (CHF 4.– per adult per night in the Verbier sector). Added to this is the federal obligation to declare foreign guests accommodated for payment.

To date, Valais does not require a registration number to be displayed on listings, as is the case in other jurisdictions. But the framework evolves regularly — cantonal revisions, communal regulations, platform practices: we maintain this regulatory watch for every property under management and keep your listings and declarations up to date without you having to deal with it.

Insurance: your current policy is probably not enough

Household and building insurance taken out for private use generally does not cover short-term rental activity: in the event of a loss caused by a guest, the insurer can reduce or refuse its payout if the rental use was not declared. Three types of cover should be reviewed with your insurer: damage caused by guests (furniture, water damage, breakages), landlord's liability (a guest injures themselves in your chalet), and depending on your situation, loss of rental income cover in the event of a loss rendering the property uninhabitable.

The protections offered by the platforms — such as AirCover for hosts — are useful as a supplement, but their conditions, exclusions and caps do not make them a substitute for a properly tailored Swiss insurance policy. For a multi-million-franc chalet with a spa and fireplace, the question deserves more than a box ticked on a platform.

Renting legally in Verbier: the 5 steps

What our concierge service takes care of

For every property we manage in Verbier, compliance is part of the service: verification of the dwelling's status when it comes under management, registration with the commune, electronic declaration of guests on each arrival, collection and remittance of the tourist tax, mandatory information on listings, and continuous regulatory monitoring — if the commune or the canton changes its requirements, your listings and declarations are updated without any action on your part. You receive your income, your Verbier concierge service carries the administrative burden, as part of our all-inclusive rental management.