Own a holiday home in Verbier?
Short-term rental in Verbier: regulations and permits
Lex Weber, registration with the commune, guest declarations, insurance: the complete legal framework for renting out your property with complete peace of mind.
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01The 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.
02The 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.
The registration itself takes little time. It applies from a single night, whether you let all or part of the dwelling, and whether you let or sublet it. The information to be provided is limited: for a natural person, surname, first name, date of birth and home address; for a legal entity, company name and registered office; then the address and location of the dwelling and its accommodation capacity.
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.
03Your practical obligations as an owner-landlord in Val de Bagnes
To find your way around, you need to distinguish three layers of regulation that overlap in Verbier. At federal level, the Lex Weber governs the status of your second home: it determines whether your property falls under grandfathered rights or a tourist-use designation, as detailed above. At cantonal level, tourist letting sits within the framework of the 1996 Valais Tourism Act and its 2014 implementing ordinance, which notably establish the tourist taxes and entrust their collection to the communes. Finally, at communal level, Val de Bagnes adopted its regulations on tourist taxes in 2021, setting the amounts, the declaration procedures and the penalties that apply throughout the commune - the Verbier sector included.
In practice, three obligations set the rhythm of an owner-landlord's year. First, collecting the tourist tax from every guest - CHF 4.– per adult per night in the Verbier sector, half price for ages 6-16. Next, declaring overnight stays to the tourist office: in accordance with the 2021 communal regulations, the overnight-stay statement is sent to the tourist office every month, in addition to the arrival forms completed each time guests arrive. Finally, remitting the amounts collected to the collecting body within the deadlines set by the regulations. Amounts by sector, the annual flat rate for second homes and the detailed procedure: we have devoted a complete guide to the tourist tax in Verbier.
Taken one by one, none of these steps is complicated. What weighs is the repetition: for every booking, overnight stays have to be counted by age category, the statement kept up to date, the monthly declaration deadline met and the supporting documents archived - twelve months a year, including when you are not in Switzerland. For the properties we manage, this complete cycle is automated and documented in your reporting: it is one of the administrative strands handled by our Verbier concierge service, just like the regulatory monitoring described on this page.
04Insurance: 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.
05Two communal levies, not one: tourist tax and tourism promotion tax
The tourist tax is not the only communal levy that concerns a landlord in Verbier. Since 1 January 2022, Val de Bagnes has also levied a tourism promotion tax on those who benefit from tourism, and its regulations expressly include landlords of holiday chalets and apartments, including those who live outside the commune. Unlike the tourist tax, it is neither collected from guests nor charged per night: it is an annual flat rate per dwelling, scaled according to the number of rooms - the scale in the regulations runs from CHF 68.– for a studio to CHF 408.– for 7 rooms or more. Its proceeds go to tourism promotion, whereas the tourist tax, under its own regulations, must be used in the interest of those who pay it and may not fund promotion. Landlords whose tourist accommodation is let for less than 14 days are not liable. The commune issues its bills twice a year, on 31 March and 30 September, payable within 30 days.
Both regulations come with sanctions. For the tourist tax, if taxable overnight stays are not declared within 30 days of a written formal reminder, the Municipal Council sets the amount due at its discretion, as close as possible to the actual situation of the person assessed - and whoever provides the accommodation is personally liable for a tax they should have collected from their guests. For the tourism promotion tax, an ex officio assessment carries costs of CHF 500.– and is equivalent to an enforceable judgment within the meaning of the Federal Debt Enforcement and Bankruptcy Act; failing to provide the necessary information or to pay on time is punishable by a fine of CHF 100.– to CHF 1,000.–, providing false information by a fine of up to three times the amount evaded, and paying a fine does not release you from the tax owed.
In other words, letting without declaring always ends up costing more than declaring. Checking that a property is correctly registered with the commune is one of the first things we do when it comes under management, so that the file starts on a sound footing.
06Co-ownership and subletting: the rest of the checklist
A detached chalet is not affected; an apartment in co-ownership (PPE) almost always is. Your co-ownership regulations may restrict short-term letting, attach conditions to it, govern the use of the common parts or the installation of a key box. It is the document owners read least - and the one that blocks the most projects once they are under way. In Verbier, where many properties are in buildings shared by year-round residents and occasional owners, the subject is a sensitive one.
The right method is to cross-check the three levels - federal law, communal regulations, co-ownership regulations - before committing to any expenditure. The most restrictive of the three applies, and it is not always the one you expect.
If you are a tenant rather than an owner, the logic changes entirely: subletting requires the landlord's prior consent (art. 262 CO), and subletting without that consent exposes you to termination of the lease. The cantonal registration requirement applies to subletting just as it does to letting, so the two obligations are cumulative: registering with the commune does not replace the landlord's consent, and the landlord's consent does not exempt you from registering.
Finally, rental income must appear in your tax return, together with the costs that relate to it. Its tax treatment depends on your canton of residence and your personal situation, and is best handled by your accountant or tax adviser.
07Renting legally in Verbier: the 5 steps
1. Verify the property's Lex Weber status
Land register extract: grandfathered rights (complete freedom) or tourist-use designation (obligation to rent out). If in doubt, the commune and the canton can advise.
2. Register with the commune of Val de Bagnes
Entry in the register of landlords before the first rental, in accordance with Valais accommodation legislation.
3. Adapt your insurance
Notify your insurer of the rental use and cover guest damage, landlord's liability and loss of income.
4. Organise the collection of the tourist tax
CHF 4.– per adult per night in the Verbier sector, half price for ages 6-16, with overnight stays declared on each arrival.
5. Keep your declarations up to date
Electronic arrival forms, overnight-stay statements, declaration of foreign guests, and rental income in your tax return.
Compliance, built into the management
Lex Weber status, registration with the commune, declarations and tourist tax: our free audit gives you a complete review of your situation before the first booking.
Request my free auditWhat 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.
For larger chalets - several bedrooms, a spa, an international clientele that expects hotel standards - compliance is one strand of a broader brief. Our page on luxury chalet management in Verbier explains how marketing, guest welcome, supplier coordination and reporting fit around it.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Lex Weber prohibit me from renting out my property in Verbier?
No. The Lex Weber restricts the construction of new second homes in communes where they exceed 20% of the housing stock, which is the case in Val de Bagnes (around 55%). It does not prohibit short-term rental: dwellings built or authorised before 2013 (grandfathered rights) can be rented freely, and more recent dwellings subject to a tourist-use designation must in fact be rented out.
Do I have to register my short-term rental with the commune of Val de Bagnes?
Yes. In Valais, cantonal accommodation legislation requires anyone who rents out a dwelling for tourist purposes, for payment and without hotel services, to register with the communal authority, which keeps a register of landlords. You must also declare overnight stays when guests arrive and collect the tourist tax.
Do I need a registration number to publish an Airbnb listing in Verbier?
Valais does not currently require a registration number to be displayed on listings, as exists in some neighbouring cantons or countries. The obligation covers the landlord's registration with the commune and the declaration of overnight stays. Regulations do evolve regularly, however: we monitor these developments for every property we manage and update your listings if a new requirement appears.
What insurance do I need to rent short-term in Verbier?
Your standard household and building insurance generally does not cover commercial rental use: you must notify your insurer and adapt your cover (damage caused by guests, landlord's liability, loss of rental income). Platform guarantees such as AirCover are a supplement, not a substitute for a proper insurance policy.
Is the tourist tax the only communal levy for a landlord in Verbier?
No. Since 1 January 2022, Val de Bagnes has also levied a tourism promotion tax, whose regulations expressly include landlords of holiday chalets and apartments, including those who live outside the commune. It is an annual flat rate per dwelling, scaled according to the number of rooms, and it is not collected from guests. Landlords whose accommodation is let for less than 14 days are not liable.
What happens if I let without declaring overnight stays?
If taxable overnight stays are not declared within 30 days of a written formal reminder, the Municipal Council of Val de Bagnes sets the amount due at its discretion (an ex officio assessment), and whoever provides the accommodation is personally liable for the tourist tax. The tourism promotion tax regulations also provide for fines of CHF 100.– to CHF 1,000.– for failing to provide information or to pay on time.
Further reading
Verbier concierge service
Full rental management for your property: listings, pricing, guest welcome and compliance.
Buy to let in Verbier
Lex Weber when buying, price per m², neighbourhoods and realistic yields.
Our rental management
Full details of our all-inclusive service at 25% commission on net income.
The Lex Weber explained for owners
What the law changes in practice for your property and your rental.
Valais vs Vaud: where to declare your rental
Valais municipal duties, the Vaud LEAE and the 90-day rule compared.
Luxury chalet management in Verbier
Marketing, guest welcome, supplier coordination, compliance and reporting for high-end chalets.