Swiss voters reject more powers for landlords on subletting

FILE PHOTO: The St. Pierre Cathedral is seen early morning near Lake Leman in Geneva, Switzerland May 27, 2019. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File photo

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss voters narrowly rejected a change in the law giving landlords more powers to restrict subletting by tenants, according to preliminary results of a referendum on Sunday that scrutinized Airbnb's role in the rental market.

Advocates of the change passed by parliament in 2023 argued tenants were increasingly subletting via rental company Airbnb. Opponents of it, led by a major tenants' association, rejected this, saying most Airbnb letting is via landlords.