Davos voters to decide tighter limits on holiday-home conversions

Davos voters will decide on November 29 whether to make it harder to convert primary homes into second homes, SRF reported. The proposal would require some residential buildings to retain at least half their floor space for primary housing.

The share of second homes in Davos has risen from 56 per cent to 58.9 per cent over the past 10 years, according to the ballot document. The number of primary homes has fallen despite ongoing construction, while major development projects have been held up by objections or legal issues. The municipality says it needs more than 1,500 new primary homes by 2035 because of population and labour-market trends.

The measure, known as the “housing compromise”, would apply to buildings with at least four existing homes that were built or approved before March 11, 2012. It would cover buildings that are demolished and rebuilt, extensively renovated, altered in the number of homes they contain, or converted into condominiums.

Half of the required primary-home share could be met by paying a new replacement levy of CHF 4,500 per square metre, allowing that portion to be converted to second homes. The money would go to a fund supporting primary-home construction and local businesses.

The proposal stems from a popular initiative submitted in early autumn 2025 with 835 signatures. The initiative committee has agreed to withdraw it if voters approve the compromise. Davos’s parliament recommends accepting the proposal by 10 votes to six.

Opponents, including the FDP and SVP, say further regulation could deter investment and slow the creation of primary homes rather than encourage it.

Voters in Chur will also decide on a housing initiative on November 29. It calls for one-third of the city’s newly built residential floor space to be rented at cost, while a counterproposal from centre-right parties would apply a one-third target only to municipal land and call for affordable housing instead.