Canton remains the one with the fewest unoccupied properties

Every year the statistics appear to show the same thing; Zug is the canton with the fewest unoccupied properties.

Figures provided by the Federal Office of Statistics in Neuchatel show that on Saturday 1 June this year there were just 244 unoccupied properties in the canton, 13 fewer than the previous time statistics were published.

Expressed in another way, the statistics show that only 0.42 per cent of all 58,790 properties in the canton were unoccupied, the lowest percentage in the whole country; the last time this percentage rose above one per cent was in 1996

Further details provided by the Department of Planning in the canton showed that there were no unoccupied properties, or just one, in Risch, Menzingen and Hünenberg, whereas there were several in Walchwil.

There was mention on this point that this may be accounted for by a difference in the way statistics were gathered there and mention, too, that it was not always easy to establish precise statistics, especially when bearing in mind some properties included were holiday or company flats, i.e. they were not available for rent but neither were they always occupied.

Then there is the matter of when newly built flats, such as those at the Aglaya development in Rotkreuz, appear in adverts to be let or bought. While these may show 85 more flats available, practically all are reserved.

As to nationwide figures, 75,323 properties in the country were unoccupied as of June this year, 3,029 more, or 4.2 per cent more, than last year, the highest figure for over 20 years, most of these properties being flats to rent.