“In Switzerland, it is illegal to flush the toilet after 10 p.m. in apartments to avoid disturbing neighbors.”

It’s a good rule of thumb for renters to avoid upsetting their neighbors — but a social media post suggests that Swiss law takes that advice to the extreme, and into the bathroom.

“In Switzerland, it is illegal to flush the toilet after 10 p.m. in apartments to avoid disturbing neighbors,” read a July 7 Facebook post.

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(Screenshot from Facebook.)

This is an urban myth, according to news reports. 

There is a tiny element of truth to the tall tale: In Switzerland, apartment buildings often have long lists of house rules that tenants must follow, The Local Switzerland reported in 2019. And local authorities set “rest periods” or quiet hours, which are often overnight.

But these local regulations and rules do not prevent people from flushing toilets late at night.

Swiss sources have repeatedly tried to flush away this unsubstantiated claim:

• In 2013, experts told The Local Switzerland that there “are no blanket rules that apply to all tenants,” and landlords may set their own rules.

• MV, a Swiss tenants association, said on its website that house rules are binding only if they are proportionate and practical, The Local reported in 2019. A ban on flushing the toilet at night wouldn’t hold up in court for that reason. 

• In January, I Am Expat, an English-language news site for people living abroad in Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands, reported that a general ban on flushing toilets would infringe too much on tenants’ personal rights.

That doesn’t mean noisy activities aren’t limited, though. 

“While restricting the use of showers and toilets is rather extreme, some rental contracts do restrict the use of louder appliances like washing machines, dishwashers and dryers,” I Am Expat reported.

In January, The Daily Mail, a British newspaper, recirculated the falsehood about flushing, with a headline that said: “Did you know it’s illegal to flush the toilet after 10pm in Switzerland? Or ride a cow while drunk in Scotland? 21 of the world’s most bizarre laws.” 

The Daily Mail’s article said it was common for Swiss landlords to impose house rules preventing flushing from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., but it did not provide evidence for the claim. 

PolitiFact searched Google and Nexis for reports of a post-10 p.m. ban on toilet flushing in Switzerland and found no evidence that such a law exists.

We rate the claim that “in Switzerland, it is illegal to flush the toilet after 10 p.m. in apartments to avoid disturbing neighbors” False.

PolitiFact Researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.