Hi, I will finish my current lease and move out from the apartment soon. One of my friends hired two ladies to help cleaning, but still got refused. Finally she had to delegate the cleaning to the agent and they charged her 2000 chf deposit plus 500 chf. Does anybody know what is the procedure of checking an apartment and where are the potential key areas that might be refused?

It is as if this question has never been asked before!

Basically if you hire a company to clean - ensure that there is a clause in their contract that they are responsible for ensuring it passes the "cleaning" part of the handover.

You may still be liable for damage.

If you insist on cleaning it yourself they will check everything:
- dust on the top of windows
- clean windows
- new filter in the hob extractor
- no calc on anything
- every shelf spotless in the kitchen

One warning - if you use "white" sponges to clean walls of dirty spots be very careful if you do so above a radiator. Over time this area will become dirty from the heat currents from the radiator. Trying to "lift" a spot from this area will result in the whole wall needing painting.

(Been there done that - and managed to get the landlord to cover it!!)

Handing over process is called the Abnahmeprotokoll.

Enclosed PDF details the Check list.

Some links:

HEV

Exorbitant cleaning bill

How you have to give your appartment back as far as final cleaning is concerned is written in your contract.

In the French-speaking part it is current that you only need to sweep ("appartement vidé et balayé"), so check your contract or contact your landlord to be sure!

If your contract says cleaning (nettoyé), you can expect that you landlord will inspect every single corner....

Good luck

Get the agency to recommend a suitable cleaning company is my advice.

I have to say we were quite amazed how thoroughly the landlady checked the house during our hand-over. We were moving in but I was almost sorry for the tenant moving out. The lady from the cleaning company (who spent 2 days cleaning the house - and I kept wondering what she was doing for 2 days!) was there as well and had to do a few things she had forgotten to do - or was not told to do. Well, I was no longer surprised that she had spent 2 days cleaning the house. Also the garden hadn't been kept neat so that was another discussion point. So I'd agree - perhaps the agency works with a cleaning company and can recommend them.

Yes, most of the agents have sort of tie-up with some cleaning agency and they'll only accept the handover if the cleaning had been done through that company.

this is one of those questions where id answer "depends on the honesty of the landlord".

Some landlords will try to milk you for every last cent of your deposit, and the more honest landlords will be realistic and say that the things that are general wear and tear REALLY are just general wear and tear.

There are mediums that one can use to oversee the cases where landlords abuse their power, but this is switzerland and those services dont come cheap.

So just for your info (based on a lot of trial and error of the expats that I know...), the status quo here is to hire pros who guarantee their cleaning with a solid guarantee.

Having just survived this process, I have to say that logic sometimes has nothing to do with the expectations of how clean the house has to be when you move out. My landlord's agent spent 3 hours inspecting every square inch of the house I was leaving. He tried to force me to refill the oil tank to contain more than was in there when I moved in, and clean things that were never cleaned when I moved in. Luckily I had pictures and documentation from my move-in and my own relocation specialists to protect me during the handover.

If you have access to the exact paint used in the house, touch up any scratches on the walls and trim, no matter how minor they may seem. It will save you hundreds of francs. Clean the ceramic cook top perfectly, that is another area that agents check fastidiously. Make sure that every light bulb works (know someone charged 75chf for replacing one), all picture hanger holes are filled and the plaster is repaired from any hardware damage from changing light fixtures.

Compared to the States, there is no such thing as "normal" wear and tear which is acceptable in the house. They will not hold you responsible for painting if you are in the apartment for more than 10 years.

I have heard of people doing a "pre-move out review" with their agents to look for problems to rectify them before the hand over date. I did this, and it helped me avoid many headaches during the handover.

I have never personally met someone that fufilled the criteria to clean the house by themselves without the help of a professional. The professional should provide a guarantee that they will keep cleaning until the house meets the new tenants and the landlord's requests, and should attend the handover with you. The cleaning service should not be paid until the handover has been accepted.

Best of luck!