There are a couple of points I would like to add here...

If you sign a contract which specifies that you must stay (for instance) until November 2011 and then find you have to leave early... then you must of course find a suitable tenant able to pay the rent (No big debts) and willing to take over your contact until November 2011. BUT be aware that you are still responsible for the rent until November 2011, so if the new tenant defaults before 30.11.2011 you have to pay up!

I took over an apartment that was plainly dirty, the woman had wiped the floors and brought along her boyfriend along as witness, complete with a steam cleaner!
I immediately noticed the birds nest in the blinds, the dirt on top of the bathroom pipes, the strange colours in the fridge... The agent assured me he would write everything down, and I could then complain or sign. I later agreed that the 23 entries about the dirt in the flat were correct and signed the paper. Next day I called the agent and asked when were they going to clean the apartment. Unbelief came back down the phone as I had agreed to the standard only yesterday! It took me a lot of persuasion and help from my boss that I had not agreed that the cleanliness was acceptable, and to get them to send the cleaners in! (My boss owns a block of flats, knew the law, and wrote the letter for me to the agent). I should have got a statement on the handover form that the flat would be re-cleaned properly before a stated date. The problem is legally proving the dirt isn't yours, if you move in then they can argue that you messed it up. In this case I was waiting at 3 pm with a packed furniture truck to move in, and couldn't wait outside for another 3 days for the place to be cleaned.

I always found it a good idea to ask the agent / owner for a pre- inspection about 2 weeks ahead of the move. Play the innocent foreigner and you can carefully find out if the holes in the wall have to be filled by a professional painter, (or simply using your own toothpaste), and generally "get the lie of the land" You can also decide whether you need a witness.

A friend of mine asked her Lawyer to send someone as a witness, as she knew the agents would be difficult. Lawyer also sent the claim for Fr 2'000 to the insurance company and received back Fr 1'800 , minus the lawyer's fee of Fr 600 ..........

As to finding someone to do the cleaning, ask the agent for a reccomendation! Then get a guarenteed handover from the cleaners. Bring cash to the handover and pay the cleaners there and then.

I have just found this information, http://wup.alogis.ch/?rub=51
Übersetzung von Deutsch in EnglischLateinische Umschrift anzeigen

09/10/2003
Defects after the tenant - how to proceed?
I have rented the former home of my parents. The tenant moved out to the end of September and has left the apartment after only one year's rental in very bad condition. The carpets are verfleckt and have burn holes, the walls are yellowed from cigarette smoke, the sink was cracked and the toilet is completely calcified. The official handover will take place next week. What should I do? M.A.
First, you should document all deficiencies good by filling out a housing inspection protocol and the defects if possible to hold photographs. Is advantageous if the tenant is present at the handover and co-signed the protocol. Then you have the tenant immediately, ie within two to three working days, inform, for which losses you make him liable. In the calculation of damages you should be aware that not usually the original price or the full repair costs may be required by the tenant. Instead, this only need to pay the state value of the damaged item, which means the value which the matter taking into account their age and the expected "life" to be issued. The toilet bowl and the sink for example, have a lifespan of 40 years. Have they reached that age actually have to pay the tenant anything, even if there toilet and sink in more careful treatment for a long time been working. For wallpaper and carpets is seen to reach a 10-year lifetime. If you have new upholstery before the arrival of the tenant, the tenant must do so 90% of these costs. the tenant refuses to pay the costs, you must contact the Mietschlichtungsstelle at the place of rental property.

I have a question in this context. If someone is leaving the apartment and hands it over to the next tenant which he might have himself found. Also the agency is fine with the tenant found. Now, in this case if the house is not perfectly cleaned (as per Swiss standards i would say)...but let's that is acceptable to the next tenant moving in. Does agency creates a problem in this scenerio? Or is there any chance that they might charge back the old tenant later..??

THe new tenant would have the right to complain about the status of the apt. For example, if the blinds are dirty, he can demand they be cleaned, and thus the landlord would come back to you and ask you to pay for the cleaning or have them cleaned yourself. New tenants have a tendency to complain and I have often and many times seen this type of scenario repeat itself. New tenants getting their apt cleaned out at the expense of the old. Good luck

Can Any one of you post the Agency Contact List for Cleaning?

http://www.reinigung-offerten.ch/

Is there any agency that might give you an estimated rate according to the number of rooms without you having to give all of your personal information (like the link above)?
I'm leaving my 1-room apartment and I would like to know how much it could cost to see if it's worth it to have it cleaned or if I should try to clean it myself

Just to add to the group knowledge, I've had a quote for cleaning our house after we leave. It's a 6-room, 160m sq house between Lausanne and Morges, and the price is 2'332.80.

This is with a large local cleaning company - I didn't want the hassle of any comeback with this as we will be leaving the country straight after the handover, so just asked my landlord which company he'd used before, and whose work he trusted. I expect it would be possible to find cheaper quotes, but in our situation it's worth having the peace of mind that it'll all be cleaned to the landlord's rigorous satisfaction levels.

When we moved out of the previous apartment we asked the landlord for their company - obviously asked for the price first! And that way there can be no issues later. The price was reasonable - about half what you paid but for a much smaller apartment.