Hi
Happy holidays!

My dishwasher broke. In fact since I moved it wasn't working well but I blamed the poor quality brand. Yesterday it displayed 2 error messages. I've been in Switzerland form April and I don't know how to proceed!

Do I have to inform the owner and ask for repair or exchange or do I have to take care of these? I didn't see any clause in the contract about this.

I have problems with other appliances.

Before the holidays I also found out why the kitchen hood is working so badly, because it is not installed with an external exhaust but with a filter. I had no idea! I kept wondering why there is high humidity (about 70%) everywhere as it is open space. Kitchen window is fixed and cannot be opened. In addition, lately I felt that the smell from cooking lingers a lot. Obviously, the filter is clogged and must be changed. The problem is that the hood model is kind of old and I can.t find anywhere to buy replacement filters. The owner says that I have to change the filter, but he didn't tell me when I took over the apartment that the hood has a filter that needs to be changed periodically. He should have changed it before I entered the apartment. Now it.s just my problem....😔

The induction cooker overheats very easily and I don't know why?! The owner says that as long as it works he doesn't care even if it doesn't work properly.

The refrigerator has a place where it makes a big block of ice that doesn't melt in the defrost cycle. As far as I know this is not normal. I had a handyman repair the internal fan and that ice has been forming ever since. Basically it cools down but the problem is that it molds my food within a few days.

I'm also worried about the clothes dryer. Although I rarely use it and clean it of lint after each use, I find that every time I want to use it, the error lights for filters come on. The error disappears if I stop and restart the machine. At the end of drying however the clothes are still damp even though I set it to extra dry. I have just seen on youtube that if the clothes are not dry then an internal cleaning should be done (you have to take the dryer apart) to remove the lint accumulated inside. This is done by a specialist.

When you have such problems, how do you deal with the landlord?

Looks like you are one of these gremlin people who simply should not even be near electrical stuff.

The dishwasher is IMO landlord territory. If it doesn't work right, he has to make it work right, as you are paying rent for it.

The filters of these hoods need to be cleaned or replaced regularly. That's on you, as it is a "small maintenance" that you can easily DIY; no different from cleaning the oven or changing a light bulb.

If you had a handyman "fix" your fridge, and then it no longer works right, then that's on you (and the handyman). Better to let the landlord handle these things (see dishwasher).

Good luck!

Anything that is not simple maintenance (e.g. cleaning, defrosting, descaling...) or consumables (e.g. hood filters) is at the charge of the landlord. The appliances that are part of the inventory of the flat are his property and he is responsible to make sure they work.


So, ask your landlord to fix all of these, if he doesn't you may ask for a rent reduction - although that is a pretty long road to walk on.


If there is anything that you broke with an appliance then the landlord can repair it and ask you for compensation.



For hood filters you can try Amazon or Ebay, there is usually some cheap knockoff available for any conceivable brand...

Or Migros or Coop

@OP: You most certainly will have a clause in your rental contract that states you are responsible for small maintenance, as it is a part of any standard Swiss rental contract.

Larger repairs and maintenance of the apartment are an obligation of the landlord. However, tenants must repair minor defects in the apartment themselves. But, only if this can be done easily by hand and without special expertise. In technical jargon, this is known as "minor maintenance". This includes, for example, oiling hinges or tightening a loose screw on a socket. Minor repairs also include unclogging the wastewater siphon in the sink, replacing the water or cooking filters, routine maintenance of the dishwasher and tumbler, de-frosting the freezer etc.

Check your appliance manuals to ensure that you have done this correctly / look-it up on the internet if manuals not to hand.

For the dishwasher and clothes dryer, you can try to find a copy of the user manual online. They often contain a section that explains each error code, what each code means and what you can or should do to try to fix the problem. For example, our clothes dryer (Zug brand) has an error code that simply means that I need to change out the filter pad that is located in the door (it's washable, and two of them came with the machine).

For the refrigerator, ice build-up and mold are often caused by a blocked drain hole in the back of the refrigerator (usually located near the bottom floor of the fridge, in the back). That drain hole needs cleaned out now and then. There are even special long brushes and tubes you can buy that are specifically designed for cleaning out those drain holes, though sometimes just a Q-tip or something will work -- whatever you can fit in there. Though sometimes the blockage is so deep that you need something longer or that tool that is specifically designed for that purpose.

Here is a link I found on youtube for how to clean out that drain hole.

How to unblock your fridge drain hole | by Hotpoint
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOEODVb4a8o

So I would try that first to see if it solves the problem. I hope this helps!

P.S. For the filter for your kitchen hood, if you can't find one for your specific model, you can probably just use one that is a similar size and cut it. I think those filters are even sold in many Migros stores. If there is a metal grate that you first have to detach, those metal things are usually washable in the dishwasher (or at least ours is), to remove any grease, etc.

Hood filters are a piece of foam cut to size


(or you can spend 10 x as much buying one from the manufacturer)


Go check out Jumbo

Ice build up can also be because the door seal is defective, the door is opened too often and for too long or something is blocking the door from closing completely.

If there has been a large build-up of ice then don't expect the defrost programme to work miracles.

Turn off the fridge, remove everything. Defrost with the door ajar with a bowl of hot water inside to speed thing up.
Dry, turn on and wait until cold again.

However, in this case the OP said that a chap had come to fix it and the ice problem started after that. The other thing that can cause excessive ice build up is that the thermostat has been set incorrectly.
Perhaps the thermostat was adjusted and not set back correctly after the work was done?

My 13 year old dishwasher threw the towel in a month ago. The property owner replaced it at no cost with a nice new one.
Sounds like you have a bit of a bastard landlord.

😂🤣😅

I clean regulary the grease filters. The problem is the carbon filter inside and it's not washable. It's not a standard measure and it's encased in an aluminum frame that clicks into place. So I can.t use any ordinary filter.

For the fridge, the handyman was sent by the owner....so...

I don.t have the manuals, the appliances are Bauknecht and I can t find the manuals online as the models are a bit old

I had hoped so but it is not a standard shape filter. There is no such filter on the bauknecht website either, as the hood is no longer available for sale... It is encased in an aluminium frame that is click-fitted. Cannot be washed, reused.

I received today an answer from the owner that he will send a specialist to check the problems with the dishwasher and the hood.

Nothing about the fridge, dryer or induction cooker.

Today, I search on internet videos how to clean the dryer( not the filters but inside). I managed to get quite a bit of lint off the fan blades with a wire. I will test it tomorrow as I did not washed clothes today. I hope it will be workng. But there's probably more inside. From what I've seen, the interior cleaning is done by taking the washing machine apart completely. I'm an engineer, but I'm still not into it.
https://youtu.be/g-0vvyCl6t0

The heat exchanger is accessible from the outside, most of the cumulated dust could probably be removed with a lot of patience, a brush and a pair of thin pliers. One should be careful not to bend the blades of the heat exchanger.
Of course this is not equivalent to a full disassembly + pressure wash, but should still help.

It's like a nightmare that never ends!
There was a technician to check on the dishwasher and hood.
Replaced the carbon filter with a compatible one. He confirmed that bauknecht no longer sells filters for this hood. But it still doesn't work right. I just boiled some pasta for 9 min and condensation formed on the grease filter( were clean) and drops were dripping back to the pot. (As you can see in the attached photo)Really disgusting for me!

The dishwasher has some broken pump ( he said it's after normal wear and tear for so many years) and that he would suggest replacing it even if it can be fixed because it's not really worth repairing. I am waiting to see the owner's decision.

The technician was very nice and I took the liberty of asking him about the dryer and refrigerator. Yes, they need repair so I wrote to the owner.

Talking about a nightmare...on December 30 we had just returned from skiing and heard a deafening noise from the bathroom. The mirror had fallen off and gone to pieces. It was double taped shut. Good thing it wasn't one of the kids (or even us) in the bathroom because something bad could have happened.

In the other bathroom the neon no longer works and yesterday we bought another one. It doesn't work with the new neon tube either.
I'm already embarrassed to write to the landlord.

What should I do? How could I convince( even force) the owner to fix all the problems?
Moving is not an option as the kids are in school and I don't think is a good idea to change school.

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Probably you need a new starter, rather than a new tube.

I thought about it but it doesn't have one. I took it apart to look inside and it just has a circuit board.

Could be worse, a neighbour here had a bathroom mirror fall and break the tap beneath it while they were away for the weekend, which then proceeded to flood the whole apartment and a good shot of the cellar as well.

Whole apartment had damp issues after that, they moved out and the whole place was refurbished. New floors all around, and many of the walls had to be stripped back and replastered.

Do post the appliance brand and model numbers and I am sure we can find the manuals online (even old ones!).

When we moved in, and continuing on, the manuals for our appliances were given to us - they live in a high cupboard in the kitchen in every home and office I have worked in - but as said, you really can usually get the info online.
For the dishwasher:
Without knowing the error code, it's impossible to know if it's easy or not easy to fix - do you know how to: clean the drain at the bottom, check the sprayer nozzles, add salt, run a cleaning cycle, add powder, add rinse-aid ?

For the dryer:
Is it in your apartment ? Was it installed by the landlord or is it yours ? You should not have 70% humidity - especially right now - the humidity in our house is below 60% with the dryer running, and five people in a sealed apartment. Once the windows are opened for a few minutes, it drops rapidly below 50% and even below 40%.
To reduce humidity: run dryer only with window open, open window after showering, open windows fully and let a complete air-change - for 5-10 minutes twice a day. Get a humidity testing gadget (I guess you have one already as you mentioned humidity) and keep a record.

Main source of humidity in the home:
- clothes dryer
- shower/bath
- using a humidifier machine
There is no way you will have crisp-dry clothes with a Swiss clothes dryer when the background humidity is 70% - ours is a condenser-dryer - completely different to the dryers used in Sydney, where we come from, that naturally has high humidity - that does not have a condenser and the clothes are hot and crisp (but definitely 'fry' your clothes in Australia using heat only!

If your clothes seem 'soggy' from the condenser-dryer (swiss one) - pull them out and throw them over a drying rack or even onto your bed and they will be dry in a few minutes....
And for the range/cooker - ours has a metal grid filter which can be taken and washed by hand or put through the dishwasher.... needs very hot water to remove the oil build up.... And again, put the make/model number online and I am sure we can find the details and tell you how to find a replacement and change it yourself.

And finally, it's not normal to have a kitchen with a non-opening window - are you sure it's not possible to open it ? If it's the same in other neighbour's apartments - check if theirs opens - there may be a trick to getting it open. Our swiss employers gave us a ten step demonstration of how to use the Swiss tilt handle windows when we arrived - as they understood we had never seen these before....


OK hope that helps - do post - don't feel silly about it.... it's solveable.


Now, once you have done all that, if the appliances are still not working properly - for small repairs, up to maybe 150 or 200chf then it's going to cost you to get it fixed - if it's major repair - the cost of calling the technician out will quickly go over 200chf - and then usually the landlord is supposed to pay.

With our landlord, we alert him to the problem, and then ask him how he wants us to handle/fix the problem - instead of blaming, demanding or expecting - we would write: Dear Landlord, we are having difficulty with the (dishwasher) - the problem is (described in detail), Would you please advise how we can get this problem resolved. Please advise if you will arrange repair/inspection or if we should organise this ourselves. Please also advise how this will be paid for.

So far, this has put our landlord in the position where he has had to put, in writing, the solution, If his solution does not match Swiss rules (ask here on the forum, check with the websites of the renter's association)....then we question it or alert him to xyz rule - but mostly (90%) of the time it has been resolved by our landlord using his preferred technician and at his own cost.