Move-Out Cleaning Checklist: What Swiss Property Managers Really Check

The finger-on-the-windowsill test: how the Verwaltung actually inspects

At the handover, the property manager or Hauswart walks the apartment with you and records its condition in a handover protocol (Abnahmeprotokoll). Under Swiss tenant-law guidance, you're not obliged to sign it on the spot – sign only once you agree with everything written down.

In practice, experienced property managers check the spots a quick glance skips: a finger inside the window frame and shutter box for dust, silicone seals for mould, the oven and cooker hood for grease, and the shower and taps for limescale. In our experience across the canton of Zug, these five are the most common reasons a handover gets flagged.

Under Art. 267a OR, the landlord must report defects immediately or generally loses the right to claim them later, except for defects that weren't reasonably detectable at the time. That's why the inspection is thorough and often done against the light: what's missed today is hard to raise as a claim afterwards.

Kitchen

The kitchen usually takes the most time, because grease and limescale build up stubbornly – and the oven and fridge are among the most commonly flagged spots at handover.

• Oven interior, baking tray and racks: degrease completely
• Cooker hood (Dampfabzug): clean or replace the grease filter, degrease the housing
• Fridge and freezer: defrost, empty out, clean inside and out
• Hob and the seam around it: degrease and descale
• Cabinets: wipe out the insides, check food for expiry dates
• Sink, tap and drainer: descale and polish
• Kitchen floor including skirting boards and the corners behind appliances

Bathroom

In the bathroom, limescale is usually what decides the handover – water leaves visible marks here that don't wipe off, only a descaler dissolves them.

• Shower, tub and taps: descale completely
• Silicone seals: check for mould and clean (if heavily affected, have them re-caulked)
• Toilet: clean and descale thoroughly inside and out, including behind the seat
• Mirror and glass surfaces: clean streak-free
• Shelves, vents and outlet covers: dust
• Drains: clear of hair and soap residue

Bedrooms and living areas

In the living spaces, a lack of care shows up mostly in spots that rarely get cleaned day to day.

• Vacuum and mop every floor, including under radiators and behind doors
• Wipe skirting boards, light switches and power outlets
• Wipe out built-in wardrobes inside, dust shelves
• Check walls for drill holes and fill them properly (ordinary holes count as normal wear and tear)
• Dust the inside of radiators
• Clean balcony doors and thresholds

Windows, frames and Storen (shutters/blinds)

Windows are the single most visible item at a handover – and the frames and Storen (the external roller shutters common in Swiss homes) are exactly what tends to get forgotten.

• Clean glass inside and out, streak-free (ground-floor and terrace apartments: outside too)
• Wipe window frames and sills, inside and out
• Clear rebates and seals of dust and grime
• Run the Storen up and down fully and dust out the shutter box while it's open
• Clean handles and hinges, check they move smoothly

Cellar, attic and balcony – the parts everyone forgets

These secondary spaces (Keller, Estrich) are part of what you're leasing and often get checked at the handover too – but they're the first thing people forget to clean.

• Empty and wipe out your cellar compartment (Kellerabteil) completely, including shelving
• Clean your share of the laundry room if one is assigned to you, per house rules
• Empty and sweep your attic compartment (Estrichabteil)
• Sweep and mop the balcony/terrace, clean planter holders and floor drains
• Clear the bike/pram room and garage or parking spot of oil stains and debris

Besenrein or thoroughly cleaned? Check your lease first

Besenrein does not mean 'swept once'. It means gross dirt is removed – windows, Storen and a deep clean of the bathroom and kitchen are explicitly not included.

Whether you're even entitled to a besenrein handover depends entirely on your lease (Mietvertrag). Without an explicit clause, the default applies: thoroughly cleaned, often described in German as 'tipptopp'. Even where the lease allows besenrein, the kitchen and bathroom still need a proper clean.

Check your lease, or the handover protocol from when you moved in, before deciding how much time to budget. When in doubt: the more thorough the clean, the less there is to argue about at the Abnahme.

DIY or hire a cleaning company?

An honest estimate: a typical 3.5-room Swiss apartment (roughly a two-bedroom) realistically takes one person 8 to 12 hours, and a full day more if heavily soiled – the kitchen and bathroom alone often eat up half that time.

Cleaning it yourself saves the invoice, but you carry the full risk. If the property manager asks for touch-ups at the handover, that costs extra time exactly when you can least afford it – furniture van outside, keys due back.

With Wie Neu - Reinigungsfirma, move-out cleaning comes with an acceptance guarantee (Abnahmegarantie): if the Verwaltung flags a spot, we come back and fix it free of charge. Billing is honest, based on actual hours worked – Standard from CHF 43.90/hr, move-out cleaning (Premium) from CHF 49.90/hr, both excl. VAT and per person – with a written hour estimate before we start. On request, we can also offer a fixed-price quote for move-out cleaning with the acceptance guarantee.

Zug tip: book early around moving season

In the canton of Zug, many leases end on the customary local termination dates at the end of March, June and September. Around these dates, cleaning companies, movers and tradespeople across the canton book out fast.

Book your move-out cleaning ideally four to six weeks ahead of your handover date, especially if you're moving out at the end of March or the end of September. That secures your preferred slot, and it also leaves enough time for a touch-up before you have to hand over the keys.