Hi, I moved out to a new apartment recently. The landlord of my previous apartment sent me a bill of 700 CHF for cleaning the little mold in the ceiling of the bathroom. I have been there for 7 years and the bathroom didn't have windows, so I assumed actually it in was in a great condition. Shall I try:
(1) To push back on this or is it normal they would charge me?
(2) Just pay it and try to send the bill to the household insurance (is that normally something they would cover?)
Did he indicate the mould as a problem in the moving out protocol and did you sign that?
If it was mentioned and you signed it off then you are responsible and need to pay for it to be treated. If the landlord just decided to bill you for it afterwards then you can contest it.
It is usually covered by your liability insurance minus the deductible of course.
Was it mentioned on the hand-over protocol? Do you have photos? It sounds totally over the top. The Mieterverband can help you. Not sure about the insurance situation, ask them. The problem is that the previous landlord is probably sitting on your deposit until the matter is settled.
Also a bit late, but it is always better to deal with issues yourself, at best before, then at, or at worst after hand-over. Having some cleaning materials and/or the cleaning company present at hand-over is a good idea. If you hand the landlord a blank cheque you are likely to get a nasty surprise. Only ever sign an agreed amount to cover problems.
Too late, but a word of advice. Mould has to be tackled right from the start, as soon as you notice any of it. And treated, regularly. If the bathroom had no window, did it have a fan yu should have activated? You should have let the door open after use and open the nearest window, on a regular basis.