So I had my handover inspection on the last day of Nov. Everything squeaky clean, cleaning persons on stand by in case of a re-do. I had a list of things that were in the apartment when it was handed over for occupancy 12 years ago (this was received in my behalf by our company housing rep since I was out of the country on training that week). Among the things in the list were other extras like curtains in the kitchen, utensil hangers, an undersink storage in the bathroom, 2 wall mounted cabinets in the bathroom,, Coat hangers on the hallway, etc. Fine with me I thought as I could use all those as they were.
There was also a broken industrial sized washing machine in the Kellar along with some metals and glass from old furnitures. For these, I earlier hired a disposal firm to remove those heavy items thinking health hazard as the machine was dripping with some rusty fluids. Took pics of this before disposal.
Except for the Kellar items that I had disposed, I made sure everything else listed is in the state and place where I found it when I moved in. To my surprise, I was being fined for not removing those items (cabinets, etc) . The estimate for the carpentry work to remove and dispose the mounted items, fill in the holes amounted to CHF 1500. I insisted that I am returning what belongs to the apartment when I got in. This is the Switzerlanded part - I was supposed to dispose those before I handover. It was my fault that I accepted those extra mounted items ‘as is’. Those could have been taken away if I did not accept it right at the start.
The charges could have been more but was toned down after I hinted about backcharging them for the disposal of metal garbage they left on the Kellar.
Lesson learnt, heads up for those who are not aware of this rule.
Good grief, if those "extras" were on the list at the time you accepted the lease and the incoming condition report for the apartment, I don't understand why you were liable for them?
OR was it the case that they were NOT on the incoming report, and you just made your own list thinking they were bonus extras?
All those extras were listed in the move-in list and you are right - I thought they were bonus extras but must be returned. That is why I made sure all those listed are accounted for on leaving, including the kitchen curtains which I actually did not use but kept those aside clean, to be hanged back on before leaving.
1) 12 years ago JourneyMan takes over an appartement with some fitting still in it he agreed to take over with the previous tennant.
2) Reggie comes to do handover protocol, said items purchased from previous tennant are still in place.
This is nothing to do with the Reggie, they want the appartment back in clean state, maybe future new tennant doesn't want wall cubords and the reggie certainly don't want to have to dispose of them.
3) Reggie takes them down to leave apparement in proper state and invoice Journeyman.
No mention of a new tennant. The fittings were purchased or given to JourneyMan by previous tennant, nothing to do with the Reggie !
The 'extra items' were all noted and accepted in my behalf by our housing rep and its all documented in the check in list signed by both parties. This list included the inventory of keys, kitchen equipment, etc. I would have agreed to accept the extras myself if I were present.
I believe the earlier renter has left more than a month before I came. So he was not a party to the acceptance. The vacant time was possibly used by the admins for some repairs done to the bathroom and walls re-painting but extras were left intact from the previous renter.
The move out month of November was my special request kindly granted by the property admins. Otherwise we all know moving out months are limited to Sept, March, June. So there was no next renter yet by my moving out date and I was not obliged to find one.
What I did not know was that I was supposed to dismantle and dispose of the extras on leaving. My mental lapse and having poor German language comprehension, I should have asked which part of the acceptance document said that rule about extras. I doubt if it was explicitly written.
I now put this behind, charged it to lessons learnt and moved on.
Damn, in that case I can see exactly why you'd have thought all was ok - I'd have taken the same approach. Per other poster, any recourse with the housing rep company who took on the transfer whilst you were absent, mindful that 12 years have passed?
I would send a tightly worded response that you understood that the liability for the 'extras' was with the homeowner, and not with you as you accepted the apartment 'as is' and would return it 'as is'.
If the items' belonged' to you then they should have given you time to remove them yourself, so I do think that whilst they think the 'rules' are on their side, it's pretty dodgy to not contact you and then to charge you.
Oh, and if they do bill you, ask for photographic evidence and an itemised proof of the cost - that they have been removed - else this is a money-spinner for them (don't repair, bill old tenant, pass on to new tenant, repeat)....
Any rental insurance ? Are you a member of the 'renters association' ?
Right, I could have done so but I have very little hope they could help in my case. I am still in contact with the housing/relocation rep who became my first Swiss friend after spending a lot of time with him apartment hunting. He even offered me to live with his family for the meantime waiting for the release of the apartment for move in. He told me he was giving me a chance to learn from each other's culture up close with a swiss family in a swiss home. That was an opportunity I regretted declining since I was in a company paid hotel already. Got me puzzled because what I was experiencing was opposite to what I, an Auslander from the third world has been warned about.
My friend no longer works for the relocation company. After I got myself established in the apartment he would invite me to his town charity and sports events, he is a handball player and a collector of vintage motorcycles. I did not want to bother him or his former company after all those years passed, just bit the bullet and get done with it.
thank you so much for this warning. I also remember from the move-in some vague remarks "this is not supposed to be there, you can do whatever with it" and I think it's not on the official list (the problem is that it's impossible to get what's on the list as the hand written gibberish doesn't pass any language translator, also I'm quite familiar with the language already but have no skills of reading gibberish, only a printed texts)