Do I understand correctly that it is the norm/rule to have one's home professionally cleaned before ending the lease and moving out? If so, can anyone recommend a good company that they know of or have used?
Hi there,
Hi, I have the same question. or can I just clean the place myself? thanks
It's neither a rule nor the norm to get a professional cleaner to do it. Most do it themselves. It saves a bundle of cash, too.
A professional cleaner costs about 1200 CHF for a move-out cleaning.
You can do it yourself, but if you want your deposit back, you'd better have very high standards of cleanliness. Like, very very high standards bordering on the ridiculous.
The way the game is played is that the landlord comes in for the final inspection looking for reasons to get some extra income, such as from damages (even if these aren't repaired before the next tenant moves in, the landlord can ask you to pay the "Minderwert" = reduced value of the flat), but also from "dirty" flats that require "additional cleaning". Again, this can be claimed irrespective of whether the additional cleaning actually takes place.
So be prepared. Clean thoroughly, and that means thoroughly. Every ledge, every nook, every roller blind, every window, new filter for the extractor hood, cleaning product for dishwasher and washing machine etc. Don't forget balconies, terraces, storage rooms, basements and parking spaces. Remove stains from walls, fill all the holes that you drilled. The general estimate is that for a 100 sqm flat, 4 people will need about 8 hours of solid work to clean the place.
On inspection day: Have your moving-in protocol ready. Have your laptop ready and fully charged, and upload all the pictures you took of the flat when you moved in (you did take these, right?) - if something was dirty/crooked then, and you mentioned it to the landlord then (preferrably in the moving-in protocol), you don't have to clean/repair it. Keep the cleaning supplies ready, in case there are objections that can be dealt with on the spot.
You can see why hiring a cleaner with an "Abnahmegarantie" (ie that if there are complaints regarding cleanliness, the cleaners will deal with it on the spot) is attractive to some. Get several quotes.
End of tenancy cleaning - DIY?
50/50 self clean/cleaning company
Can you please tell me, how much will be the cleaning charge (roughly) for a 60mm2 apartment of the above company?
If you get this guarantee from the cleaning company and the landlord is not happy with the cleaning work if the company repsonsible for this? Do I understand it in a correct way? Sorry for double-checking but I heard scaring stories on this final ispection.
Thanks
F
All good cleaning companies will guarantee their work and will come back after the exit inspection to deal with any items that were not cleaned to standard. Just make sure you check with them that this is written somewhere and get at least two comparitive quotes.
Thank you so much for very quick reply!!
I have already found here in the EF 2 cleaning companies and will try to have a third one. I will make sure that they put this guarantee in written in order to be safeguarded in case landlord is not happy during inspection.
Can you claim back any costs for damages in the house on your insurance? I have a feeling that you can.
I do understand that leaving an apartment do requires a professional cleaning. I could do all the cleaning stuff, except the blinds (windows shutters) which are fitted outside the window. DO we have any threads / pointers to clean them ?. That seems to be the only cause why I would hire a professional cleaner ..
Also, for e.g. we have a small refrigerator. Which is in built and does not have any company trade marks on it. The freezer door for this refrigerator is broken. (It was not working well when we came in, but we didn't check it well enough when we came in, may be this is the first thing which we check when we move to the new apartment now ..). Would anyone know, where can I get to go and may be just replace the freezer door. I don't want to pay for replacing the whole refrigerator.
Hi!
I am also in the process of leaving my apartment and Switzerland for good.
Previous experience is that this also depends on your landlord. My first apartment I cleaned myself and had no issues, although it was an old one so that helped.
This time around I am hiring a cleaning lady (Putzenfrau) to help me. Each landlord has a set of guidance rules. I've heard terrible stories but I have also heard not so bad stories where you make an effort and everything goes well.
Hiring a cleaning company is definitely the most expensive option though. Not for me
Cheers.
I have done these Abnahmegarantie jobs on several occasions for other people. Yes its a heck of a job, some Landlords tend to have a real fussy attitude when it comes to the flat. Some Verwaltungen are not that bad. Such as: Livit, Wincasa. They are not that fussy!!! And believe me I've done it loads of times. Ive never really had any problems that the Landlord didnt accept the cleanliness of the flat.
I had a sh*t of a time with Livit. They said that I damaged the apartment
and left it horribly dirty. They charged me a shedload to clean it.
Unfortunately, fighting these bastards costs more than the deposit on the apartment.
Is there any obligation to lean common areas e.g. laundry room or staircase if you are living in an apartment ?
I believe if you have been living in your flat for over 6 months and is bigger than a 1 bedroom, is best to hire professional cleaners. Affordable ones found here on the forum and check one on right hand banner at the local giving discount to people moving from the forum
What do you do about cleaning if you are leaving furniture in the flat for the following tenant? Do these need to be removed? Or will it be acceptable to the rental agency if they stay put so long as they are spoken for?
Thanks!
1200CHF? How many square meters does that get cleaned?
I just hired four cleaners to clean a 230sq meter house and granny flat in 6 hours (did not include climbing a ladder outside to wash exterior windows, they washed what they could from the inside). It cost GBP410