Is the Swiss move-out cleaning real?

The real rule

Why the Swiss laugh, and what it means if you're new here.

When you move out of a Swiss rental flat, the landlord or the Hauswart inspects it with you and writes a protocol. The law protects you from paying for normal wear and tear, but your signature on the protocol counts. As a newcomer, clean well, walk through the flat together, read every line of the protocol, and sign only what you agree with.

How to get an apartment in Switzerland

The rule, explained

The Code of Obligations, Article 267, says a tenant returns the flat in the state that follows from proper use. Article 267a says the landlord must check the flat and report defects at once. The Mieterverband, the Swiss tenants' association, adds two points in its guide to the handover and the protocol: tenants are not liable for normal wear and tear, and with a signature under the protocol you accept the damages listed and must pay for them. The deposit has a limit too: at most three months' rent, in an account in the tenant's name (Art. 257e). So clean the oven, read the protocol, and sign last.

Sources: Code of Obligations, Art. 267 and 267a, on fedlex; Mieterinnen- und Mieterverband, Wohnungsabgabe und Protokoll

Questions people ask

Do I pay for normal wear and tear when I move out in Switzerland?

No. The tenant is not liable for normal wear and tear (Mieterverband).

What happens if I sign the handover protocol?

With your signature you accept the damages listed and must pay for them, so read it first (Mieterverband).

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