If you have rented in Germany, the UK or the US, you may have heard the term broom clean: the home is cleared and swept, and that is it. In Switzerland, the term besenrein exists too – but at a typical Swiss flat handover, a swept floor is rarely what the property management expects. Many expats are caught out by this. Here are five misunderstandings we come across regularly, and what actually applies. As always with tenancy topics, this is general information: your lease is decisive.
What "broom clean" actually means
Broom clean (besenrein in German) is generally understood as a home that is empty and roughly cleaned: no furniture or rubbish left, floors swept, no coarse dirt. It does not usually include descaling the bathroom, degreasing the oven or cleaning windows.
In Switzerland, however, the usual expectation at the end of a residential lease is different. The homeowners' association HEV describes a flat that is cleared and thoroughly cleaned – including windows with frames and blinds, kitchen appliances and the extractor hood, and limescale in the bathroom. Leases and handover checklists often reflect this higher standard.
| Broom clean | Thoroughly cleaned (Swiss practice) | |
|---|---|---|
| Floors | Swept or vacuumed | Vacuumed and wet-cleaned to suit the material |
| Kitchen | Emptied | Oven, hob, hood, fridge, cupboards cleaned inside and out |
| Bathroom | Emptied | Descaled, toilet, tiles, taps and drains clean |
| Windows | Not included | Glass, frames, sills and blinds clean |
| Ancillary rooms | Cleared | Cleared and cleaned (cellar, attic, letterbox) |
1. Misunderstanding: "Broom clean is the Swiss standard"
In some situations, a lease may indeed only require a broom-clean handover – for example, if the building is about to be demolished or completely renovated. But this has to be agreed. Without such an agreement, you should expect that a thoroughly cleaned flat is required.
The tenants' association explains in its leaflet on move-out cleaning what applies with and without rules in the lease, including what besenrein means. If your lease mentions "broom clean", get written confirmation from the property management of what they will check.
2. Misunderstanding: "Clean means clean to my eye"
Standards differ. A kitchen that looks clean in daily life may still show grease behind the oven door glass, dust on top of the wall cupboards or limescale around the tap base. At a handover inspection, property managers look precisely at these spots.
Ask the property management for their handover checklist and use it as your reference. Our end of tenancy cleaning checklist lists the areas that are checked most often.
3. Misunderstanding: "The lease can force me to hire a cleaning company"
Some leases contain a clause obliging tenants to have the flat cleaned by a professional company. According to the tenants' association, such clauses are not binding: you may clean yourself, as long as the result meets the required standard.
That said, many tenants choose a professional company voluntarily – because of time, because the flat is large, or because they want the certainty of a handover guarantee. If you are weighing it up, read our guide on doing the move-out cleaning yourself or hiring a company.
4. Misunderstanding: "Small cleaning gaps can be sorted out later"
Once you have returned the keys, you usually no longer have access to the flat. If the inspection finds that cleaning is incomplete, the property management may ask for re-cleaning at short notice or commission a company and deduct the cost.
At the same time, the law protects tenants against arbitrary claims: you return the flat in the condition resulting from contractual use, and normal wear and tear is not your responsibility. Dirt, however, is not wear and tear – it is simply cleaning that has not been done.
5. Misunderstanding: "If I hire a company, it's no longer my problem"
Hiring a cleaning company does not transfer your responsibility towards the landlord. You remain the tenant, and if the cleaning is not accepted, it is your handover that fails.
That is why the details of the cleaning contract matter:
- Does the company clean to the property manager's checklist?
- Does someone attend the handover inspection?
- Is re-cleaning included free of charge if something is objected to?
- Is the price fixed, or can it change on the day?
We explain what a proper guarantee covers in our article on move-out cleaning with a handover guarantee.
Common mistakes
- Relying on the term "broom clean" from abroad: Swiss handovers usually expect more.
- No written confirmation of exceptions: Verbal agreements are hard to prove later.
- Cleaning without the handover checklist: You may miss exactly what is checked.
- Booking a company without a guarantee: A failed inspection leaves you to organise re-cleaning.
- Confusing dirt with wear and tear: Wear and tear is not charged; missing cleaning can be.
Frequently asked questions
What does broom clean mean when moving out?
Broom clean generally means that the flat is cleared and roughly swept, without thorough wet cleaning. In Swiss rental practice, however, a thoroughly cleaned flat is usually expected unless the lease or the property management says otherwise.
Is broom clean enough in Switzerland?
Usually not. Unless broom clean has been agreed, for example because of a planned renovation, property managers generally expect a thoroughly cleaned flat including kitchen appliances, bathroom, windows and blinds.
Can my landlord require a professional cleaning company?
According to the tenants' association, such lease clauses are not binding. You can clean yourself, but the flat must meet the agreed cleaning standard at the handover.
What happens if the flat is not clean enough at the handover?
The property management may note it in the handover protocol and ask for re-cleaning or have the flat cleaned and deduct the cost. Check any claims carefully against the protocol.
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