The shower hose is dripping, the sink trap under the basin is blocked and the light in the oven has gone out. Who has to deal with it – and pay – in a rented flat? For these tenant minor repairs, the tenant is the first port of call in Switzerland, but only up to a point.
This guide explains what the law requires, which jobs typically count, where the line is and how to report defects properly. It gives general information and is not legal advice: your lease and local custom are decisive.
What minor repairs mean for tenants
The basis is Art. 259 of the Code of Obligations: during the tenancy, tenants must remedy, at their own cost and in line with local custom, defects that can be fixed by minor cleaning or repairs needed for normal maintenance. Three points are packed into that sentence:
- Minor: it's about small things, not renovations or expensive repairs.
- Normal maintenance: the job comes up again and again in ordinary everyday use.
- Local custom: what is usual can be handled differently from region to region.
The article sets no fixed franc amount. In practice, a rule of thumb applies: what a reasonably handy person can do with simple tools, in little time and with low material costs usually counts as minor maintenance. Some leases also list examples or a cost limit, so it's worth checking your lease and its general terms.
1. Typical minor repairs
In practice, these examples are often assigned to the tenant. In each case, the lease and local custom decide.
| Area | Typical job |
|---|---|
| Bathroom | Replace shower hose and shower head, descale tap aerators and shower head, clean the sink trap |
| Kitchen | Clean or replace the cooker hood filter, clean the kitchen sink trap, replace the bulb in the oven or fridge |
| Whole flat | Change light bulbs, lubricate sticking locks and hinges, keep silicone joints clean |
| Windows and blinds | Clean glass, frames and blinds, keep seals clean |
To clear a blockage without chemicals, see our guide How to clean a sink trap.
2. Where the line is
As a rule, jobs that need specialist knowledge, special tools or higher costs no longer count as minor repairs – for example replacing an entire appliance that no longer works because of its age. Report such cases to the property management:
| Usually a minor repair | Usually for the property management or a professional |
|---|---|
| Replacing the shower hose | Leak in a water pipe |
| Cleaning the sink trap | Blockage deep in the building's drain |
| Changing a light bulb | Faulty socket, switch or wiring |
| Replacing the cooker hood filter | Broken cooker hood motor |
| Replacing the oven bulb | Oven that no longer heats because of its age |
| Cleaning the blinds | Faulty blind motor |
3. Check your lease and local custom
Before you pick up your tools or call the property management, check your paperwork:
- Lease and general terms: do they list examples or a cost limit for minor repairs?
- House rules and information sheets: some property managements regulate, for example, changing the cooker hood filter.
- Move-in report: was the defect already recorded?
- If in doubt, ask: the property management, the tenants' association or the conciliation authority can advise.
4. Report defects properly
If a defect isn't covered by minor repairs, inform the property management promptly – the longer damage goes on, the worse it can get. Report it in writing, by email or letter, with a short description, photos and the date, and keep a copy. In an emergency such as a water leak, call the caretaker or the management's emergency number straight away and confirm in writing afterwards.
Don't commission major repairs on your own initiative; agree on the procedure with the property management first. Otherwise you risk a dispute over who pays the bill.
5. Keep up with maintenance – hand over more easily
If you keep on top of minor repairs, you'll have less to do at the handover. From the point of view of the homeowners' association HEV Schweiz, tenants clear out and thoroughly clean the flat and ancillary rooms when they move out: windows including frames and blinds, cooker, oven and fridge, grease in the cooker hood, limescale in bathroom and WC, and the floors. Limescale and grease that have built up over the years make this final cleaning much harder work.
Maintenance is different from wear and tear. The joint life-expectancy table of the tenants' and homeowners' associations (in German) serves as the basis for telling normal from excessive wear and working out the residual value; according to HEV, excessive wear is only charged for the remaining lifespan. More in our guide on the life expectancy table. Whether you need to fill wall plug holes depends on your lease and the property management – see Filling holes in walls when moving out.
Common mistakes
- Keeping quiet about defects: fearing the cost, people don't report a leak – and the damage spreads.
- Doing electrical repairs yourself: it's dangerous and not part of minor repairs.
- Ordering major repairs without agreement: clarify first who pays.
- Drain cleaner at every gurgle: mechanical cleaning is gentler and safer.
- Putting off upkeep: years of limescale and grease take a lot of effort to remove at the handover.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as minor repairs for tenants?
Under Art. 259 of the Code of Obligations, tenants remedy defects themselves that can be fixed by minor cleaning or repairs needed for normal maintenance. Typical examples are replacing a shower hose, cleaning a sink trap or changing the cooker hood filter.
Up to what amount do I have to pay for repairs myself?
The law doesn't set a franc amount. What matters is the scope and type of work, plus your lease and local custom. If your lease sets a limit and you are unsure, get advice, for example from a tenants' association.
Do I have to replace a faulty shower hose myself?
In practice, this is usually a minor repair that tenants carry out and pay for themselves. When buying one, check the length and the connections.
What should I do if a defect isn't a minor repair?
Report it to the property management promptly and in writing, with a description, photos and the date. In an emergency such as a water leak, call straight away and confirm in writing afterwards.
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