When you move out of a rented flat (apartment) in Zurich, you hand it back to the landlord or their property management (Verwaltung) on the handover date (Wohnungsabgabe). The empty flat is inspected room by room, and any defects go into a report. This guide explains, from the tenant’s side, what you pay for and what you don’t, how the handover works and which small repairs are worth doing beforehand. The landlord’s side is covered in our checklist for property managers.
Normal wear or damage
The law does not expect an as-new flat. Under Art. 267 para. 1 of the Swiss Code of Obligations (OR), you must ‘return the object in a condition that accords with its contractually designated use’. Normal wear and tear — paint that no longer looks fresh after some years, wear marks on the parquet, yellowed joints — is covered by the rent. You are liable for damage beyond that, such as burn marks, deep scratches or water damage from improper use, and only to the extent of the damage: according to the handover report form of the tenants’ association (Mieterinnen- und Mieterverband), a small stain on the wallpaper is no reason to make you pay for re-papering the whole room.
Any clause in which you undertake in advance to pay compensation at the end of the lease is void, except insofar as it relates to possible damage (Art. 267 para. 2 OR). The form adds that minor defects such as nail holes should be repaired professionally by the tenants before the handover inspection. The law does not say how many dowel holes (Dübellöcher) still count as normal wear.
The handover appointment and the report
The landlord or their representative usually draws up the handover report (Abnahmeprotokoll) with you present. Under Art. 267a OR, when the flat is returned the landlord ‘must inspect its condition and immediately inform the tenant or lessee of any defects for which he is answerable’. If they fail to do so, they forfeit their claims ‘save in respect of defects not detectable on customary inspection’; such hidden defects must be reported to you immediately once discovered. How to prepare:
- Have your move-in report (Einzugsprotokoll) to hand. The tenants’ association advises reporting defects at move-in so that you are not liable for them at move-out.
- Make sure defects are described precisely: instead of ‘stain on the wallpaper’, the form suggests something like ‘water stain approx. 3 cm² on the wallpaper below the north window’.
- Confirming the condition is not agreeing to pay: according to the form, sign the agreement to pay only if the costs are beyond doubt — you may refuse. For larger costs, note a maximum amount or a reservation pending a cost estimate.
- If your personal liability insurance (Privathaftpflichtversicherung) is to cover the damage, the form notes that its consent is required.
- If the report is in German, ask for every item to be explained before you sign.
What the lifespan table means for you
For genuine damage you pay at most the residual value. The yardstick is the joint lifespan table (paritätische Lebensdauertabelle) of the tenants’ association and the homeowners’ association (Hauseigentümerverband): once an item’s lifespan has expired, you are no longer liable for replacing or restoring it; otherwise only for the part not yet written off. What counts is the time since the item was last renewed, not how long you have lived in the flat. Values from the excerpt in the tenants’ association’s report form (2021 edition):
- Wall and ceiling paint, emulsion or distemper: 8 years
- Ceramic, stoneware or earthenware wall tiles: 30 years
- Joint sealants and sealant joints (Fugendichtungen/Kittfugen): 8 years in the bathroom, 10 years in the kitchen
- Switches and sockets: 15 years; lock cylinders and keys: 20 years
Example: the walls were painted with emulsion paint 4 years ago and have to be repainted because of damage. Of the 8 years, 4 are still open — your share is half. If the last coat of paint is 8 years old or more, you are no longer liable for repainting. So ask the property management when the flat was last painted.
Deposit and disputes
If your rent deposit (Mietkaution) is held in a bank account, the bank may release it only with both parties’ consent, a final payment order (Zahlungsbefehl) or a final court decision. If the landlord has brought no claim against you within one year of the end of the lease, you can ask the bank to return it (Art. 257e para. 3 OR). In a dispute, the first step is the conciliation authority (Schlichtungsbehörde). In tenancy matters it has a chairperson and an equal number of landlord and tenant representatives (Art. 200 of the Civil Procedure Code, ZPO), also gives legal advice (Art. 201 para. 2 ZPO) and charges no court costs (Art. 113 para. 2 let. c ZPO).
Small repairs before the handover
- Dowel and nail holes: filled, sanded and painted. We assess on site whether touching up is enough.
- Damaged paintwork: marks, scratches, coloured walls that need to be white again.
- A cracked tile: we replace damaged wall and floor tiles and renew grout and silicone joints. Ask the property management for spare tiles so that the new one matches. More on our tiling page.
- A cracked socket or switch cover: done by a licensed electrical firm, coordinated by us.
What it costs with us
- A room of up to around 20 m², walls and ceiling, two coats, covering included: CHF 950 to 1'700
- Individual walls: CHF 18 to 25 per m²; ceilings: CHF 20 to 28 per m²; plaster repairs: CHF 25 per m²
- Replacing a tile: taking out tiles CHF 32 to 40 per m², laying wall tiles CHF 62 to 85 per m²
- Replacing a socket or switch: from CHF 55 each
All prices are for labour, excluding VAT (MWST); paint, tiles and materials are extra. Painting two rooms therefore costs CHF 1'900 to 3'400. There is a minimum job of 3 hours, so bundle small repairs into one visit. Travel is included in Zurich and the surrounding agglomeration. The quote shows labour and materials separately; you can forward it to the property management or your insurer.
How fast we can come
Send your enquiry via the form, WhatsApp or phone — photos are often enough for a first assessment. Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 18:00, we call you back within one hour. You receive the fixed-price quote within 48 hours of the site visit. A normal empty flat is usually painted in three to five working days. Get in touch as soon as you know your handover date, so the work can be scheduled before it.
Checklist for your move-out
- Find your lease and move-in report; have the handover date confirmed in writing.
- A few weeks before, check holes, marks, tiles, joints, switches and sockets.
- Bundle the repairs, have them done professionally, keep the invoice.
- On the day: all keys, your own photos, meter readings checked.
- Accept costs only if they are beyond doubt; take a copy of the report.
- Leave your new address — for the deposit and the service-charge statement (Nebenkostenabrechnung).
We speak English
Our team speaks German and English. Send us your enquiry, photos and questions in English — via the contact form, email, phone or WhatsApp.
This guide is not legal advice. Sources: the OR and the ZPO on fedlex.admin.ch (as of October 2026) and the excerpt of the joint lifespan table in the tenants’ association’s report form (2021 edition). OR quotations follow the English translation on fedlex.admin.ch, which has no legal force; quotations from the form are our own translation. The law, your lease and the current table are what count.