A broken light in the stairwell, a door that doesn't close properly, leaves in front of the entrance and somewhere there's been […]
The flat is empty, the last boxes are in the removal van and the key is ready. Now all that's really missing is the tenancy handover.
And just then, things suddenly become visible that were amazingly well camouflaged for years: limescale under the tap, grease on the extractor fan, dust on the door frame, or that one slat of the blinds that has apparently been waiting for attention since 2019.
When handing over a flat, people therefore often look much more closely than during the normal weekly clean. But which areas are particularly important – and what should really be clean before the handover?
Generally, the required standard of cleaning depends on the tenancy agreement. Many property management companies also provide a cleaning checklist for the handover of the flat. For agreements with a so-called «swept-clean» handover, different requirements may apply.
The kitchen is one of the most labour-intensive areas during a final clean.
It is not enough just to wipe down the work surface and give the sink a quick once-over. Especially grease and burnt-on residues are quickly noticeable in an empty kitchen.
Special attention should be paid to:
It is particularly worth taking a close look at the cooker hood. Grease deposits like to hide where you rarely look in everyday life.
The fridge and freezer should also be clean, empty and – if necessary – defrosted in good time.
In the bathroom, limescale is usually the main culprit.
Taps, washbasin, toilet, bathtub and shower should be thoroughly cleaned and freed from visible limescale and soap residue.
Particular attention deserves:
Limescale is particularly noticeable on chrome, glass and dark surfaces.
One area is often forgotten: under and behind fixtures as well as in the guide rails of a shower.
Over time, an interesting mixture of limescale, soap residue and things we'd rather not dwell on collects there.
Clean window panes are important – but a thorough final clean often involves more.
Window frames, rebates and windowsills should also be checked and cleaned.
Typical locations are:
An astonishing amount of dust and dirt collects in the folds over the years.
Important: Dangerous cleaning work cannot simply be demanded of tenants. Nobody should have to become a facade climber for the sake of a clean pane.
Anyone who has ever thoroughly cleaned Venetian blinds knows why this point deserves its own section.
Dust, pollen and environmental grime settle on every single slat – front, back and on the edges.
And suddenly a flat no longer has «four blinds», but rather feels like 320 individual small surfaces.
Whether and to what extent blinds or roller shutters need to be cleaned should be checked based on the tenancy agreement or the handover inventory.
If they are part of the final clean, enough time should be scheduled for this.
Once the furniture is gone, your gaze automatically falls on the floor.
Dust, stains and residue that previously vanished under the sofa, bed or wardrobe are now coming to light.
However, depending on the floor covering, different cleaning is necessary.
Parquet, for example, should be treated differently from ceramic tiles, vinyl or natural stone.
Therefore, the following does not apply here: The stronger the agent, the cleaner the floor.
In the worst-case scenario, the wrong cleaning product can cause more damage than the original dirt.
The large areas are usually not the problem.
The details are forgotten.
Therefore, during a final clean, it is worth doing an inspection walk through the empty flat. Among other things, the following areas should be checked:
Especially dust on door frames or radiators is barely visible in everyday furnished life.
In an empty flat, on the other hand, it suddenly seems to possess its own spotlight.
Spider's webs are among the typical details that are forgotten during a final clean.
They are particularly common:
A simple trick: darken the room slightly and shine a torch sideways along the ceiling and through the corners.
The lateral light makes fine spiderwebs much more visible.
By the way, we've already written a dedicated post about this exact trick on Putzvogel.
When handing over an apartment, the inspection should not end at the front door.
Depending on the rental property, further areas may also be included:
Which specific areas need to be cleaned depends on the contractual agreement. The Tenants' Association also points out that associated ancillary rooms should not be forgotten during a thorough handover.
Even with careful cleaning, a spot can be missed.
If a cleaning defect is found during the handover of the apartment, the usual procedure is to rectify it. The Tenants' Association explicitly recommends a handover guarantee when hiring a cleaning company.
This is precisely where one of the advantages of a professional end-of-tenancy clean with a satisfaction guarantee comes in:
If an area that was part of the agreed cleaning contract is found to be unsatisfactory, it can be cleaned again accordingly.
That saves quite a bit of discussion on handover day – and, ideally, the spontaneous resort to a sponge and limescale remover.
Anyone cleaning the flat themselves should not start the evening before the handover.
It is better to work systematically from room to room and plan significantly more time for the kitchen, bathroom, windows and blinds than for the normal living areas.
And very importantly: After cleaning, do another inspection round through the completely empty flat.
Because that is usually when you discover the one spot that no-one else saw before.
When handing over a flat, it's not just shining floors and clean window panes that count.
Kitchen, bathroom, window frames, blinds, fitted wardrobes, doors, radiators and small details also play a role in a thorough final clean.
Anyone who proceeds in a structured manner and allows enough time can avoid many complaints.
Or in other words:
A clean tenancy handover begins where the normal weekly clean usually ends.
And if you would rather be fighting boxes than limescale when moving house: The Putzvogel GmbH carries out your moving-out cleaning professionally and thoroughly – with a guarantee of acceptance upon request.
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