End of lease and handover in Geneva
End of tenancy cleaning cost in Geneva
The prices actually charged by flat size, the factors that move the figure, and why two Geneva companies can quote very differently for the same apartment.
The short answer
- A studio starts at CHF 250, a 2-room flat at CHF 350, a 3-room flat at CHF 450. From 4 rooms up, the figure is set by quote after a visit or photos.
- Travel within the canton of Geneva is included. There is no admin fee and no weekend surcharge.
- What changes the price at equal size is the condition of the flat: a well-kept apartment and one left six months without cleaning do not take the same number of hours.
- The quote is fixed. Once the flat has been seen and the figure agreed, that is what gets invoiced, even if the job runs longer than expected.
- Note on Swiss room counting: a "3-room flat" (3 pièces) means three rooms in total including the living room, not three bedrooms. It is roughly 60 to 80 m².
Prices by flat size
The figures below are starting prices for an empty flat in normal condition, with windows and the inside of cupboards included, and travel within the canton of Geneva included.
End of tenancy cleaning — starting prices, canton of Geneva
| Flat | Typical size | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | 25–35 m² | from CHF 250 |
| 2 rooms | 40–55 m² | from CHF 350 |
| 3 rooms | 60–80 m² | from CHF 450 |
| 4 rooms and above | 85 m² and above | on quote |
"From" means this is the figure for a flat in normal condition. A fixed quote is issued after a visit or photos, and that is the amount invoiced.
Why 4 rooms and above is quoted rather than listed
Above four rooms, the gap between two flats of the same size becomes too wide for a single price to stay honest. A 4-room flat may have one bathroom or three, six windows or fourteen, a balcony or a terrace with an external blind. None of these scale with floor area, and they are what actually determine how long the job takes.
Publishing one price for that category would mean setting it at the level of the hardest case, and charging simpler flats a safety margin that has nothing to do with them. We would rather look, then quote. The quote is free, without obligation, and fixed.
The two pricing models used in Geneva
Two billing logics exist side by side in the canton, and it is worth knowing which one you are being offered before you compare two quotes.
A single rate per square metre
One figure per m², for example CHF 10/m², applied whatever the size. It is simple to advertise and easy to check. Its weakness shows on larger flats: at CHF 10/m², a 65 m² 3-room flat comes to CHF 650 and a 100 m² flat to CHF 1,000, while the real workload does not rise in a straight line with floor area — the number of bathrooms and windows matters more than square metres of floor.
A starting price per flat size
A starting figure per size band, then a fixed quote once the real condition has been seen. This is our model. It needs one extra step (a visit or photos) but it does not charge you for floor area as such. On a Geneva 3-room flat the difference between the two models is around two hundred francs.
An hourly rate
A price per hour with no stated ceiling. This is the riskiest model for a tenant: the final figure is only known at the end, and nothing rewards the contractor for finishing quickly. If you are offered an hourly rate in Geneva without a maximum number of hours in writing, ask for a fixed price before signing.
None of these models is dishonest in itself. What matters is that a maximum figure appears in writing before the work starts.
What pushes the bill up
At equal size, five situations genuinely take more hours. They are named here so you can spot them yourself before asking for a quote, and judge whether a figure is coherent.
- A flat left several months without upkeep: old limescale and baked-on grease do not come off at the same rate as recent dirt.
- A heavily soiled oven and extractor hood: degreasing an oven whose enamel has not been cleaned in years can occupy one person for an hour and a half.
- External blinds and roller shutter boxes: slow items, checked at the handover, and regularly charged as extras elsewhere.
- Delicate surfaces that rule out the standard product: oiled parquet, natural stone, marble, polished concrete.
- A flat still furnished or cluttered. Cleaning assumes an empty flat; if belongings remain, a clearance is needed first, priced by volume rather than by m².
What is not charged on top
As important as the extras is knowing what does not get added to the quote. These items are in the price:
- Travel within the canton of Geneva.
- Windows, their frames and sills, inside and out, where reachable without a cherry picker.
- The inside of cupboards and the tops of wardrobes.
- Products and equipment, including floor machines.
- The final walk-through with you before we leave, and on-the-spot correction of anything you point out then.
Comparing two Geneva quotes without getting caught
A cheaper quote is not necessarily cheaper. Four lines are enough to compare two end of tenancy offers, and all four need to be in writing.
- Are the windows and their frames included, exterior as well? This is the item most often taken out of the package, and one of the most systematically checked by managing agents.
- Is the figure a fixed price or an hourly estimate? If hourly, is a ceiling written down?
- What happens if the managing agent records a cleanliness reservation? The answer needs to be in writing, not spoken.
- Does the company carry professional liability insurance, and does its Swiss company number (IDE) appear on the quote?
If one of those four answers is missing, the quote is not comparable — whatever the figure at the bottom of the page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does end of tenancy cleaning cost for a 3-room flat in Geneva?
A Geneva 3-room flat starts at CHF 450, travel within the canton included, for an empty flat in normal condition with windows and the inside of cupboards included. The final figure is set by a fixed quote after a visit or photos and depends mainly on the real condition of the flat rather than its exact size.
Are windows included in the price?
Yes, inside and out, with frames, rebates and sills, where they can be reached without a cherry picker. This item is among the most frequently charged as an extra elsewhere, so always check it is named in any quote you compare.
Is there a weekend or evening surcharge?
No. Saturday and Sunday slots are at the same price. That is practical necessity more than goodwill: many handover appointments are set for a Monday morning, which means the cleaning has to happen on the Sunday.
Why is your 3-room price lower than a per-square-metre rate?
Because a flat rate per m² charges you for floor area as such. On a 65 m² 3-room flat, CHF 10/m² gives CHF 650; our band starts at CHF 450. The gap is not a discount, it is a different model: we price the number of bathrooms, the number of windows and the state of the surfaces, which are what really drive the hours.
Can the quote go up once work has started?
No. Once the flat has been seen and the quote accepted, the figure is fixed, even if the job takes longer than expected. It can only change if the scope changes — for example if belongings are moved back in, or if a clearance turns out to be needed.
Do I pay before or after the handover?
The invoice is issued after the work. You do not pay before seeing the result, and the final walk-through happens with you before we leave.
Does a bigger flat cost proportionally more?
No, and that is exactly why we do not bill per m². Doubling the floor area does not double the work: the slow items are the kitchen, the bathrooms, the windows and the blinds, and their number rises far more slowly than the floor area.
Is the price the same across the whole canton?
Yes, travel is included across the canton of Geneva with no zone surcharge. For work outside the canton, travel is quoted separately and stated in the quote.
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The calculator on the end of tenancy cleaning page gives an immediate estimate, with no phone number or email address required. For a fixed quote, a few photos are enough.