End of lease and handover in Geneva
What is included in an end of tenancy clean
The full room-by-room list of what the service covers — and above all what it does not, because that is where unpleasant surprises appear at invoicing time.
The short answer
- Included at no extra charge: windows with frames and sills (inside and out), oven, extractor hood, hobs, the inside of cupboards, bathrooms, floors, skirting boards, radiators and switches.
- Charged on top, and only if requested: defrosting the fridge, replacement hood filters, external blinds needing a cherry picker, and surfaces needing specific treatment (re-oiling parquet, heavy descaling).
- Not cleaning at all: repairs. Scratched parquet, a silicone seal to redo, a drilled wall, a cracked pane stay on the handover report whatever the level of cleanliness.
- The flat must be empty. If furniture remains, a clearance is needed first: it is priced by volume, not by m².
- A walk-through happens with you before we leave. Anything you point out then is corrected on the spot, free of charge.
Kitchen
This is the room that decides the handover, because it is checked by opening doors and the result is immediately visible.
- Oven: interior, walls, base, shelves and inner glass degreased. The inner glass of the oven door is a classic checkpoint and a frequent omission.
- Extractor hood: body, surfaces and grille degreased. Replacing the filter is a consumable, charged separately if requested.
- Hobs: degreased, seals included. Ceramic glass descaled without scratching.
- Fridge and freezer: interior, seals and drawers cleaned. Defrosting requires switching the appliance off several hours in advance; if you do it the day before, there is nothing to add to the quote.
- Dishwasher: interior, door seal and filter removed and cleaned. An un-removed filter is almost an automatic reservation.
- Units: fronts, interiors, tops of wardrobes and worktops degreased.
- Sink and taps: descaled, including the base of the mixer and the hose connection.
Bathroom and WC
- Bath, shower, tray and screens descaled, including silicone seals where they are sound.
- WC: bowl, seat, hinges, base of the pedestal and behind the bowl.
- Basin, unit, mirror and taps descaled.
- Wall tiling descaled, grout included.
- Ventilation grille removed and cleaned.
- Towel rail and radiator cleaned, including between the elements.
A silicone seal blackened deep down cannot be cleaned: it has to be replaced. That is a repair, not a cleanliness defect — and we tell you before the job rather than after.
Windows, blinds and shutters
The item most systematically checked by Geneva managing agents, and the one most often left out of competing packages. With us it is in the price.
- Panes inside and out, where reachable without a cherry picker.
- Frames, rebates and sills. The rebate — the groove the casement closes into — is the first thing an inspector looks at.
- Handles, hinges and window seals.
- Internal blinds and slats.
- Roller shutter boxes, cleaned through the accessible opening.
High external blinds and glazing that needs a cherry picker are quoted separately: different equipment and different insurance cover.
Floors, walls and joinery
- Floors vacuumed then washed with the product suited to the covering. Oiled parquet, marble, natural stone and polished concrete do not get the standard product.
- Skirting boards, thresholds and corners.
- Doors, frames, handles and switch plates.
- Radiators, including behind and between the elements.
- Localised marks on walls. A whole wall needing repainting is not cleaning.
- Balcony, terrace and cellar or attic space if they appear in the lease.
What is charged as an extra
We would rather write this list here than announce it at invoicing time. It is short and every item is optional.
Defrosting the fridge
It requires switching the appliance off several hours ahead, so either a second visit or waiting on site. If you switch it off the day before, cleaning the interior is included and there is nothing extra to pay.
Hood filters
Degreasing the filter is included. Replacing it is a consumable: we supply it at cost if you wish, or you buy it yourself.
Cherry picker or work at height
High glazing, tall external blinds, glass roofs. Specific equipment and insurance cover, so a separate line on the quote.
Surface treatments
Re-oiling parquet, crystallising marble, heavy descaling of a badly scaled shower screen. These are restoration work, not routine cleaning.
What is not cleaning at all
This is the part few companies write down, and yet it is the part that prevents the most expensive misunderstandings. No clean, at any price, removes these points from the handover report.
Repairs
Scratched or swollen parquet, cracked tiles, a drilled wall, a cracked pane, a broken blind, a silicone seal to replace, a faulty appliance. A deduction from your deposit on those grounds does not depend on how clean the flat is.
Normal wear and tear
It cannot be held against you and does not need to be "cleaned". Paint that has dulled after eight years of occupancy is amortisation, not poor upkeep. Knowing where that line runs stops you accepting an unjustified deduction.
Remaining furniture
Cleaning does not include moving your belongings to your new home. If the flat has to be emptied, clearance is priced by volume and access — and it runs straight into the cleaning without a second trip.
The managing agent's decision
Nobody can guarantee it. The handover report covers the whole flat: damage, wear, missing items, and the deposit can also be held back for unpaid rent. Cleaning only acts on part of the file.
What a Geneva quote should name in black and white
If an end of tenancy quote does not name the following items one by one, ask for them to be added before signing — with us as with anyone else. These are exactly the points a reservation can land on.
- Windows, frames and sills, with the exterior explicitly mentioned.
- Oven, hood, hobs, fridge, dishwasher, each named separately.
- The inside of cupboards and the tops of wardrobes.
- Ventilation grilles.
- Annexes listed in the lease: cellar, attic space, parking space, balcony.
- What happens if the managing agent records a cleanliness reservation.
Frequently asked questions
Are windows included in an end of tenancy clean?
Yes, inside and out, with frames, rebates and sills, where reachable without a cherry picker. It is among the items most systematically checked by Geneva managing agents and one of the most frequently removed from packages elsewhere, so check it is explicitly named in any quote you compare.
Are the oven and extractor hood included?
Yes, both, including the inner glass of the oven door. Only replacing the hood filter is a consumable charged separately; degreasing it is included.
Does the flat need to be empty before you come?
Yes. An end of tenancy clean assumes an empty flat: you cannot clean the inside of a full cupboard or the floor under a wardrobe. If belongings remain, we can carry out the clearance first, priced by the volume to be removed, and run straight into the cleaning without a second trip.
Do you clean the cellar and attic space?
Yes, if they appear in the lease. This is the most common omission: the cellar, the attic space and the parking space form part of the rented property and are checked at handover like everything else.
What if I spot something missed at the end?
A walk-through happens with you before we leave, precisely for that. Anything you point out at that moment is corrected immediately, on the spot, at no extra charge.
Can black silicone seals be cleaned?
Not always. A seal where mould has penetrated the silicone cannot be cleaned: it has to be replaced, and that is a repair. We flag it before the job so you can decide — have it replaced, or accept it on the report knowing it is not a cleanliness defect.
Is wall cleaning included?
Localised marks are treated. A wall that needs repainting is restoration rather than cleaning, and repainting just before a handover is not always in your interest: depending on how long you have lived there, paint may fall under the landlord's amortisation.
Do you work weekends for a Monday handover?
Yes, Saturday and Sunday at the same price. The cleaning is best placed the day before the handover or the day before that: an empty flat stays immaculate for twenty-four hours, not two weeks.
In the same guide
See the service and the calculator
End of tenancy cleaning in GenevaReference page — kept up to date
A quote that names every item
Send a few photos of the flat and you get a fixed quote that lists the items one by one, including what is not covered.