End of lease and handover in Geneva
The handover inspection: a room-by-room checklist
What is really checked at a Geneva état des lieux de sortie, in the order the inspector looks at it — and the ten places where deposits are most often lost.
The short answer
- The handover inspection (état des lieux de sortie) is not a cleanliness inspection: the inspector compares the current state with the one recorded when you moved in, looking for damage or poor upkeep rather than normal wear.
- That is why a flat that "looks clean" can still be refused: the inspector opens, moves things, and looks behind and underneath.
- The ten most commonly recorded points are all places you cannot see while standing in the middle of a room: window rebates, dishwasher filter, inner oven glass, tops of wardrobes, ventilation grilles.
- Annexes count: cellar, attic space and parking are part of the rented property and are checked like the rest.
- Be present if you can, take dated photos of the empty flat, and ask for a copy of the signed report immediately.
What the inspector is really looking for
The distinction that governs the whole exercise is legal rather than domestic: on one side wear resulting from normal use of the flat, which cannot be held against you; on the other damage and poor upkeep, which can. The inspector does not note "this is dirty", they note a difference from the entry report.
This has a practical consequence. Paint that has dulled after eight years of occupancy falls under the landlord's amortisation, so repainting before you leave is not always in your interest. Limescale built up on taps, by contrast, is poor upkeep however long you have lived there.
The inspection is methodical and goes room by room. The inspector opens cupboard doors, removes filters, moves what can be moved and looks up high. The sections below follow that route.
Kitchen — the decisive room
- Inner glass of the oven door: the most frequently forgotten point, and the most visible once the door is open.
- Dishwasher filter: it unscrews at the bottom of the tub. An un-removed filter is almost an automatic reservation.
- Extractor hood filter and body, degreased through to the grille.
- Hob seals and the surround of the ceramic glass.
- Fridge interior, door seals and defrost tray.
- Tops of tall units: invisible from the floor, checked every time.
- Inside cupboards, including corners and hinges.
- Base of the sink mixer and the hose connection — a classic limescale spot.
Bathroom — limescale and seals
- Taps descaled, including the base and the back of the spouts.
- Shower head and hose.
- Silicone seals sound and clean. A seal blackened deep down is a repair, not a cleanliness defect — a distinction worth making.
- Bottom of the shower screen and the lower rail.
- Back and base of the WC pan, seat hinges.
- Ventilation grille, removed.
- Between the elements of the towel rail.
Windows and blinds — the most checked item
If one item deserves particular care, it is this one. It is checked in almost every Geneva handover, and it is also the item most often excluded from the cheapest quotes.
- The rebate (feuillure): the groove the casement closes into. It is the first place the inspector runs a finger.
- Panes inside and out.
- Frames, sills and ledges.
- Window seals, handles and hinges.
- Roller shutter box, through the accessible opening.
- Slats of internal blinds.
Annexes — the most expensive omission
Everything listed in the lease has to be handed back, not just the flat itself. This is the most common and most avoidable omission.
- Cellar: emptied and swept. A cellar left with boxes becomes a clearance at the tenant's cost.
- Attic space, if it is in the lease.
- Parking space or garage box, oil marks included.
- Bike room, if a space was allocated to you.
- Keys: all of them, including copies made during the tenancy, the cellar key and the gate remote. A missing key can mean replacing the cylinder.
The ten points that cost the most deposits
Most frequent reservations at a Geneva handover
| Point | Where | Why it is missed |
|---|---|---|
| Dishwasher filter | Bottom of the tub | It has to be unscrewed |
| Inner oven glass | Oven door | Invisible with the door shut |
| Window rebate | Casement groove | Pane clean, groove not |
| Tops of wardrobes | Up high | Invisible from the floor |
| Ventilation grilles | Bathroom, WC, kitchen | They come off |
| Hood filter | Under the hood | A consumable, often ignored |
| Behind radiators | Against the wall | Hard to reach |
| Roller shutter box | Above the window | Rarely opened |
| Cellar and attic | Annexes | Not thought of as "the flat" |
| Spare keys | To hand back | Forgotten, cost of the cylinder |
On the day
- Be there. An inspection carried out in your absence removes any chance to discuss a point on the spot.
- Photograph the empty, clean flat with dates. It is your only evidence if a disagreement arises later.
- Have each reservation made specific. A vague wording is unusable and stops you correcting anything.
- Do not sign as though the document were agreed: you can sign while having your disagreement recorded.
- Ask for a copy of the signed report immediately, not "by post".
- Read the meters and note them on the document.
The cleaning belongs the day before the inspection, or the day before that — not earlier. An empty flat stays immaculate for twenty-four hours, not two weeks.
Frequently asked questions
What does the managing agent check at the handover inspection?
They compare the flat with the state recorded when you moved in, looking for damage or poor upkeep rather than normal wear. In practice the check is methodical: appliance filters, inner oven glass, window rebates, tops of wardrobes, ventilation grilles, behind radiators, then the annexes listed in the lease.
Can a flat that looks clean still be refused?
Yes, regularly. The inspector opens, moves things and looks behind and underneath. An immaculate oven whose inner glass was not done, a window cleaned on the pane but not in the rebate, a dishwasher whose filter was not removed: those are the points that trigger a reservation.
Should I repaint the walls before leaving?
Not necessarily, and sometimes it works against you. Paint that has dulled after several years of occupancy falls under the landlord's amortisation rather than your upkeep. Check how long you have lived there and what the entry report says before spending money.
Are the cellar and attic space checked?
Yes, if they appear in the lease. They form part of the rented property and are checked like the rest. A cellar left with boxes becomes a chargeable clearance, and it is one of the most frequent omissions.
What if I disagree with a reservation?
Do not sign the report as though it were agreed: you can sign while having your disagreement written onto it. Ask for each reservation to be worded precisely, take dated photos, and insist on a copy of the signed document straight away.
How long before the inspection should the cleaning happen?
The day before, or the day before that. An empty flat stays immaculate for twenty-four hours, not two weeks: dust settles, and a clean done too early will be inspected in a state that is no longer the one you paid for.
Do I have to attend the inspection?
It is strongly recommended. In your absence you lose the ability to discuss a point on the spot, to have a vague reservation made specific, or to have your disagreement recorded — three things that become much harder afterwards.
Do spare keys have to be handed back?
Yes, all of them, including copies made during the tenancy, the cellar key and any remotes. A missing key can lead to the cylinder being replaced, which costs far more than a copy.
In the same guide
See the service and the calculator
End of tenancy cleaning in GenevaReference page — kept up to date
A service built around this checklist
Our work covers the points on this list, annexes included, with a final walk-through done with you before we leave.