End of lease and handover in Geneva
The managing agent refuses the handover: what to do
What to do within the hour, the day and the week after a reservation is recorded on the handover report — and the two mistakes that permanently close options.
The short answer
- Do not sign the handover report as though it were agreed. You can sign while having your disagreement written onto the contested points.
- Insist that each reservation is worded precisely. "Flat to be re-cleaned" is unusable; "limescale on the bathroom taps" takes twenty minutes to fix.
- Ask expressly to be allowed to correct it yourself, or through your contractor, before the agent instructs a company at your expense.
- Do not hand back the keys while the question is open: without access to the flat you can no longer correct anything.
- React the same day. Most cleanliness reservations are settled within hours if you act before the file turns into a statement of account.
The two mistakes that close options
Signing the report with no disagreement recorded
A signature without any note of disagreement reads as acceptance of the findings. Disputing afterwards becomes much harder: you have to explain why you signed. You can sign — it is often necessary — but have your disagreement written onto the document itself.
Handing back the keys
Without access to the flat you can no longer correct anything. Your only option becomes paying whatever the agent quantifies. Keys are handed back when the handover question is settled, not when a reservation has just been recorded.
What to do within the hour
- Have each reservation made specific, item by item and room by room. A vague reservation cannot be corrected and will turn into a lump sum.
- Ask to see the points with the inspector, on the spot. Some reservations fall away once you look together.
- Have your disagreement written onto the points you contest, in your own words, before signing.
- Ask, and have it noted, that you wish to correct the cleanliness points yourself.
- Photograph the disputed points, with the date.
- Leave with a copy of the signed report. Not "it will be sent to you".
From this moment on, separate what is cleanliness (fixable in hours) from what is a repair (scratched parquet, a seal to replace): the two are handled completely differently.
Within the day
The goal is simple: correct before the file becomes a statement of account. Once a company has been instructed by the agent, the discussion is no longer about cleaning but about an invoice.
- Tell your cleaning contractor the same day. If the recorded points fall within their scope, they return and correct them under their commitment.
- Confirm to the agent in writing — an email is enough — that you are taking on the correction of the cleanliness points, and by when.
- Explicitly ask the agent not to instruct a company before the deadline you have given.
- If the agent already has a quote, ask for a copy: an unitemised figure is easier to dispute than it looks.
Within the week
- Have the correction verified. Ideally a fresh visit, otherwise dated photos sent to the agent the same day.
- Ask for written removal of the reservations. That document is what releases the deposit; without it the file stays open even if the work is done.
- Dispute in writing the items you do not accept, referring to the report and your original photos.
- On repairs, ask for the calculation: which item, what amount, over what amortisation period. Normal wear cannot justify a deduction.
- If the block persists, get support: ASLOCA advises Geneva tenants and the conciliation authority for tenancy matters is the normal route before proceedings.
Cleanliness reservation or repair: the distinction that changes everything
Both often appear on the same report, and treating them the same way is the most common mistake.
How to handle each type of reservation
| Type | Examples | What settles it |
|---|---|---|
| Cleanliness | Limescale, oven, rebates, hood filter | Correction, a few hours |
| Repair | Scratched parquet, mouldy seal, drilled wall | Figure and share of wear to discuss |
| Missing item | Key, shelf, remote | Replacement or supply |
| Normal wear | Dulled paint, worn covering | Cannot justify a deduction |
A silicone seal where mould has penetrated the material is not a cleanliness defect: it needs replacing. Making that point avoids paying for an extra clean that will not change the finding.
If a company has already been instructed
- Ask for the itemised quote or invoice: items, areas, hours. A global figure with no detail is hard to justify.
- Check that the items billed match the reservations on the report, and nothing more. This is the most useful check.
- Compare with the market price for the same work. A large gap is a concrete argument.
- Point out, if it applies, that you asked to correct and were refused — ideally producing your email.
Frequently asked questions
A cleanliness reservation has been recorded: what should I do first?
Have the reservation made specific item by item, have your disagreement written onto the report if you have one, ask to be allowed to correct it yourself, leave with a signed copy and do not hand back the keys. Then tell your contractor the same day.
Should I refuse to sign the handover report?
Not necessarily, and a flat refusal is not always in your interest. What matters is not signing as though the document were agreed: you can sign while having your disagreement written onto the contested points, in your own words.
Can the agent instruct a company at my expense?
It happens routinely and the invoice is usually passed on. That is why you should ask explicitly — preferably in writing the same day — to correct the cleanliness points yourself, stating a deadline. A written request that is refused is also a useful argument later.
How long do I have to correct it?
There is no single deadline: what matters is correcting before the file is closed and before the agent instructs anyone. In practice that means days, sometimes hours. It is the reason a contractor who also works weekends matters.
Is a vaguely worded reservation valid?
It is mainly unusable for you: "flat to be re-cleaned" does not tell you what to fix, and easily turns into a lump sum. Insist on precise wording, room by room and item by item, at the inspection itself.
What if the reservation concerns a defect that existed when I moved in?
Compare with the entry report and produce it. A defect already recorded when you arrived is not attributable to you, and that is exactly what the document is for. Have that objection written onto the exit report.
Do you come out at weekends to fix a reservation?
Yes, Saturday and Sunday at the same price. If the recorded points fall within our scope, we return and correct them at no charge under our commitment, provided the flat has stayed empty.
Who should I contact for an ongoing dispute in Geneva?
ASLOCA advises tenants in the canton, and the conciliation authority for tenancy matters is the normal route before proceedings. Build your file with the handover report, dated photos, your written exchanges with the agent and their itemised statement.
In the same guide
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End of tenancy cleaning in GenevaReference page — kept up to date
A reservation to fix quickly?
If the recorded points fall within cleaning, we act within the useful deadline, weekends included, before the final handback.