Tenants and landlords often come across the term “swept clean” when handing over their apartment. What this means and what significance it has for the repayment of the rental deposit is often misunderstood.
What does “swept” mean when handing over the apartment?
“Swept clean” describes the condition in which the apartment is free of coarse dirt and rubbish when it is handed over. Fachanwalt.de. points out that rough cleaning of carpets, i.e. vacuuming, must be carried out. In addition, laminate, parquet or floor tiles must be swept. Cobwebs must be removed both in the apartment and in adjoining rooms such as the basement. If there are adhesive residues or something similar on the windows, the tenant must clean these too. The aim is to hand over the apartment in a condition that allows it to be rented out without additional effort.
Cosmetic repairs and renovation
Cosmetic repairs and renovations do not count towards a clean handover. Activities such as painting the walls, wallpapering or closing dowel holes are not part of the general cleaning obligation, unless the rental agreement expressly provides for this, as vermietet.de explains.
Influence on the rental deposit
The importance of the clean handover is closely linked to the rental deposit. If the apartment is returned very dirty or littered, the landlord can deduct legitimate costs for cleaning and repairs from the deposit, according to immobilienscout24.de. It plays a role whether the contamination exceeds normal use. The longer the tenancy lasts, the higher the requirements for handover cleaning become. It is also advisable to prepare a handover protocol with a checklist to document the condition.
Editorial team finanzen.net