End of tenancy cleaning in Geneva: the complete checklist for your final inspection
Moving out of your apartment in Geneva and planning to do the end of tenancy cleaning yourself?
You absolutely can.
However, end of tenancy cleaning usually goes much further than regular weekly cleaning. Vacuuming the floors, wiping the kitchen and quickly cleaning the bathroom is rarely enough for a thorough move-out clean.
The details matter: inside cupboards, filters, seals, blinds, window frames, limescale around taps, the extractor hood, oven, skirting boards, switches and many other areas that are easy to overlook.
Here is a complete end of tenancy cleaning checklist to help you prepare your home for the final inspection in Geneva.
Use it while cleaning and tick off each item as you go.
Important: requirements can vary depending on your property, tenancy agreement, landlord and property management company. Always check any specific instructions you have received before your final inspection.
Before you start: empty the property
A thorough clean is much easier once the property is empty.
☐ Remove all furniture and personal belongings that should not remain in the property
☐ Empty all cupboards and wardrobes
☐ Empty the cellar
☐ Clear the balcony or terrace
☐ Remove stickers and hooks you added during the tenancy
☐ Check that nothing has been left in storage areas
☐ Put aside all keys, electronic fobs and remote controls that need to be returned
Once the property is empty, it is generally best to work from top to bottom and leave the floors until last.
1. Kitchen
The kitchen is usually one of the most time-consuming areas. Grease, food residue and limescale can accumulate in places that are not immediately visible.
Oven
☐ Clean the entire inside of the oven
☐ Remove burnt-on residue and black marks
☐ Clean the racks
☐ Clean trays and accessories
☐ Clean the oven door and glass
☐ Clean around the edges and seals
☐ Clean the exterior
Do not limit the cleaning to the immediately visible surfaces.
Hob
☐ Degrease the hob
☐ Remove burnt-on residue
☐ Clean around the edges
☐ Clean the controls
☐ Clean the splashback
Extractor hood
This is one of the easiest areas to forget.
☐ Degrease the entire extractor hood
☐ Clean underneath
☐ Clean the top
☐ Clean the surrounding surfaces
☐ Clean the metal filters
☐ Check the condition of the carbon filter, if fitted
Fridge and freezer
☐ Empty the fridge completely
☐ Defrost the freezer if necessary
☐ Clean the interior walls
☐ Clean shelves and drawers
☐ Carefully clean the plastic door seals
☐ Clean the exterior
☐ Clean the top
☐ Clean underneath and behind the appliance where accessible
After cleaning, you can leave the doors slightly open to help prevent unpleasant odours.
Dishwasher
☐ Clean the interior
☐ Clean the filter
☐ Clean the seals
☐ Clean the door
☐ Clean around the edges
☐ Make sure no food residue remains
Cupboards and drawers
This is frequently underestimated. Do not clean only the fronts.
☐ Clean inside
☐ Clean outside
☐ Clean the top
☐ Clean underneath where accessible
☐ Clean the sides
☐ Clean the handles
☐ Clean the corners of drawers
Sink and taps
☐ Clean the sink
☐ Remove limescale from the taps
☐ Clean around the base of the taps
☐ Check and clean the tap aerator if necessary
☐ Clean the drain
☐ Make sure the water drains properly
☐ Remove visible limescale deposits
2. Bathroom and toilet
Pay particular attention to limescale, seals, drains and any signs of mould.
Shower and bath
☐ Clean shower screens and surfaces
☐ Remove limescale
☐ Clean the taps
☐ Descale the shower head
☐ Clean the shower hose
☐ Clean shower-door tracks
☐ Clean the seals
☐ Remove hair from the drains
☐ Check that water drains normally
Washbasin
☐ Clean the basin
☐ Descale the taps
☐ Clean the drain
☐ Clean around the taps
☐ Clean the cabinet underneath
☐ Clean the seals
Toilet
☐ Clean the toilet bowl
☐ Clean underneath the rim
☐ Clean the seat
☐ Clean the hinges
☐ Clean the cistern
☐ Clean the flush button
☐ Clean around and behind the toilet
Ventilation
Another commonly forgotten area:
☐ Clean the ventilation grille
☐ Remove accumulated dust
☐ Clean the filter where accessible and designed for regular maintenance
3. Windows, frames, blinds and shutters
Cleaning the glass alone is not enough for a thorough move-out clean.
Windows
☐ Clean the inside of the windows
☐ Clean the outside where safely accessible
☐ Clean the window frames
☐ Clean the window sills
☐ Clean the handles
☐ Clean tracks and grooves
☐ Remove dust, insects and dirt from corners
Where the window design allows access between panes, check this area as well.
Blinds and shutters
Blinds can take considerably longer to clean than expected.
☐ Clean the slats
☐ Clean the inside
☐ Clean the outside where safely accessible
☐ Clean the tracks and guides
☐ Clean the edges
☐ Remove accumulated dust and dirt
4. Doors, walls, switches and skirting boards
These small surfaces are particularly easy to overlook when cleaning an entire apartment.
Doors
☐ Clean the door surfaces
☐ Clean the handles
☐ Clean the edges
☐ Clean the tops of the doors
☐ Clean the door frames
Switches and sockets
☐ Clean light switches
☐ Carefully clean the external surfaces of electrical sockets
☐ Remove fingerprints and marks
☐ Visually check their condition
For safety reasons, never introduce liquids or objects into an electrical socket.
Skirting boards
☐ Vacuum the skirting boards
☐ Wipe the surfaces
☐ Clean the corners
☐ Check behind doors and where furniture has been removed
Walls
☐ Check for visible marks
☐ Carefully remove marks that can safely be cleaned
☐ Remove stickers and hooks you installed
☐ Check holes left by pictures or other wall fixings
Be careful with DIY paint touch-ups: using the wrong colour or finish can make the repair more noticeable rather than less.
5. Bedrooms and living areas
An empty room may look clean while dust remains around the edges and on less visible surfaces.
☐ Vacuum the floors thoroughly
☐ Wash floors where appropriate for the flooring material
☐ Clean skirting boards
☐ Clean doors and handles
☐ Clean switches
☐ Clean the external surfaces of sockets
☐ Clean windows and frames
☐ Clean blinds or shutters
☐ Clean accessible radiators
☐ Remove cobwebs
☐ Check corners and the tops of doors
6. Cupboards and storage areas
For every cupboard or storage area:
☐ Empty completely
☐ Vacuum dust and crumbs
☐ Clean inside
☐ Clean outside
☐ Clean shelves
☐ Clean the top
☐ Clean underneath where accessible
☐ Clean handles
☐ Clean accessible drawer tracks
7. Floors and carpets
Ideally, leave the floors until the end.
Hard floors
☐ Vacuum thoroughly
☐ Clean the corners
☐ Clean underneath accessible radiators
☐ Wash using a product suitable for the flooring
☐ Check for marks once the floor has dried
Carpets
Carpets may require more than vacuuming.
☐ Vacuum thoroughly
☐ Treat stains where possible
☐ Check whether extraction or shampoo cleaning is necessary
Professional equipment may be needed for a thorough carpet clean.
8. Balcony or terrace
If your property has a balcony or terrace:
☐ Remove all personal belongings
☐ Sweep thoroughly
☐ Clean the floor
☐ Clean the edges
☐ Clean accessible drains
☐ Remove leaves and dirt
☐ Clean significant marks
Depending on the property and your property manager's instructions, more extensive cleaning may be required.
9. Cellar, garage and other areas
Do not forget any additional areas included in your tenancy.
Cellar
☐ Remove all your belongings
☐ Sweep thoroughly
☐ Remove dust and rubbish
Garage
If you have a garage:
☐ Empty it
☐ Sweep the floor
☐ Check for oil marks
☐ Remove all personal belongings
10. Things people often forget before the final inspection
Cleaning is not the only thing to prepare.
Keys
☐ Gather all keys
☐ Check building entrance keys
☐ Check apartment keys
☐ Check mailbox keys
☐ Check cellar keys
☐ Check garage keys
☐ Check electronic fobs
☐ Check any remote controls supplied with the property
Where possible, compare the number of keys with your entry inspection report.
Minor repairs
Check:
☐ Light bulbs
☐ Damaged sockets and switches
☐ Shower hose and shower head
☐ Toilet seat
☐ Fridge shelves and drawers
☐ Stickers and hooks you added
☐ Holes left by pictures or decorations
Depending on the circumstances, certain minor repairs may be the tenant's responsibility.
Light fittings
If you installed your own light fittings:
☐ Check which ones need to be removed
☐ Check fittings belonging to the property
☐ Make sure the light bulbs work
Appliance manuals
If appliance manuals were provided at the beginning of your tenancy:
☐ Gather them together
☐ Make sure they are not accidentally packed with your belongings
☐ Leave them in the property if they need to be returned
11. Final check: inspect the apartment as if you were the property manager
Once you have finished cleaning, don't put your cleaning products away immediately.
Allow surfaces to dry and then do a second complete inspection of the property.
Pay particular attention to:
☐ The oven under good lighting
☐ Extractor hood and filters
☐ Fridge seals
☐ Tops of cupboards
☐ Corners of drawers
☐ Limescale around taps
☐ Shower and sink drains
☐ Bathroom seals
☐ Window tracks
☐ Blinds and shutters
☐ Tops of doors
☐ Skirting boards
☐ Switches
☐ Handles
☐ Marks on walls
☐ Balcony or terrace
☐ Cellar
Tip: look at shiny surfaces from an angle or against the light. Marks on windows, mirrors, cabinet fronts and floors become much easier to see.
How much time should you allow for end of tenancy cleaning?
Don't underestimate the amount of work involved.
A thorough end of tenancy clean includes many tasks that are not normally part of regular household cleaning: deep descaling, oven and extractor hood cleaning, inside cupboards, blinds, window frames, seals, ventilation grilles, skirting boards and more.
The size and initial condition of the property, number of windows, type of blinds, amount of limescale and condition of the kitchen can all significantly affect the amount of time required.
It is therefore better to start early rather than trying to complete everything the day before your final inspection.
If you are comparing doing the work yourself with hiring a professional, you can also read our guide: nettoyage de fin de bail : le faire soi-même ou faire appel à une entreprise ?
Can you do end of tenancy cleaning yourself?
Yes.
If you have enough time, suitable equipment and your property is in reasonable condition, you can absolutely prepare the apartment yourself.
That is exactly what this checklist is designed to help you do.
The key is not to approach it like ordinary household cleaning. Work systematically, room by room, and pay attention to areas you would not normally clean every week.
Doing it yourself?
Save this checklist and tick off each item as you go.
Prefer to leave the cleaning to us?
PASMOI Maison provides professional end of tenancy cleaning in Geneva and the canton of Vaud.
If you would like to compare costs before deciding, see our guide to end of tenancy cleaning prices in Geneva.
Our approach is simple:
Fixed price based on the size of your property.
Payment after the final inspection.
Touch-up cleaning included if necessary.
You take care of your move. We take care of the cleaning.