Swiss Fixture Depreciation Table: Tenant Liability & Handover Deductions

1. Normal Wear and Tear vs. Excessive Damage (Art. 267 para. 1 CO)

Under Art. 267 para. 1 of the Swiss Code of Obligations (CO), departing tenants must return the leased dwelling in the condition resulting from contractual use. Normal wear and tear is entirely covered by the monthly rental payments.

This includes faded wall paint, light silhouettes from hung picture frames, minor pressure marks on carpets, and ordinary signs of use on faucets. For normal wear, landlords cannot deduct a single franc from the security deposit.

• Normal wear (zero tenant liability): Picture shadows, natural timber darkening, minor filled pinholes.
• Excessive damage (proportional tenant liability): Deep gouges in parquet, extensive children's crayon drawings on walls, heavy nicotine stains, cracked ceramic basins.
• Art. 267a CO: Landlord notification duty – defects must be formally notified during the handover or within 2–3 working days; otherwise, the apartment is deemed unconditionally accepted.

2. Key Benchmarks from the Joint Lifespan Table

The joint table published by the Swiss Homeowners Association (HEV) and the Swiss Tenants' Association (MV) serves as the universally accepted standard before all Swiss tenancy conciliation boards:

• Interior wall emulsion / dispersion paint: 8 years
• Standard wallpaper: 10 years
• Medium-grade carpeting: 10 years
• Parquet floor sanding and sealing: 10 years (the hardwood planks themselves have a lifespan of 30–50 years)
• Refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines: 10 to 12 years
• Ceramic hobs and induction cooktops / ovens: 15 years
• Sanitary ceramic fixtures (sinks, bathtubs, toilets): 30 to 35 years
• Silicone bathroom sealant joints: 5 to 8 years (classified as maintenance seams; replacement is landlord responsibility)

3. Practical Calculation Formula: Real-World Case Studies

Damage compensation is calculated on a straight-line basis: Residual Value = Original Cost × (Remaining Lifespan ÷ Total Lifespan).

Scenario 1: A tenant scratches a wall requiring repainting. The room was freshly painted exactly 6 years ago. The table lifespan is 8 years. Remaining lifespan is 2 years (2 ÷ 8 = 25%). If repainting costs 800 CHF, the maximum tenant share is 200 CHF (25% of 800 CHF). The landlord absorbs the remaining 600 CHF.

Scenario 2: If the wall was painted more than 8 years ago, the lifespan is 100% expired (residual value = 0 CHF). The tenant owes 0 CHF, because scheduled repainting was due at landlord expense regardless.

4. The Handover Protocol: When to Sign and How to Add Reservations

During handover, the property manager presents a formal checkout protocol. An unconditional signature legally constitutes an acknowledgment of debt.

If you dispute an item or liability, never leave a blank signature. Add in writing next to your name: 'Signed solely to confirm attendance; alleged defects and cost liability explicitly disputed subject to Joint Lifespan Table calculation'.

Mondar end-of-tenancy cleaning teams attend handovers in person and back their work with a 100% handover guarantee: Any cleanliness defect flagged by the inspector is remedied on the spot at no extra cost.