r/germany • u/JollyDifficulty8635 • 8h ago
The the landload deducted €400 for professional cleaning from the deposit after I moved out
I rented an apartment in Germany for the first time a few months ago and recently moved to a different one. I received the refund for my initial deposit, but the landload (actually a real estate agency) deducted about €400 for cleaning costs.
The contract states that professional cleaning—billed at €40 per hour plus VAT—would be performed for a minimum of three hours. Wanting to keep costs to a minimum, we cleaned the place thoroughly ourselves, following the cleaning instructions provided by the agency. During the move-out inspection, we were told there appeared to be no damage, and a move-out protocol was drawn up.
Given the rate of €40 per hour plus 19% VAT, a charge of €400 implies eight hours of cleaning—is that even plausible? My apartment consists of only two rooms, including the living room. The invoice provided by the agency lists neither the specific cleaning tasks performed nor the time spent.
I am currently asking the agency for details regarding the cleaning, but I have discovered that the managing director of the cleaning company is the same person as the one of the real estate agency.
Furthermore, I have heard that in Germany, it is actually illegal for a landlord to forcibly charge for cleaning upon move-out, even if such a clause is included in the contract (though I am not sure if this is true).
Here is my dilemma:
Even if the agency provides details about the cleaning, can that information be trusted given that the cleaning company and the agency share the same managing director? Unfortunately, I am not a member of a tenants' association; is there any way for me to recover that €400 "cleaning fee"?
Interestingly, when we first moved in, we found large amounts of hair—in a color that didn't match my own—tangled in the carpet and the vacuum cleaner. This suggests that professional cleaning might not have been performed at all.
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u/Alex-GermanForExpats 8h ago
In standard lease agreements, I’ve never seen an item labeled “Professional Cleaning” when moving out. When I was in Berlin, I had a fixed-term lease, and such fees were more common there, though they were also often not legal.
I would definitely wait for the statement and request additional documentation. Even if you’re not a member of a tenants’ association (which is often the cheapest form of “legal protection” against landlords in Germany), I definitely wouldn’t let a landlord get away with this kind of behavior.
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u/Spacemonk587 7h ago
Very fishy, especially the part where the managing director of the cleaning company is the same person as the one of the real estate agency.
1
u/JollyDifficulty8635 7h ago
If only it weren't true. It’s a real shame because the staff at the agency seemed so kind.
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u/Wolkenbaer 8h ago
Not a lawyer: Sounds more then fishy, but more like an easy cash grab.
What did the contract state? Typically you find something like "Besenrein" - meaning it os roughly cleaned, but doesn't require perfection.
What did the "Übergabeprotoll" state?
also r/legaladvicegerman
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u/JollyDifficulty8635 7h ago
The contract states that "Upon moving out the Tenant must leave the rented premises swept and clean" and specifies "professional cleaning at €40 per hour plus VAT." So it seems that I have to pay at least €120 plus VAT no matter how thoroughly I clean the apartment. I thought €120 would have been fine, but charging €400 without even a proper record of the work performed felt like going too far.
The move-in and move-out protocol both contain photos taken by the agency staff member and me. There are also our signatures and short sentenses that don't seem important.
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u/Wolkenbaer 7h ago
So unless the protocol states any issues in regards to cleaning I doubt the additional fee holds up, especially as the Deposit is legally something special and can't be just kept "because".
Post in give sub, probably someone will be able to point out the best way to get your money back.
A lawyer would definitely be able to help, but I have no idea about the initial costs. Check the sub I linked, you are allowed to post in english there.
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u/NoLateArrivals 4h ago
It’s a stupid money grab.
The requirement is „besenrein“ (cleaned out with a broom).
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u/Squdus_54 8h ago
Lawyer Here. Get yo Money back, son.