What does broom-clean mean exactly?
Broom-clean ("besenrein") means the property is completely cleared, the floors are swept, cupboards and fittings are empty, and coarse dirt is gone. That is all. It does not include cleaning windows, wet cleaning, removing limescale in the bathroom and kitchen, cleaning carpets, or filling drill holes.
The term is narrower than most tenants fear and than some landlords claim. Because it is not defined in statute, practice follows this reading: cleared, swept, empty.
What broom-clean covers — and what it does not
Covers:
- Every room completely empty, including cellar, attic and garage where these form part of the tenancy
- Floors swept, coarse dirt and building debris removed
- Cupboards, fittings and shelving empty
- Your own installations removed, unless otherwise agreed
- All rubbish and personal items gone
Does not cover:
- Cleaning windows, inside or out
- Wet mopping or damp-cleaning floors
- Limescale in the shower, taps and WC
- Cleaning the inside of the oven and fridge
- Shampooing fitted carpet
- Filling and painting over drill holes
- Painting walls and ceilings
Everything in the second list is a final clean or redecoration, and both are separate obligations with their own conditions.
May the landlord require more?
Only under narrower conditions than many handover protocols imply.
A tenant's obligation on return follows the tenancy agreement. Absent a valid special provision, the tenant owes the property back in its contractual state — and that includes normal wear. Traces of use that arise from ordinary living are covered by the rent already paid.
Standard-form clauses imposing a blanket professional final clean with proof frequently fail a fairness review, particularly where they apply regardless of the actual condition. An individually negotiated cleaning obligation is a different matter and may well be valid.
And the practical point: whether a clause is enforceable is rarely settled on handover day. If you want certainty, settle it in writing with the landlord beforehand — not with the contractor in the hallway.
Do I have to fill drill holes?
A normal number of drill holes counts as contractual use: shelves, lights, pictures, curtain rails. Those you need not fill.
It looks different with an unusually high number, or with holes in places where they were avoidable — for example in tiles, where fixing into the grout line was possible. There an obligation to remedy may exist.
Is the flat broom-clean if I have only emptied it?
Not quite. Sweeping also means removing the dust, packaging remnants and the dirt created while emptying. An empty flat with a layer of dust and cardboard offcuts is emptied but not broom-clean — and that is precisely where handovers most often fail.
What this costs on a clearance
With us the broom-clean handover is part of the process: we clear, sweep, check the fittings and hand over empty. The working time is billed at 65,45 €55,00 € per person per hour — the sweeping is part of the clearance, not an extra item.
A final clean is a separate item, also at the hourly rate. For an average two-room flat, budget two to four person-hours, so roughly €130 to €260, depending on the state of the bathroom and kitchen.
The important note: say so in advance. A second visit purely to clean costs the minimum charge of 90,00 €75,63 € again, plus the diesel for the journey, because the trip is incurred afresh. The same two hours inside the original appointment costs only the working time.
A practical order for the handover
- Read the handover protocol first. If it asks for more than broom-clean, settle it in writing with the landlord before booking a clearance date.
- Take photographs. Before and after the clearance, dated. That is the best protection against claims that surface weeks later.
- Keep the sequence. Clear first, then paint, then clean. Painting before clearing means painting twice.
- Note the meter readings. Electricity, gas, water, with a photo. Not part of broom-clean, but forgotten just as often.
- Return every key. Flat, building, cellar, letterbox, garage. Missing keys are the most expensive small item of any handover, because the lock system may be replaced.
If you cannot be there yourself
That is the normal case for clearances handled from abroad. We then document the condition before and after photographically and send you the images. How that works organisationally is in the checklist for relatives abroad.
The rates for the clearance itself are in what a clearance in Munich costs, and the process on the flat and house clearance page.