How is the degree of squalor determined?

At an on-site viewing. A serious assessment is not possible from a distance — which is why quotes issued without a viewing are particularly unreliable in these cases.

Does the floor always have to come out?

Only where liquids have penetrated or odors have settled in, typically from grade 2 to 3. At grade 1 a thorough cleaning is enough.

Who pays for the structural work?

That depends on the cause and on the tenancy agreement. Damage caused by the tenant is charged to the tenant or their liability insurance; wear and tear and pre-existing defects are the landlord's responsibility. Have the condition documented in writing and with photographs before anything is removed.

Special cases

Domestic Squalor (Verwahrlosung)

Also known as: Verwahrlosung · Severe neglect · Neglected apartment · Degree of squalor

Domestic squalor — «Verwahrlosung» in Swiss usage — describes a home in which hygiene and order have not been maintained over a long period. It is graded on three levels, and that grade determines how much clearance, disinfection and structural repair the property will need.

The three grades

Grade 1: heavy clutter and overfilling, but hygiene fundamentally intact. No vermin, no odor load, sanitary fittings still working. A thorough clearance followed by cleaning is enough here.

Grade 2: spoiled food, mold starting to form, a noticeable odor load, partial vermin infestation, sanitary fittings heavily soiled or partly no longer in use. Additionally required: disinfection and odor neutralization.

Grade 3: feces inside the apartment, massive vermin infestation, odors that have penetrated the building fabric, floors and walls partly damaged or soaked through. Here the clearance is followed by the removal of contaminated building components, disinfection and usually a complete renovation.

Effects on the building fabric

From grade 2 onwards the building fabric itself is affected. Liquids seep into the screed and the sub-floor, odors settle into plasterboard, wood and wallpaper. Cleaning the surfaces is then no longer enough — the smell comes back as soon as it gets warm or humid.

In such cases floor coverings and sometimes the sub-floor have to be removed, and walls stripped back or sealed. That is why a grade 3 clearance costs a multiple of a normal one.

Protecting health while working

From grade 2 onwards our teams work in protective suits, gloves and respiratory protection. At grade 3 full protective gear and separate changing areas are added. This equipment is not box-ticking — mold spores, fecal bacteria and vermin excrement are real health risks.

Who assesses the grade — and why not by photo

The grade is determined at an on-site viewing, because the decisive factors are ones a photo does not show: smell, humidity, whether the floor gives underfoot, whether vermin are present. Anyone quoting a fixed price for a neglected property from photographs alone is guessing — and the correction usually arrives on the day of the clearance.

A real case

An apartment in Zurich-Schwamendingen is found in grade 3 condition after the tenant's death. The floor covering is soaked through, there is a heavy cockroach infestation, and the smell has drawn into the walls and the screed. After the clearance, the carpet, the sub-floor and the bottom 60 centimeters of the plasterboard walls are removed, pest control is carried out and the apartment is ozone-treated. Only then can renovation begin.

Services that cover this

Hoarder Apartment Clearance All-Inclusive Package Apartment Clearance Zurich

Frequently asked questions about Domestic Squalor (Verwahrlosung)

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