Swiss service life table for rentals

Updated: October 2026Editorial team: Umzugsexpress GmbHTeam: 17 years in moving and clearance

A stain on the carpet, a scratch in the parquet, picture holes in the wall: when you move out, the question is what counts as normal wear and what you pay for. In Switzerland the answer usually comes from the joint service life table (paritätische Lebensdauertabelle) – and a simple calculation. Here are the key values, the formula with a calculator, and the points where tenants often pay too much.

In short

Normal wear and tear is paid for by the rent. You only pay for damage beyond it – and even then only the depreciated value: (service life − age) ÷ service life × cost. Emulsion paint lasts 8 years according to the table; if it is 6 years old, you pay at most a quarter. Once the service life has expired, you normally pay nothing towards a normal replacement.

Depreciated-value calculator

Only for damage beyond normal wear and tear. Calculates only in your browser.

Item

Service life (years)

Age since last renewal (years)

Replacement cost (CHF, optional)

Guide value without guarantee. What counts is your lease, the move-in report and the current edition of the joint service life table. Extra work, such as special treatment for nicotine, is paid in full by the tenant (Swiss tenants’ association).

What is the joint service life table?

The Swiss tenants’ association (Mieterverband) and the homeowners’ association (HEV) drew it up together, and both sides recognise it. It is not law but a recommendation – courts do use it. The values assume average material and workmanship. For offices and business premises, floors, walls and ceilings have a shorter service life.

The legal basis: when you move out, you return the flat in the condition “resulting from use in accordance with the contract” (Art. 267 para. 1 Swiss Code of Obligations). Agreements committing you in advance to a lump sum covering more than the actual damage are void (Art. 267 para. 2).

Key values

Item	Service life in years
Wall paint, emulsion or distemper	8
Paint, acrylic or synthetic resin	15
Wallpaper (woodchip, medium quality)	10
Glass-fibre wallpaper	20
Parquet sealing or oiling	10
Solid parquet	40
Multi-layer parquet	30
Fitted carpet, medium quality	10
Needle felt	8
Laminate budget / medium / premium	10 / 15 / 25
Linoleum	20
Glazed ceramic tiles	30
Porcelain stoneware, hard natural stone	40
Kitchen units, chipboard/MDF	15
Kitchen units, solid wood/metal	20
Cooker and oven	15
Dishwasher	15
Extractor hood	10
Bathtub acrylic / enamelled steel	25 / 35
Washbasin, WC (ceramic)	35
Awning fabric	15

Source of the values: the Beobachter info sheet and Comparis, which reproduce the joint table. Where these sources differ (for example fridges or PVC flooring), we give no value. What counts is the current edition published by the tenants’ and homeowners’ associations.

How it is calculated

Look up the item’s service life in the table.
Determine its age – counted from the last renewal, not from when you moved in. The move-in report or the property manager knows the date.
Work out the remaining share: (service life − age) ÷ service life.
Apply this share to the actual cost.

Examples from the tenants’ association: wallpaper with a 10-year life is 6 years old – you pay 40 per cent. If the same wallpaper is 15 years old, the landlord bears everything. A 6-year-old medium-quality fitted carpet: 40 per cent of the replacement.

The exception: extra work beyond normal renovation is yours in full – for example special treatment of walls after heavy smoking, or painting over coloured walls.

What a Zurich court decided in 2026

The Zurich District Rent Court (judgment of 8 June 2026, not yet final) applied the table: the tenant owes only the depreciated value calculated with it. Damages are in principle due only for costs actually incurred and documented – quotes for work never carried out carry less weight as evidence.

For you this means: if you receive a claim, ask for the invoice, not just a quote, and check whether the depreciation has been deducted.

Wear and tear or damage? Typical cases

Plug and nail holes: normal wear if they are properly filled and not too numerous. No source gives a fixed number.
Smoking: heavily yellowed walls count as excessive wear. You pay the special treatment in full, the normal paint only at its depreciated value.
Pets: scratches or bite marks from your animal are yours, insofar as they go beyond normal wear.
Slightly yellowed walls after years: normal wear – you pay nothing for this.

Whether to repaint yourself: Do I have to repaint when moving out?. What is checked at the handover: Flat handover guide.

How we help

Our end-of-tenancy cleaning with handover guarantee keeps the cleaning from becoming a point of dispute. Small repairs and repainting are handled by our painting service. We do not give legal advice on a landlord’s claim – the tenants’ association or the conciliation authority is there for that.

Frequently asked questions

Is the service life table binding?

It is not law but a recommendation recognised jointly by the tenants’ and homeowners’ associations. Courts use it to calculate the depreciated value.

Does the age count from when I moved in?

No. It counts from the last renewal or installation. Paint that was three years old when you moved in is eight years old after a five-year tenancy.

What do I pay once the service life has expired?

Normally nothing towards a normal replacement. Extra work, such as special treatment for nicotine, is still yours.

Can the landlord charge the full price of a quote?

At most the depreciated value is owed. A 2026 Zurich judgment (not yet final) also stresses that in principle only costs actually incurred and documented must be reimbursed.

Sources

As of October 2026. This guide does not replace legal advice.

Service life table: what tenants really pay when moving out