Kehrwoche: cleaning the stairs by turns
Kehrwoche
In many apartment buildings, tenants take turns cleaning the stairs and the pavement. In Swabia this is called Kehrwoche.
In many German buildings there is no cleaning company. Instead the tenants share the work: one week you clean the stairs, the next week your neighbour does.
In Baden-Württemberg (Swabia) this tradition is called Kehrwoche ("sweeping week") and is centuries old. A sign that hangs on the door of whoever has the turn tells everyone it is your week.
Rental contracts or house rules (Hausordnung) often split it into a small Kehrwoche (your part of the stairs) and a big one (the whole staircase, the entrance and the pavement, and in winter: clearing snow).
Check your Hausordnung when you move in. Neighbours notice when a turn is skipped.
You may hear
Diese Woche hast du Kehrwoche.This week it is your turn to clean.
India and Germany
In Indian buildings a watchman or a cleaner usually does this. In Germany it is often the tenants' own job.
German words for this
- kehren / fegen · to sweep
- das Treppenhaus · staircase
- die Hausordnung · house rules
- der Gehweg · pavement
Sources
Last checked: 9 November 2026.
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