The short version
- Turnover time is vacancy cost. Every day a unit sits unready is a day of rent you will not get back.
- Start planning when notice arrives, not when keys come back. A pre move-out visit lets you order parts and book vendors early.
- Run trades in a fixed order, roughly repairs, then paint, then flooring, then cleaning, so nobody undoes another's work.
- Use the same checklist every time, and separate tenant caused damage from normal wear as you go.
- Track days from move-out to rent ready for each unit. It is the clearest measure of how well the process works.
The days between one tenant’s move-out and the next tenant’s move-in are some of the most expensive in a rental’s life. The unit earns nothing, and every day it sits unfinished adds to the loss. A good make-ready process shortens that gap by planning work before the keys come back and running it in an order that avoids rework.
This guide covers the process step by step, with a sample schedule and the numbers worth tracking.
The cost of a slow turn
Start with the arithmetic. A unit that rents for $1,800 a month earns about $59 a day ($1,800 times 12, divided by 365). If your turnover takes 21 days instead of 7, that is 14 extra days, or roughly $830 in lost rent, before counting the turnover work itself.
Across a portfolio with several turnovers a year, the difference between a fast and slow process often exceeds the cost of the repairs. That is why the best operators treat days vacant as a key number.
Before move-out: plan the turn
Start when notice arrives
As soon as a tenant gives notice, or declines a renewal, put the turnover on the calendar. You likely have 30 to 60 days. Use them.
- Start marketing so you can line up the next tenant. Our post on filling vacancies faster covers listing and showing during notice.
- Send the tenant move-out instructions: cleaning expectations, key return, forwarding address and the date of the final inspection. Our move-out checklist can go with the letter.
Do a pre move-out walkthrough
With proper notice, walk the unit two to three weeks before move-out. You are not inspecting for deposit deductions yet. You are scoping work:
- Will the carpet need replacing or just cleaning?
- Are appliances near the end of their life?
- Does the unit need a full repaint or touch up?
- Are there repairs the tenant reported, or did not report?
This visit lets you order flooring, appliances and parts before the unit is vacant, and book vendors for the days right after move-out. It also gives the tenant a chance to fix things themselves, which reduces deposit disputes.
Move-out day: the inspection
When the keys come back, do the move-out inspection right away using the same checklist as move-in. Photograph every item and compare with the move-in record. Mark each item as fine, normal wear, or damage beyond normal wear. Our wear and tear checklist helps draw that line.
In TenantLoop, a move-out inspection compares each item with the move-in record, showing what got worse, what is new and what was resolved. You mark who is responsible for each item, and one click creates a work order for every item marked Repair, Replace or Missing, with photos attached and linked back to the inspection. See inspections.
The inspection gives you two outputs: the scope of work for the turn, and the evidence for any deposit deductions. Send the deposit statement within your state’s deadline. Our security deposit guide covers the rules.
The order of work
Running trades in the wrong order is the most common source of wasted time. Painters get dust from a drywall repair. Floor installers scuff fresh paint. Cleaners have to come back twice. A typical sequence:
- Trash out. Remove anything left behind, following your state’s rules on abandoned property. Our abandoned property notice template covers the notice step.
- Rekey locks.
- Repairs. Plumbing, electrical, drywall patches, doors, cabinets, window screens, appliance repairs.
- Pest treatment, if needed, before surfaces are finished.
- Paint. Touch up or full repaint, ceilings before walls.
- Flooring. Replace or repair, after paint so new floors are not splattered.
- Appliances and fixtures. Install new appliances, light fixtures, blinds and hardware.
- Deep clean. Kitchen, bathrooms, windows, inside cabinets and appliances.
- Carpet cleaning, last, if carpet stays.
- Final check. Walk the unit with the make-ready checklist, test everything and take listing photos.
Our make-ready checklist follows this order and is a good base for your own.
A sample schedule
For a two bedroom needing touch up paint, carpet cleaning, minor repairs and a new dishwasher that was ordered during the notice period:
| Day | Work |
|---|---|
| 0 | Keys returned, move-out inspection, photos, trash out, locks rekeyed |
| 1 | Handyman repairs: drywall patches, cabinet hinge, closet door, screens |
| 2 | Paint touch up, dishwasher installed |
| 3 | Deep clean |
| 4 | Carpet cleaning |
| 5 | Final check, listing photos, unit marked rent ready |
Five days, because the dishwasher and vendor bookings were arranged before move-out. Without the pre move-out visit, the same work might take two weeks while you wait for parts and openings in vendors’ schedules.
Standardize to go faster
The fastest turnovers come from standardization.
- One paint color and sheen for walls across the portfolio, and one for trim. Touch ups blend and painters do not need to match.
- Standard fixtures and finishes. Same faucets, light fixtures, blinds and hardware, so you can stock spares.
- A turnover kit with smoke alarm batteries, HVAC filters, light bulbs, outlet covers, cabinet hinges and caulk.
- Preferred vendors for each trade who know your standards and can be booked on short notice. Our vendor management guide covers setting this up.
- Durable flooring. Many landlords replace carpet with vinyl plank in high turnover units because it cleans up faster and lasts longer.
Separating damage from wear
During the turn, keep two lists. Normal wear and tear, like minor scuffs, faded paint and worn carpet in walkways, is your cost. Damage beyond normal wear, like holes in walls, burns, pet stains and broken fixtures, may be charged to the tenant. Keep invoices and photos for every item you deduct. Our post on security deposit accounting covers how to record deductions.
Tracking the turnover
Track these for each turnover:
- Days from move-out to rent ready
- Days from rent ready to new lease start
- Turnover cost, split between routine work and damage
- What delayed it, if it ran long
After a few turnovers you will see patterns, such as one vendor who always runs late or flooring orders that take longer than expected. Fix those and your average drops.
In TenantLoop, each work order from the inspection carries its vendor, visit time and invoice, and the list shows which jobs are billed and which are not. The listings page shows which units are vacant and unlisted, so a finished unit does not sit unmarketed. See work orders.
Common mistakes
- Waiting for move-out to scope the work
- Painting after new floors go in
- Booking vendors one at a time as each finishes
- Mixing damage and wear in one list, then struggling to itemize the deposit
- Forgetting to rekey
- Skipping the final walkthrough and discovering a problem at the next move-in
A quick checklist
- Notice received, turnover on the calendar
- Pre move-out walkthrough and parts ordered
- Move-out inspection with photos the day keys return
- Trades booked in order
- Deposit statement sent on time
- Final check against the make-ready checklist
- Days vacant recorded
Rules on abandoned property, entry notice and deposit deductions vary by state. This post is general information. Check your state and local law, and see our state pages such as Arizona security deposit laws where available.
The bits people get stuck on.
How long should a rental turnover take?
It depends on the unit's condition and how much work it needs. A light turnover with cleaning and touch up paint can be done in a few days. A turnover that needs flooring or appliance replacement takes longer. The goal is to know your own average and push it down by planning ahead.
Can I show a unit before the turnover is finished?
Many landlords start marketing before move-out and show the unit during the last weeks of the previous tenancy with proper notice. Showing during the make-ready is possible if the unit is safe, but a finished unit usually makes a better impression.
Should I repaint every unit between tenants?
Not always. Touch up painting is often enough after a short tenancy if you use the same paint colors and sheens throughout. Full repaints are typically needed every few years, or sooner after smoking, pets or heavy wear.
Who pays for turnover costs?
You do, for normal wear and tear and routine turnover. Costs to repair damage beyond normal wear can be deducted from the security deposit with an itemized statement, as your state's law allows.