Unit turnover (make-ready) checklist and timeline

Before the tenant leaves

The fastest turns start two to four weeks before move-out, not on the day the keys come back.

1. Confirm the move-out date in writing as soon as notice arrives.
2. Walk the unit with the tenant if your state allows or requires a pre-move-out inspection. New York, for example, requires the landlord to tell the tenant in writing of the right to request one (NY General Obligations Law 7-108).
3. Make a scope from that walk: what needs paint, flooring, appliance work or repairs.
4. Book the painter, cleaner and any trades for specific days now, and order parts that take time to arrive.
5. Start advertising the unit with an available date that matches your schedule.

The make-ready checklist

Work top to bottom and dirty to clean: repairs first, then paint, then flooring, then cleaning last so nothing is dirtied after it is cleaned.

Inspection and documentation

• Date-stamped photos and video of every room before any work, for the deposit accounting.
• A written list comparing the move-in condition report with what you see now.

Repairs

• Patch nail holes and wall damage.
• Fix dripping faucets, running toilets and slow drains.
• Check every outlet, switch and light fixture.
• Doors and windows: they open, close, latch and lock. Replace torn screens.
• Appliances: run the dishwasher, test oven burners, check the refrigerator holds temperature.

Paint and flooring

• Touch up or repaint. In a building built before 1978, sanding or scraping old paint can fall under the EPA's lead renovation rules; firms doing paid work that disturbs paint in pre-1978 housing must be certified (EPA RRP program).
• Clean or replace carpet; repair vinyl and hard floors.

Safety and access

• Test every smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm and replace any past its date. Texas requires the landlord to confirm smoke alarms work at the beginning of each tenant's possession (Texas Property Code 92.258).
• Rekey or change the locks. Texas requires rekeying no later than the seventh day after each tenant turnover (Texas Property Code 92.156); other states vary, but rekeying every turn is good practice everywhere.
• Change the HVAC filter and check that heat and cooling work.

Final clean and handover

• Professional clean including inside cabinets, appliances and windows.
• Final photos, which become the next tenant's move-in condition record.
• Keys, remotes and the move-in condition form ready for the new tenant.

A sample 9-day timeline

A unit that needs new flooring throughout, cabinets or a bathroom will take longer. The point of a written timeline is to know which day each trade is booked for, so one late vendor does not stall everyone after it.

What a slow turn really costs

Owners tend to shop hard on the painter's price and ignore the calendar. Put both in the same number.

Example a made-up unit rents for $1,450 a month, which is $48.33 a day over a 30-day month. Turn costs are paint $650, cleaning $225, carpet cleaning $180, rekey $85 and small repairs $310, for $1,450 in total. If the turn takes 21 days, lost rent is 21 x $48.33 = $1,014.93, so the vacancy costs $1,450 + $1,014.93 = $2,464.93. If the same work is booked tightly and finishes in 9 days, lost rent is 9 x $48.33 = $434.97, and the total is $1,884.97. The faster turn saves $580 on the same scope, enough to pay a premium for a vendor who shows up on the booked day.

Days vacant also include the time to find a tenant after the unit is ready, so starting to advertise before move-out matters as much as the work itself.

Recording turn costs

Cleaning between tenants and ordinary repairs are generally current expenses, while new flooring or a new appliance may be an improvement. IRS Publication 527 lists new flooring among its examples of improvements (IRS Publication 527). Keep each invoice tied to the unit and the turn so your tax preparer can sort them, and keep the before and after photos with the deposit file.

Turns in DoorKeeping

In DoorKeeping, every property keeps its own ledger, including the deposits it holds, so the turn's costs and the outgoing tenant's deposit sit in the same books. Your AI app can tell you what each turn cost and how many days each unit sat vacant from the rent records. Each turn's work orders can go to vendors by link, and the AI reads and codes their invoices into that property's books.

Sources

1. Texas Property Code, Chapter 92 (Sec. 92.156 rekeying, Sec. 92.258 smoke alarm inspection), read Oct 29, 2026
2. New York General Obligations Law 7-108, read Oct 29, 2026
3. EPA, Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program, read Oct 29, 2026
4. IRS, Publication 527, Residential Rental Property, read Oct 29, 2026

Questions

How long should an apartment turnover take?

For a unit needing paint, cleaning and small repairs, many owners aim for about one to two weeks. Full renovations take longer. Booking trades before move-out shortens it most.

What does make-ready mean in property management?

Make-ready is the work that gets a vacant unit ready for the next tenant: inspection, repairs, paint, flooring, cleaning, rekeying and safety checks.

Do I have to change the locks between tenants?

Some states require it. Texas requires rekeying within seven days after each tenant turnover. Even where it is not required, rekeying every turn is common practice. Check your state law.