Turnover checklist must haves

[Tiamo Wright]

We have had a great tenant in place for the last two years and I want to prepare for their turnover. I know that every property is going to be different based on size and wear and tear but wanted to see if anyone had any checklist that they follow to turn over a property to the next tenant as soon as possible. So far thinking things like:

- replacing air filters

- testing and replacing batteries in smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms

- carpet and floor cleaning and/or replacement 

- assessing for leaks and all working sinks, showers, toilets

- wall repairs and painting 

- appliances are in working order

- deep clean

- change locks and battery 

-replace all lightbulbs inside and out

- minor repairs

- landscaping 

Anything I am missing? And given normal wear and tear now much time do you give yourself from the tenant moving out to the new tenant moving in?

Thanks in advance 

[Corey Conklin]

You have started a great list and it covers most of the work needed to get a property rent ready.

I have always figured 2 man hours per year for turnover labor on a standard 2-3 bedroom home. So in your case it would be 4 man hours of labor on an average house. Anything above this would be charged to the tenant. 

You will need to use your judgement on the time it takes to get a property ready. If it's a light turnover you can get it knocked out in a day depending if you are doing it yourself or you are outsourcing different trades (handyman, cleaners, landscapers, etc.) But you may also consider if you want to do any repairs above and beyond the normal wear and tear. Maybe you want to update different parts of the house. Make sure to take all of it into consideration.

It's also smart to come up with a process when you do your turnover work to stay efficient. I always do a room by room walk through and come up with a scope of work. Within the scope of work I determine if it was tenant damage, normal wear and tear, or something I want to upgrade on the house. Once that is figured I get the materials and tools necessary to get the work done or you can hire the right people to get the work done. Document anything that you will charge to the tenant with photo documentation.