Don't just paint over it: 4 make-ready steps between tenants

General Landlording & Rental Properties
13hFollow

Don't just paint over it: 4 make-ready steps between tenants

Leo SteinBusiness Member
Property Manager · Orange County, CA · Member since 2025 · 100 posts · 28 votes

On long-term rentals in Orange County, "just throw a coat of paint on it" is the turnover shortcut we see fail most. What we do instead:

- Wash the walls first. Paint doesn't bond well over grease, nicotine or residue.

- Prime the stains. A stain-blocking primer seals marks and smoke odor so they don't bleed back through.

- Swap the HVAC filter. Otherwise old odors cycle right back into freshly painted rooms.

- Photos before and after. Dated photos of every wall, so the record matches the work.

What's your make-ready order of operations between tenants?

[email protected]949-391-1019
Real Property Management Optimal 514 Reviews
WebsiteView Page
0Reply
93 views

3 Replies

Jump to latestLatest
  • Daniel Jung
    Member since 2026 · 27 posts · 9 votes
    12h

    This order has saved me a lot of headaches. I test everything that moves or runs water before any paint goes on. Run the dishwasher and laundry if there is any, flush toilets, check under sinks, test outlets, locks, and heaters. Finding a slow leak after painting means cutting into a finished wall. Next is clean, then repairs, then paint, then floors last so they do not get marked up. I also change lock codes and check smoke alarms at the end, and take the same dated photos from the same spots as move-out. It takes a bit longer up front, but the place shows better and I get far fewer calls in the first month.

    0Reply
  • Matthew Tregoning
    Property Manager · Melbourne, FL · Member since 2019 · 353 posts · 148 votes
    12h

    Keep the exact paint brand, color and sheen with those before-and-after photos too. “White in the bedrooms” won’t help the next person doing a touch-up. A photo of the can label and a room-by-room note would save the guessing, especially when a different handyman handles the next turnover.

    0Reply
  • Leo SteinBusiness Member
    OP
    Property Manager · Orange County, CA · Member since 2025 · 100 posts · 28 votes
    11h

    Daniel and Matthew, thank you both. Daniel, testing everything that runs water before any paint goes on is a smart order, since a slow leak found after painting means cutting into a finished wall. Matthew, keeping the paint brand, color and sheen with a photo of the can label would save the next handyman a lot of guessing. Do either of you keep that paint record in the unit file, or on a separate sheet?

    [email protected]949-391-1019
    Real Property Management Optimal 514 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    0Reply
Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.
Log InJoin for Free