Never skip these 4 steps between OC tenants

Leo SteinBusiness Member

Property Manager · Orange County, CA · Member since 2025 · 113 posts · 34 votes

On long-term rentals in Orange County, the make-ready steps that get rushed between tenants are the ones that bite later. What we don't skip:

- Rekey the locks. Every turnover gets new keys for the next resident.

- Test smoke and CO. Replace batteries or units that fail before move-in.

- Swap the HVAC filter. So stale air doesn't greet the next tenant.

- Dated photo walk. Photograph every room before the deposit clock starts.

What's on your between-tenants checklist that owners forget most often?

[email protected]949-391-1019

Real Property Management Optimal 514 Reviews

Website View Page

0 Reply

207 views

4 Replies

Jump to latestLatest

Sort by

Daniel Jung
Member since 2026 · 33 posts · 11 votes
2d
The one I see skipped most is checking drains and shutoffs while the place is empty. Run every tap, flush every toilet, and look under each sink for slow drips. A small leak is a quick fix on turnover day and a big bill once furniture is in. I also test every window lock and the water heater, and I note the dates on the photos so there is no argument later. The other habit that helps is walking the unit again the morning of move-in, after cleaners are done. Dust, a missed appliance bulb, or a dirty filter shows up fast when you look with fresh eyes.
0 Reply
Leo SteinBusiness Member
OP
Property Manager · Orange County, CA · Member since 2025 · 113 posts · 34 votes
2d
Daniel, thanks for adding that. Running every tap, flushing every toilet and checking under each sink while the unit is empty is a cheap way to catch a slow drip before the furniture goes in, and dating the photos keeps any later conversation simple. Walking the unit again the morning of move-in, after the cleaners finish, is a great habit too, since dust, a dead bulb or a dirty filter show up fast with fresh eyes. Do you do that final walk yourself, or hand it to someone else with a short checklist?
[email protected]949-391-1019
Real Property Management Optimal 514 Reviews
Website View Page
0 Reply
Richard (Ryszard) Cieplechowicz
Member since 2026 · 123 posts · 32 votes
1d
Good list. One more that gets skipped: check under every sink and around the toilet and water heater for slow leaks, and run each faucet and drain for a minute. A small drip is easy to see with an empty unit and hard to trace once furniture is in. I would also test the garage opener and gate remotes, and count the keys and remotes handed over so the move-out count has a starting number.
0 Reply
John Joe
Member since 2026 · 5 posts · 0 votes
3h
For California owners, #4 isn’t just best practice anymore, it’s the law. Under AB 2801 (Civil Code 1950.5), for tenancies starting on or after July 1, 2025, you have to photograph the unit at or right before move-in. Since April 1, 2025, you also have to take photos after move-out (before repairs or cleaning) and again after repairs, and include them with the itemized deposit statement. Without the photos, deductions are much harder to defend.
One more step I’d add between tenants is the lease paperwork, because the turnover is when you can fix it:
New rent: with a fully new tenancy, you can usually set the starting rent freely. The AB 1482 cap applies to increases after that.
Single-family homes and condos: if you want the rent cap exemption, the exact statutory notice has to be in the new lease. Without it, the home is covered.
Covered units: include the AB 1482 tenant protections notice in the lease, in 12-point type.
(Local rent control cities have their own rules.) I made a free site with the exact wording for both notices, if it helps: rentcapready.com/exemption-notice
0 Reply

Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.