How much do you actually update between tenants?

Question

Tenant turnover is one of those things where I think it's easy to go too far in either direction.

On one hand, you want the unit to be clean, well-maintained, and appealing to the next tenant. On the other, not every turnover needs to turn into a mini renovation.

If the flooring still has life left in it, the walls just need a fresh coat of paint, and everything is functioning properly, does it make sense to replace things just because they're not brand new?

Obviously, it depends on the condition of the unit, the type of tenant you're trying to attract, and the market you're in. But I think having a consistent standard for turnover makes a big difference, especially when you're managing multiple rentals.

For those of you with rental portfolios, how do you approach this? Do you have a standard turnover checklist you follow every time, or do you evaluate each unit individually and decide what needs to be done?

Jamison Theander · Answer

The checklist and lifecycle points here are solid. A completed turn should also become the new baseline for the next tenancy.

Before move-in, keep a dated set of wide room photos and close-ups, note what was replaced versus what still has useful life, record the key and access-device inventory, and attach the final invoices to the property file. That gives the next turnover a clear starting point instead of forcing someone to reconstruct the unit's condition from old texts and vendor bills.

It also makes later deposit or damage conversations more factual. The exact inspection and deposit rules still depend on state and local requirements.

Aaron Zimmerman · Answer

I try to keep turnovers as light as possible. Usually you’re going to be under a tight timeline so less is more unless something is truly necessary.

That said, I do try to upgrade small things as they need fixing like blinds, fixtures, etc.

Mike Fisher · Answer

Aiden, good question, and the checklists above cover the what. Two things on the how start to matter once you own more than a couple of houses.

First, pick one spec and use it everywhere: one paint color and sheen, one floor product, the same faucet and blind sizes. Touch up paint matches, your painter quotes faster, and you can keep a few boxes of flooring on the shelf instead of shopping every turn. That is a big part of what keeps a turn at a few days instead of two weeks.

Second, start the turn before the tenant leaves. Once notice comes in, schedule a walkthrough with proper notice. You see the carpet, the appliance, the tub chip early, order parts, and line up the trades for the day the keys come back. On most turns the bigger cost is days vacant, not materials.

And the best turn is the one you skip entirely. Fast repairs and a fair renewal keep good tenants in place longer, which beats any finish choice.

Mike, M Property Group LLC, south and southwest Chicago suburbs

Rachel Mazzanti · Answer

Clean, safe, and inspection-ready is the right bar. The part most landlords skip is the bookkeeping side of it, and honestly that's what makes the standard pay off. Track the turn cost per unit, every single time, and split it two ways. Repairs get expensed. Improvements get capitalized. A $900 paint job and a $4,000 HVAC unit are not the same line, and if they end up in one bucket you'll never compare turns across units or spot the house that's quietly eating you alive.

Other number worth writing down right next to it: days vacant. Once the P&L shows turn cost plus lost rent per unit, "don't remodel between tenants" stops being a gut feeling and becomes a number you can actually defend.

Richard Neese · Answer

Great question. I think this has as much to do with the class of property as anything else. Its nearly impossible for me to flip an entire apartment even at a base level and maintain any kind of cash flow year over year. We have a rental standard and correct any health and safety issues and try to be fair about our own standard. We understand our rentals aren't premium but we also don't want to be a slumlord. Balance of reasonableness and profitability is something you have to live with personally .

Leo Stein · Answer

I like Carl's lifecycle approach. One habit that helps me is keeping a simple age log for big items like water heaters, flooring and appliances, so at turnover I'm deciding from a date instead of a gut feeling. I also take a quick look at what the last tenant's move-out photos show before deciding what to touch. Do you track replacement dates anywhere, or just by memory?

James Jones · Answer

At 236 doors, the turn standard is simple: clean, safe, and inspection-ready — nothing more. We deep clean, paint where it's scuffed, fix anything broken or at end of life, and make sure every safety item works: smoke and CO detectors, locks, handrails, GFI outlets. If it's Section 8, the house has to pass inspection the first time, because a failed inspection means more vacant days, and vacant days are the real cost. What we don't do is remodel between tenants. New cabinets and granite don't move rent in the $1,395 to $1,950 band for 3BR+ Memphis houses. If a system still has life, it stays. Spend on what protects rent and pass rate, not on upgrades the rent band won't pay you back for.

Carl Millsap · Answer

@Aiden Avtgis I take the approach that if something happened to my house would I move into my unit for a short term?

I have a checklist for everything.... turns, cleaning etc.

I don't replace just to make it new. I replace if the life cycle requires it.

In one of my current turns the contractor noted that there is a chip in the tub and it's showing signs of rust. Ideally we could reseal the tub, but since it's original equipment probably 30 years old I'm pulling it which requires all the tile around it, sheetrock etc. to be torn out.

This turn was initially a simple repaint and clean, because I replaced the flooring and updated the paint scheme 2 yeas ago.

Now a 2 day process will turn into a 10-14 day turn for a complete bathroom renovation. I'll replace the toilet and vanity since the guys are there so it's done and one less thing to worry about later.

How much do you actually update between tenants?

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