For landlords, the time between tenants is a race. The home needs to be inspected, repaired, cleaned and shown, and every empty day is a day without rent. A turnover clean is what makes the unit ready for the next person. We wrote about closing day for sellers in What to Clean Before Closing Day When You Sell Your House. This one is for owners of rentals.
Every rental is different, and every landlord has their own standards. Use this as a starting checklist and add your own.
Inspect first, clean second
Walk the unit with your move-in photos and inspection notes before the clean starts. Note what needs a repair, what needs a cleaner and what is normal wear. That way, your cleaner is not scrubbing a wall that will be repainted next week, and your painter is not working around a half-cleaned kitchen.
A good order for most turnovers: inspection, repairs and painting, cleaning, final check, then showings and move-in.
The reason cleaning comes after repairs is simple. Painters, handymen and flooring crews all make dust. Sanding a patch, cutting baseboard or replacing a vanity leaves a fine film across the whole unit. If the clean happens first, it often has to happen twice. Book the cleaner for the day after the last trade finishes, and let them know what work was done so they expect the dust.
The kitchen checklist
- Inside the oven, the racks, the broiler or storage drawer.
- Stovetop, drip pans or glass top and the knobs.
- Range hood and filter.
- Inside and outside the fridge and freezer, including seals and drawers.
- Dishwasher filter, gasket and door edges.
- Inside every cabinet and drawer, plus the fronts and handles.
- Sink, faucet, disposal flap and counters.
- Microwave inside and out.
Kitchens are where tenants form their first opinion at a showing. They open the oven, look under the sink and pull a drawer or two. A spotless kitchen tells them the rest of the home was cared for, which is exactly the message you want a new tenant to get before they sign.
The bathroom checklist
- Tub, shower walls and glass, with hard water and soap scum removed.
- Faucets, shower heads and drains.
- Toilet inside and out, base and bolt caps.
- Vanity top, sink, drawers and cabinet.
- Mirror, light fixture and exhaust fan cover.
- Grout and caulk checked for mildew.
- Floor, including behind the toilet.
Hard water is the usual battle in North Texas rentals. A tenant who never squeegeed the shower can leave glass that looks frosted. Give descaling cleaner time to sit, and if the glass is etched rather than coated, note it for your records, since cleaning will not change etched glass.
Bedrooms, living areas and the whole unit
- Ceiling fans, light fixtures and vent covers.
- Window sills, tracks and blinds.
- Baseboards, doors, door frames and light switches.
- Closet shelves, rods and floors.
- Walls spot-cleaned where they will not be painted.
- Carpets vacuumed, and cleaned if that is part of your process.
- Hard floors swept and mopped.
Outside and shared spaces
Check the garage, patio, balcony or yard. Remove any leftover items, sweep and pick up trash or pet waste. Wipe outdoor light fixtures and the front door. Rental homes near Dallas and Arlington often have small yards and patios that get skipped, and they are one of the first things a prospective tenant sees.
Small touches that help it rent
A few extra steps make a unit stand out at showings:
- A fresh A/C filter and working smoke detectors.
- All light bulbs working and matching.
- New toilet seats or shower liners if the old ones are worn.
- A clean, empty fridge with the doors closed and running.
- A light, clean smell, without heavy air fresheners.
These are small, but they make the place feel ready, and prospective tenants notice.
Leave a short welcome note with trash day, the A/C filter size and where the water shutoff is. It costs nothing, and it starts the new lease on a good foot.
Working with a regular turnover cleaner
If you own more than one rental, a regular turnover cleaner saves a lot of coordination. Share a checklist once, keep the lockbox code or key arrangement on file and send the date when a tenant moves out. Clear photos of each finished room are useful for your records and for the next move-in inspection. Owners around Waxahachie and Midlothian with a handful of rentals often keep the same cleaner for every turnover, so the standard stays the same every time.
Turning over a rental?
We clean between tenants for landlords and property managers across the south DFW area. Entry notes stay on file, and we text when we are on the way.
Get a free quoteReady for the next lease
A turnover clean is not glamorous, but it is the step that gets a rental back on the market looking its best. For more about our empty-home and rental cleans, see our move-out cleaning services.