Rental Turnover Cleaning for Landlords and Managers
Rental turnover cleaning is the clean that happens in the gap between one tenant leaving and the next one arriving. The goal is simple: a unit that photographs well, passes your own condition checklist and does not need a second visit before the new tenant gets the keys.
Describe the job and add your city. Free to request, no obligation.
For landlords, every vacant day costs rent, so the schedule matters as much as the scope. A good turnover clean is booked around the final inspection, any repair work and the new move-in date, with a short list of items that need a handyman or painter, kept apart from the cleaning itself.
Property managers with several units tend to care about consistency: the same checklist every time, a single request form and a written scope per unit. That is easier to compare, audit and repeat than a phone call each time a tenant moves out.
What the work includes
- Oven, fridge, cabinets and drawers cleaned inside
- Bathrooms scrubbed, including tubs, tile, grout lines and fixtures
- Baseboards, door frames, doors and switch plates wiped
- Window sills and tracks cleaned
- Closets, shelves and vents dusted and wiped
- Floors vacuumed and mopped
- Garbage and leftover small items removed from the unit
- A note of damage or repairs spotted during the clean
When a unit needs more than a quick tidy
The last tenant stayed more than a year and nobody deep cleaned during that time
The move-in photos show a clean unit and the move-out photos do not match
Showings or a listing are scheduled within days of the tenant leaving
Smoke, pets or cooking odour linger in the unit
You manage several units and the quality of turnovers varies from one to the next
How the work goes, step by step
Send the unit and the dates
Include the move-out date, the next move-in and any inspection time in between.
Share your standard
If you have a turnover checklist or listing requirements, add them to the request.
Receive the scope per unit
Each unit gets a written scope and price, so you can compare across the portfolio.
Coordinate access
Agree on keys, lockboxes or building access and how repairs and cleaning will be sequenced.
Close out each unit
Walk through with the checklist, then flag any missed item through the same form.
What changes the price
- Number of units
- A batch of units through one request can be planned and priced differently from a single one-off visit.
- Unit size and bathrooms
- Larger units and extra bathrooms add the most time.
- Condition left by the tenant
- Heavy grease, mould, pets or smoke add passes and sometimes products.
- Gap between move dates
- A tight gap may need an earlier slot or a larger crew, which can change the cost.
- Add-ons
- Carpet extraction, wall touch-ups and junk removal are scoped separately from the clean.
What a good quote spells out
- A written scope for each unit, with what is cleaned and what is not
- Timing that fits between the final inspection and the next move-in
- How repair notes are shared, apart from the cleaning list
- Whether the price changes with the number of units sent together
- A single contact or form for repeat requests
Landlord Turnover Program: questions people ask
How fast can a rental be turned over?
That depends on your area and the unit's size and condition. Put the dates in the request, and the quote tells you what timing is possible.
Who should pay for the turnover clean, the tenant or the landlord?
That depends on the lease and local rules. Some landlords deduct cleaning from a deposit where the law allows it, and others absorb it as a cost of renting. Check the lease and the rules in your province or state.
What should be in a landlord's turnover checklist?
Appliance interiors, cabinets, bathrooms, floors, window tracks, baseboards, closets and a note of repairs. The same checklist each time makes turnovers easier to compare.
Can cleaning be scheduled around repairs and painting?
Yes, and it should be. Cleaning is usually the last step after repairs and paint, so the dust from that work is cleaned up too. Tell the specialist what is planned and when.
Other Shiftclair services
Moving Out or Moving In? Get a Written Quote.
Tell us about the unit, the move date and its condition. We review every request, and a specialist who serves your area follows up with next steps.
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