The Rental Turnover Cleaning Checklist (Make-Ready)
A room-by-room make-ready checklist for landlords and property managers turning a rental between tenants — what a real turnover clean should cover.
A good turnover clean is the difference between a unit you can photograph and list today and one that sits another week. Below is the room‑by‑room make‑ready checklist we work from — useful whether you hand it to your own team or use it to judge a cleaning vendor's scope. It goes well beyond the "broom clean" a tenant owes; a make‑ready is a documented, move‑in‑ready deep clean.
Whole unit
- Remove any trash or items left behind
- Dust and wipe walls, doors, frames, and baseboards
- Clean switch plates, outlets, and vent covers
- Wipe down light fixtures and ceiling fans
- Clean interior windows, sills, tracks, and blinds
- Vacuum and mop all hard floors; spot‑treat as needed
- Clean closets and shelving inside
Kitchen
- Clean appliances inside and out — oven, fridge, microwave, dishwasher
- Degrease range, hood, and backsplash
- Wipe cabinet exteriors and interiors
- Clean and sanitize countertops and sink
- Clean and polish fixtures
Bathrooms
- Scrub and sanitize tub, shower, and surround; detail grout
- Clean and sanitize toilet inside and out
- Clean vanity, sink, mirror, and fixtures
- Wipe cabinet and drawer interiors
- Clean exhaust fan cover
Final pass
- Re‑check high‑touch points and anything missed
- Confirm floors are clean after everything else is done
- Photograph each room on completion
Documentation matters. Completion photos let you approve a turn remotely, re‑list faster, and settle deposit disputes with evidence. We include them on every turnover we do.
The part most checklists skip: timing
The best checklist in the world doesn't help if the crew can't turn the unit when you need it. In student‑heavy markets like Iowa City, the late‑summer rush flips most units in a narrow window — so capacity, not just quality, decides whether you're re‑listed on time. If you're managing multiple turns, work with a crew that can absorb the volume and document every unit. That's what our make‑ready service is built for.