What Every New Landlord Should Know About Property Turnover Cleaning

Nobody ever talks about turnover cleaning until they have tenants trashing their place. They suddenly care about cleaners when it's time to rent out the property. Then they scramble to find one who will return the place spotless between tenants. Don't become a "learn the hard way" landlord. Property turnover cleaning is important! This guide shows you how to do it right. Table of Contents 1.  Why Turnover Cleaning Is So Important 2.  How Much Money You Lose By Skipping It 3.  How to Build Your Turnover Cleaning Checklist 4.  Places That Require Extra Scrubbing 5.  DIY vs. Hiring Professional Cleaning Crews Why Turnover Cleaning Is So Important Cleaning between tenants isn't just for appearances. Making sure your rental property shines before a new tenant moves in directly correlates to your ability to maximize profits. A clean place allows you to rent for more money, fill vacancies quicker, and attract quality tenants. Take a step back and look at it from a renters' point of view… Would you rent a property that looked dirty? No chance. Successful property managers take turnover cleaning very seriously. In fact, many rental property owners now use cleaning tactics used by schools when developing their system. Why do schools stay so clean with hundreds of kids running around? Simple. They have an entire staff dedicated to keeping the place tidy with the essential custodial supplies needed for school facility maintenance. Education facilities have turned cleaning into a science. And the real beauty of turnover cleaning? It psychologically prepares your tenants to keep the place clean. Think about it… If a renter moves into a place that's filthy, they don't feel the need to treat it any better. But when they walk into a place that sparkles? They'll strive to keep it that way! WIN-WIN. How Much Money You Lose by Skipping It This is where most new landlords fail to plan… They want to fill vacancies so bad they clean like crazy. DON'T DO THAT! You must take your time with turnover cleaning. According to Innago, the average tenant turnover cost comes to $2,500 a pop. That number includes expenses for cleaners, repairs, vacancy, and admin work. Cleaning fast won't do you any favors. In fact… If you skip the deep cleaning, you'll experience: •  Longer vacant periods •  Lower quality tenants •  Poor reviews online •  Security deposit deductions Cutting corners costs money. That's just how the math works. If you spend $100-$300 on a professional cleaning crew, you save yourself thousands in missed revenue. A clean place also rents faster which means less money lost towards your mortgage, insurance, utilities, and taxes. Plus… did you know 85% of landlords raised rent prices in 2024? Yeah, everyone is increasing rents to keep up with rising ownership costs. If you want to rent for more money, you have to keep up your standards. Renters who pay higher prices demand a cleaner rental experience. How to Build Your Turnover Cleaning Checklist Successful cleaning companies don't improvise. They have a repeatable process for cleaning every property. Stop guessing what to clean and how to go about it. Create a checklist and stick to it. Here's what your basic turnover cleaning checklist should look like: •  Walk through before cleaning and take note of existing damages •  Dust the property from top to bottom •  Clean every surface (don't forget inside the appliances) •  Vacuum and treat the floors appropriately •  Take a final walkthrough and take detailed photos Document, document, document! Every single crack and scrape should be noted with pictures before you move on to cleaning. That way, if your next tenant tries to hassle you for damages in those areas, you're covered. Oh, and one thing most people forget to tell you… Do all your repairs FIRST, then clean. There's no sense in cleaning walls if you're about to patch holes and paint. Be efficient with your time and effort. Places That Require Extra Scrubbing Yes, there are areas of your home that need more attention. Otherwise, a property can look dirty even if you just peeled a landlord sticker from the window. What areas?? Glad you asked! Never scrimp on kitchen cleaning. Renters will pull your kitchen apart when they move in. Remove any cabinets liners and scrub inside the oven. Wipe behind the fridge, under the dishwasher, and on top of the microwave. Disassemble the sink fixture and get in all the crevices. You should be bench sitting inside that kitchen when you're done wiping down every surface. Clean the bathroom like your life depends on it. Renters will judge you by how clean your bathroom is. Remove hard water stains on shower heads and taps. If there's mold or mildew on shower caulking, replace it. Scour the toilet bowl until it glows. Windows are another weak point. Washing windows seems to be the afterthought with most cleaners. You should wash both the inside and outside of windows! Renters notice dirty windows because they let in natural light. Which brings me to my next point.. Different flooring types have different needs. Just because you shampooed the carpets before the previous tenants moved in, doesn't mean you should skip it before the next ones move in. Also pay attention to: •  Hardwood floors should be cleaned and possibly sealed •  Tile grout always needs a good scrubbing (or re-grouting) •  Vinyl and laminate floors should be stripped and waxed You get the point. Pay special attention to high-traffic areas and apartment fixtures that bleed dirt. Again, renters judge properties by cleanliness. Make sure you shine the right spots. DIY vs. Hiring Professional Cleaning Crews Here's the big question. Should you clean the property yourself or hire someone else to do it? Well, that all depends. If you only own one or two rentals and they're in good shape, clean it yourself. You save more money by doing it yourself if you don't mind spending the time or effort. If you have multiple rentals or are crunched for time, hire some help. Professional cleaners typically charge anywhere from $150-$500 for a moderate-sized rental property. Yikes! But think about it. Is your time worth more or less than that? Here's another approach… Some landlords clean their own places until they're about 3-4 rentals deep. That's when hiring a cleaner makes sense. Learning the process firsthand helps landlords understand what quality cleaning actually looks like. Once you know exactly how to clean a property, you can better evaluate whether a cleaning crew did a good job. Does that make sense? It's a win-win either way. Just know that most professional cleaning companies charge more if you're on a tight schedule. You basically get what you pay for. So, evaluate your situation and choose wisely. Wrapping Things Up Turnover cleaning takes time to figure out. Many landlords spend way too much money on rentals that looked like grimy dumpster fires. But once they figure out how to clean properly, profits soar and vacancy rates drop! Before we forget, let's review: •  Clean homes rent faster and for higher dollar amounts •  Build a detailed checklist and follow it religiously •  Pay extra attention to kitchens, bathrooms, and floors •  Document the crap out of your property with photos •  Know when to clean the place yourself and when to hire professionals Landlords who learn how to turnover clean properly save thousands of dollars each year. Vacancies become a thing of the past because their properties rent themselves. Want THAT kind of life? Start building your cleaning checklist NOW. You'll thank yourself when your next vacancy rolls around and you're ready to conquer it.