Clearing a Rental Unit Between Tenants: A Turnover Checklist for Landlords

An empty unit earns nothing. Every extra day between a tenant moving out and the next one signing is a day of carrying the property with no rent coming in. The clear out is often the slowest part of a turnover because it's the part nobody schedules. Here's the checklist we'd run if we were turning your unit, and where a hauler fits in.

Start with a walk-through and photos

Go through the unit before you touch anything. Photograph each room, the closets, the cabinets, the patio or balcony, and any storage space that comes with the unit. Note what the tenant left, what belongs to you, and what's damaged. Those photos are what you'll show a hauler to explain what's coming out, and they double as a record of the unit's condition at move-out.

One word on belongings a tenant leaves behind. What you're allowed to remove, and when, is set by your lease and local law. A junk hauler can't decide that for you. Get that settled first, then call us.

Sort into stay, go and fix

Every item in the unit lands in one of three piles. Stay: the appliances and fixtures that belong to the unit. Go: furniture, mattresses, boxes, bags and everything else left over. Fix: anything that needs repair before it can stay. A pile you've named is a pile you can get a quote on.

The room-by-room checklist

• Bedrooms: mattresses, box springs, bed frames, dressers, loose clothing and bagged items
• Living areas: couches, chairs, tables, TVs and other electronics, rugs
• Kitchen: abandoned food, small appliances, anything left in cabinets, and the fridge if it's leaving
• Bathrooms: shelving, shower curtains, cleaning supplies
• Closets and storage: boxes, hanging items, anything stacked to the ceiling
• Patio, balcony and yard: furniture, grills, planters, bikes, and yard debris
• Restricted items: paint, chemicals, batteries and other things that need to be set aside

Take a second look at that last line. Paint, chemicals and batteries don't belong in a dumpster, and electronics and appliances are handled differently from regular junk. Flag them in your photos so the haul goes smoothly.

Schedule the haul early

Don't wait for move-out day to look for a hauler. If you know the date, line up the clear out for the day the unit is empty. Our multifamily service is built around fast clear-outs between tenants, so the unit is ready to lease. When a property manager sends photos ahead of time, we can plan the visit around what's actually in there instead of guessing.

When turnovers happen all the time

If you manage a building, turnover is never a one-off. Each one produces the same pile of couches, mattresses and bagged trash. That's where recurring service pays off. We offer monthly or bi-weekly pick ups, and we specialize in multifamily waste management. A standing schedule keeps the dumpster area and the curb clear between turnovers, and it spares you from picking up the phone for every single unit.

A regular pickup also takes care of the stuff that piles up between move-outs: furniture dumped by the bins, mattresses leaning on the fence, bulk items that tenants don't know what to do with.

Dumpster or pickup

For a single unit, a pickup visit is usually the simplest route. For a bigger rehab, a unit that needs new flooring, cabinets and paint, a bin in the lot gives the crew a place to put debris all week. The 15-yard often handles a single-unit rehab. The 20-yard is for the bigger ones, and it's the one our size sheet marks as driveway safe.

Light demolition is on our service list too, which comes in handy when the old shed, fence or deck behind the building is part of the turnover. Mention it when you call and we can look at it with the unit.

Finish clean

When the haul is done, walk the unit again and photograph it empty. That's the starting point for cleaners, painters and anyone else coming in behind you, and it's a record that the unit was cleared. From there, hand the keys to the next trade and get the listing live.

Landlords and property managers across Charlotte, Sarasota, Manatee and Lee counties can call or text 941-288-3848, Monday through Saturday, 7 AM to 7 PM, or read about our service for apartments and rentals on the multifamily page.