Quick answer: Across LA, a basic make ready for a 1BR usually runs $275 to $450 and takes 2 to 5 days. TurnOver LA charges 1 Bedroom $255 for Make Ready with a 48-hour turnaround, then adds any repairs from a flat menu like Paint touch-up only: $200 or Repainting per room: $395 / room. You can book online and get photos for your deposit letter.
A make ready is the work to bring a recently vacated unit back to rent-ready, fast and clean, without creeping into full rehab territory. In Los Angeles, this usually means a deep clean, small paint work, minor drywall patches, quick maintenance, and a rekey. The cost depends on unit size and scope. Our Make Ready base package is Studio $225, 1 Bedroom $255, 2 Bedroom $335, 3BR or larger $425, with a 48-hour turnaround on every job. Get instant quote in 30 seconds
What does make ready mean in apartments?
Make ready means resetting a vacant unit to a condition where it shows well, passes safety basics, and functions properly for the next lease. It is not a remodel. In practice, it includes a detailed clean, paint touch-ups or limited room repainting, small drywall repairs, quick maintenance items like caulking and bulb swaps, a rekey, and final photos. Our Make Ready service includes a deep clean and a 12 point photo report to document before and after. In LA, this scope is built to move the unit back on market inside two days, protecting you from vacancy loss that typically runs $80 to $200 per day by submarket.
If you want a full process overview and common pitfalls, see our guide What is make ready at /guides/what-is-make-ready.
How much does a make ready cost in Los Angeles?
Across LA, a 1BR make ready clean typically costs $275 to $450, with extras for paint, drywall, and maintenance. With TurnOver LA, base pricing is fixed by size: Studio $225, 1 Bedroom $255, 2 Bedroom $335, 3BR or larger $425. Repairs run off our menu: Paint touch-up only: $200, Repainting per room: $395 / room, Small drywall patch + texture: $150 / patch, Medium drywall repair: $240 / patch. If you need hands-on fixes, we offer General maintenance / safety visit: $125, Half-day handyman punch list: $230, or Full-day handyman punch list: $425. We keep the 48-hour clock on, no rush fee.
On Reddit, you will see ranges from a few hundred to over a thousand. Those higher numbers usually fold in repainting multiple rooms or significant patchwork. The key is to separate cleaning from repairs and use flat rates so you are not guessing.
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What is a realistic make ready timeline in LA?
If you coordinate well, two days is realistic for most turns that are not full repaints. Day 1, you handle junk haul if needed, then cleaning and light paint touch-ups. Day 2, paint rooms that truly need it, patch walls, handle maintenance, rekey, then shoot photos. Our schedule holds at 48 hours on every job. Cleaning and media wait on vacant keys, so have keys and access codes ready at move-out.
Every extra day costs you vacancy loss. In Koreatown and Mid City, we see $100 to $140 per day. In Santa Monica and West Hollywood, loss can push $160 to $200 a day. A five day internal slog costs you $400 to $1,000 you will never recover. A tight 48-hour turn reduces days off-market and compounds across the year.
What is the 30 percent rule for apartments, and does it apply to make readies?
On Reddit, you will see people mention a 30 percent rule. In operations, that phrase usually refers to a rough rent to income guidance or to an annual expense ratio. It is not a rule for make ready budgets. Turn costs are driven by unit size, paint condition, wall damage, and age of finishes, not a percentage of rent.
A better control is a flat, per item menu and a cap by unit class. For example, you might cap a standard 1BR non-smoker turn at a Make Ready plus one Repainting per room and a Small drywall patch + texture. That is 1 Bedroom $255, Repainting per room: $395 / room, and Small drywall patch + texture: $150 / patch. You get speed and predictability without guessing off rent.
How do Reddit make ready checklists compare to a professional LA turnover?
Reddit checklists are useful, but they often miss LA specific items like seismic strap checks on water heaters in older ADUs or rekey documentation for RSO move-ins. Our base Make Ready service includes a 12 point photo report you can attach to your deposit accounting. For a fuller workflow, see our Apartment turnover checklist at /guides/apartment-turnover-checklist. The photos matter if you need to justify deposit deductions under California Civil Code §1950.5 requirements for itemized statements and receipts.
We also layer in neighborhood nuance. In prewar Los Feliz or Echo Park units with plaster, we budget for more Medium drywall repair at $240 / patch, not endless sanding. In Marina del Rey or Playa Vista, modern drywall and semi-gloss trims mean Paint touch-up only: $200 often does the job.
How much does it cost to paint a 500 sq ft apartment in LA?
Across LA, repainting the interior of a 500 sq ft 1BR often falls between $800 and $1,800 depending on rooms painted, prep, and trim. With TurnOver LA, we do not price by square foot. We price by room and scope so you can decide exactly what gets painted. Our menu is Repainting per room: $395 / room, with Ceilings and baseboard/trim: $125 if needed. If the cabinets need help, Sand + repaint cabinets/shelving: $135.
Example scenario for a typical 500 sq ft 1BR with a scuffed living room and bedroom but a clean kitchen:
- Repainting per room: $395 / room for living room
- Repainting per room: $395 / room for bedroom
- Paint touch-up only: $200 for kitchen and bath
- Ceilings and baseboard/trim: $125 if trims are marked in the living area That keeps you tight, shows well, and avoids paying to paint rooms that do not need it.
What do you call an apartment handyman, and when do you need one?
Titles vary. In LA, you will hear porter, maintenance tech, handyman, or punch tech. The role in a make ready is to run the punch list, swap GFCIs and bulbs, tighten P traps, adjust doors, replace smoke and CO batteries, and re-caulk. When the list grows past what the cleaner or painter should touch, book a punch block. We offer General maintenance / safety visit: $125, Half-day handyman punch list: $230, and Full-day handyman punch list: $425. If you need a rekey, add Full apartment rekey (up to 2 locks): $150 or Lock rekey, front + deadbolt: $110 so you can hand keys at showing.
For standalone repairs or a bundle, see our handyman and maintenance service.
What is a practical LA make ready workflow you can hand to staff?
Below is a condensed, field tested flow we use across buildings from Highland Park to Culver City. It is built to protect time and deposit compliance.
Pre-walk and scope: Photograph walls, appliances, and bathrooms. Note smoke or pet odor early. If odor is present, see our odor guides at /guides/pet-odor-removal-apartment-los-angeles and /guides/how-to-remove-smoke-smell-from-apartment.
Junk and fridge clear: If left behind property is present, start with Unit cleanout / junk haul. Pricing is Studio $200, 1 Bedroom $310, 2 Bedroom $420, 3BR or larger $420. Add Additional junk load: $200 / load if you exceed the first haul.
Paint decision: If more than 15 percent of walls are marked, choose targeted room repaints over endless touch-ups. Use Repainting per room: $395 / room. If only scattered marks, go Paint touch-up only: $200.
Drywall triage: Holes quarter size or smaller are usually covered by Small drywall patch + texture at $150 / patch. Larger cut-ins or plaster repairs go Medium drywall repair at $240 / patch.
Maintenance and safety: Run a General maintenance / safety visit at $125 for quick fixes and life safety checks. For 15 to 25 items, book a Half-day handyman punch list: $230.
Deep clean: Use the Make Ready base by size. Studio $225, 1 Bedroom $255, 2 Bedroom $335, 3BR or larger $425. This includes a deep clean and a 12 point photo report.
Rekey and document: Rekey first lock: $100, Additional lock rekey: $50 / lock, or Full apartment rekey (up to 2 locks): $150. Save stamped photos of the rekey label on the key set.
Final media: Order the TLA Launch Pad Media Package: $399 to list faster with pro photos and a short video cut.
Deposit accounting: Build your itemized letter with photos and actual receipts. California requires itemization and return timelines, see California Civil Code §1950.5 and our 21 day deposit guide at /guides/california-21-day-deposit-return.
Go to market: Syndicate the listing and start showings. Faster photos mean fewer dark days and less vacancy loss.
How should you document make ready charges under California law?
California requires landlords to provide an itemized statement and receipts for deductions, delivered within 21 days of move-out. See California Civil Code §1950.5 and the state guidance in the California DCA Landlord-Tenant Guide. Our Make Ready includes a 12 point photo report that timestamps unit condition. Pair those with invoices that show exact line items, such as Repainting per room: $395 / room or Small drywall patch + texture: $150 / patch. If a deposit is limited by AB 12 (2023) security deposit cap, tight documentation matters even more.
If you are new to the timeline and contents of a compliant packet, our guide California 21 day deposit return at /guides/california-21-day-deposit-return walks through deadlines and attachments.
When does a make ready become a larger rehab?
If more than half the rooms need full repainting, multiple medium patches are present, flooring is failing, cabinets need replacement, or you are upgrading finishes to reset rent, you are beyond make ready. In LA, that push often happens after 7 to 10 years without a major refresh or after heavy smoke or pet incidents. For smoke or pet odor, first read our odor guides, then decide if sealing and repainting can solve it inside a make ready window.
The key is to protect speed and showability. If a longer rehab is the right move, keep the timeline honest and do not label it make ready on your calendar. That is how vacancy budgets blow up.
Should you DIY, use in-house maintenance, or hire a turnover firm?
There is no one answer. Use the option that gets you rent-ready in 48 hours with clean documentation.
- DIY can work in small portfolios, but it is easy to drift to 4 or 5 days. If your local vacancy loss is $120 a day, an extra three days costs $360.
- In-house techs are great for predictable properties, but rush weeks can stack 8 to 10 work orders, a make ready, and grounds. That overload shows up on Reddit and in longer timelines.
- A specialized turnover crew holds the clock at 48 hours with flat pricing. For us, that means Make Ready by size plus add-ons from Painting + Drywall, Handyman + General Maintenance, Cleanout / Junk Haul, Locks + Security, and TLA Launch Pad Media Package: $399.
If you want an outside crew to hold the schedule and documentation, start with the Make Ready service and add painting and drywall or maintenance blocks as needed. Get instant quote in 30 seconds
How do I budget across neighborhoods in LA?
Plan for similar base costs citywide, then watch the risk items by submarket. In Glendale or Pasadena, plaster patches are common. In West Adams or Leimert Park, you might see more door and hardware mismatch in older stock, so budget for Door knob / handle replacement: $100 / knob or a Smart lock install: $210 if you are standardizing. In coastal markets like Venice or Marina del Rey, humidity drives caulk and paint wear. In RSO buildings, make sure your re-leasing plan aligns with the LAHD Rent Stabilization Ordinance on rent setting and notices.
The only constant is the clock. Two days keeps vacancy in check and gets you showing faster with professional media.
How does listing media fit into make ready and lease-up?
Heavy Reddit threads focus on cleaning and paint, but photos do the last 20 percent of the work. You can cut days off market with fast listing assets. Our TLA Launch Pad Media Package: $399 is a single package sized for apartments. Schedule it at the tail end of the 48-hour window for bright, consistent images and a short highlight video. Use those assets in your listing and deposit file to show the post turn condition on Day 2.
If you need to coordinate the final sequence, we anchor media after rekey and touch-up paint to avoid fingerprints on new trims and to show final hardware in place.