Quick answer: Across LA, turnover cleaning typically runs $200 to $650 depending on size and condition. TurnOver LA’s Make Ready is flat priced by unit size: Studio $225, 1BR $255, 2BR $335, 3BR $425, completed in 48 hours and includes a 12-point photo report. Add painting or handyman only if needed. Get instant quote in 30 seconds
Apartment turnover cleaning prices in LA vary by size, scope, and how fast you need the unit back on market. Citywide, expect $200 to $650 for a professional move-out clean. TurnOver LA’s Make Ready is a flat package by bedroom count, delivered in 48 hours, with photos for your records and deposit accounting.
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How much does apartment turnover cleaning cost in LA?
Across Los Angeles, a studio move-out clean usually runs $150 to $300. A 1BR ranges from $200 to $450. Two bedrooms often land $250 to $550, and 3BR units can reach $300 to $650 when there is heavy soil or appliance detailing. Those are general market numbers. TurnOver LA’s Make Ready is fixed and simple: Studio $225, 1BR $255, 2BR $335, and 3BR or larger $425. That price includes a deep clean plus a 12-point photo report and a guaranteed 48-hour turnaround. You can layer add-ons only if needed, such as paint touch-up or a half-day handyman, to keep your total aligned with the unit’s actual condition and your release timeline.

What is apartment turnover cleaning and how is it different from standard cleaning?
Turnover cleaning is a make-ready process designed to return a vacated unit to rent-ready condition. It is deeper than routine maid service and tighter than a broad house cleaning. The core includes kitchen degrease, bath de-scale, interior appliances, inside cabinets and drawers, baseboards, blinds, interior windows, and floors. It also includes problem detection. Our Make Ready bundles a 12-point photo report so you can document tenant chargeable damage under California Civil Code §1950.5 and schedule any follow-up work. Routine house cleaners often skip behind-appliance edges, disposal sanitizing, and shower door scale removal, which are common fail points on showings. A turnover clean targets those make-or-break items and pairs well with quick paint touch-ups for scuffed entry walls and trim.
What does the TurnOver LA Make Ready include and cost by size?
TurnOver LA’s Make Ready is a flat package priced by bedroom count. Studio $225, 1BR $255, 2BR $335, and 3BR or larger $425. The scope includes a full deep clean and a 12-point photo report. Typical inclusions are stove top and oven interior, refrigerator interior, microwave, dishwasher gasket wipe, sink descale and disposal sanitize, bathroom tile and glass de-scale, vanity and tub detail, cabinet interiors, closet shelving, light switches and plates, baseboards, blinds, interior windows, and floor detailing. We schedule, execute, and deliver the report within 48 hours, so you can relist or move to repairs without idle days. For the package details, see Services: Make Ready at our site. If the photo report flags issues, you can add paint touch-up or handyman time as discrete line items.
How do market prices compare to our flat Make Ready rates?
Here is a quick side-by-side for typical LA market ranges versus TurnOver LA pricing. Market ranges vary by condition and speed. Our rates are fixed, with a 48-hour timeline.
| Unit size | Typical LA market range | TurnOver LA Make Ready | Turnaround | Included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $150 to $300 | $225 | 48 hours | Deep clean + 12-point photo report |
| 1BR | $200 to $450 | $255 | 48 hours | Deep clean + 12-point photo report |
| 2BR | $250 to $550 | $335 | 48 hours | Deep clean + 12-point photo report |
| 3BR+ | $300 to $650 | $425 | 48 hours | Deep clean + 12-point photo report |
The market often charges extra for inside appliances or blinds. Our package includes these. If your unit needs painting, our paint touch-up is $200 and full repainting is $395 per room. If you want add-on help for punch items, a half-day handyman is $230. You can also tack on the TLA Launch Pad listing media package for $399 to accelerate marketing.
What should I include on my apartment cleaning list?
Use a single-page list that tracks what prospective renters notice first. In kitchens, include oven interior, range hood filters, refrigerator gaskets, cabinet interiors, and sink strainer. In baths, include shower glass and tile de-scale, caulk check, toilet base detail, and exhaust fan cover. Throughout the unit, include light fixtures, switch plates, door jambs, baseboards, blinds, and interior windows. Floors should be vacuumed, mopped, and edges detailed. Add odor checks at entry and inside the fridge. Photograph before and after for each zone. For a printable framework, see our guide Apartment Turnover Checklist. It pairs with our Make Ready so your cleaning scope and documentation line up with your deposit accounting and showings.
What is a turnover checklist and why does it matter for pricing?
A turnover checklist is a standardized scope that reduces surprises. Prices balloon when cleaners discover extra work mid-job. A checklist front-loads that discovery. Start with utilities on and lights working, then walk the path a renter will take from entry to each room. Flag oven interior, refrigerator interior, blinds, baseboard dust lines, and shower scale. Those five items drive most cleaning overages. With TurnOver LA, the Make Ready already targets those, so your spend is predictable. The 12-point photo report we deliver doubles as your itemized record. It supports any deductions you intend to make under California Civil Code §1950.5 and keeps you inside the 21-day window for deposit accounting. If you are new to defining scope, our What is Make Ready primer lays out the baseline.
Does the 20/10 rule for cleaning work for turnover units?
The 20/10 rule says clean for 20 minutes, take a 10 minute break. It helps with fatigue on long sessions. For turnovers, the concept is fine for in-house staff, but speed matters because vacancy loss in LA runs $80 to $200 per day depending on submarket. We prefer task batching by zone. For example, degrease all kitchen surfaces first, then run appliances, then move to bathrooms, then do whole-home dust and baseboards, then windows and blinds, and finish with floors. That sequencing aligns with dwell times for cleaners and produces predictable timelines. If you want to outsource, our Make Ready completes the full scope in 48 hours, avoiding that daily burn.
When should I add painting or handyman time to a cleaning ticket?
Cleaning does not fix scuffs through paint, missing smoke detector batteries, or loose GFCI plates. If the 12-point photo report shows cosmetic or safety items, add the minimum effective service. Paint touch-up is $200 when color matches exist and walls are under 15 percent coverage. Full repainting is $395 per room when the prior tenant left heavy scuffs or color changes. For minor punch items, a half-day handyman is $230 and covers tasks like re-seating a loose towel bar, swapping cracked switch plates, or resetting a door latch. Scheduling these alongside cleaning removes idle days between trades. If you are unsure, book a general maintenance and safety visit for $125 to triage.
Need the unit turned before the next tenant?
We do the move-out clean and send you a photo report you can attach to the deposit itemization.
Get an instant quoteHow do turnover cleaning prices tie into deposit law in California?
Your cleaning invoice is part of your deposit accounting record. California Civil Code §1950.5 allows you to deduct for cleaning to return a unit to the condition it was in at move-in, less normal wear and tear. You must provide an itemized statement within 21 days. A clear scope and photo documentation avoids disputes. The 12-point photo report in our Make Ready was built for this, so you are not scrambling for proof. Also note AB 12 (2023) security deposit cap limits deposits for most rentals. Accurate, well documented cleaning charges protect your NOI when deposits are smaller. For a refresher, read the California DCA Landlord-Tenant Guide.
How do you control vacancy loss while waiting for cleaning?
Two things drive loss: days empty and show-readiness. In Koreatown and Westwood, a day can cost $80 to $200 in rent-equivalent loss. Lock in the earliest 48-hour window and parallel-path anything you can. Example sequence: Day 0 key turnover and pre-walk, Day 1 Make Ready cleaning, Day 2 photo report review plus paint touch-up or handyman if needed, Day 2 afternoon listing media, Day 3 live listing. Our TLA Launch Pad media package is $399 and pairs well with Make Ready so you can publish high quality photos the same week. If the prior tenant left junk, add a unit cleanout at $200 for a studio or $310 for a 1BR to avoid blocking progress.
Where in LA do these prices and timelines apply?
Our flat Make Ready pricing and 48-hour timeline apply across our Los Angeles service map, including West Hollywood, Hollywood, Downtown LA, and the Westside. The only variables are add-ons you choose if the photo report flags issues. In beach areas like Venice and Marina del Rey, salt air buildup sometimes means extra time on windows and tracks, but it is still packaged inside Make Ready. If you want a neighborhood-specific plan, check our West Hollywood page for local notes and typical turnover pitfalls tied to older housing stock and tight parking.
What should I include if I am building my own turnover clean scope?
If you are having in-house staff clean, use this 7-step worksheet to avoid rework and missed items:
- Power and water on, lights working, HVAC set to ventilate.
- Kitchen degrease and appliances: oven, stovetop, hood filters, fridge interior and gasket, microwave, dishwasher edges.
- Bathrooms: shower glass and tile de-scale, grout scrub, vanity interior, mirror polish, fan cover.
- Cabinets and closets: interiors, shelves, tracks.
- Surfaces and details: switches, fixtures, door jambs, baseboards, blinds, interior windows.
- Floors: vacuum edges first, then mop from back rooms to exit.
- Document with date-stamped photos by zone for deposit files.
If this is more than your team can handle inside 48 hours, book our Make Ready at a flat size-based price.
What about listing photos and relisting speed after cleaning?
Once the unit is clean and any touch-ups are complete, get it photographed immediately. Great photos shorten days on market. LA prospects scroll fast and judge on the first five images. Our TLA Launch Pad media package is $399 and includes a fast, MLS-ready photo set sized for the portals you use. If you handle media in-house, photograph in late morning with blinds angled up, turn on all lights, and lean verticals when shooting kitchens and baths. If you want a combined plan, pair Make Ready with listing media so you can publish the same week. Get instant quote in 30 seconds
What should I include on my apartment cleaning list if it is a furnished or vacation unit?
Short-term and furnished units add a few tasks. Launder duvet covers and throw blankets, run dishwasher sanitizer cycle, sanitize remotes and high touch items, and restock consumables. Do a quick sofa base vacuum and rotate mattresses quarterly. Pricing for furnished turnovers varies widely in the market. If you are converting a furnished rental back to long-term, book a standard Make Ready for the deep clean and add a unit cleanout only if you are offloading furniture. For vacation rental workflows, our move-out cleaning guide outlines differences and schedule cadence.
How do you calculate the true cost of a turnover clean across vendors?
Use a simple comparison. Step 1: get a flat quote for a deep move-out clean that includes appliance interiors, blinds, baseboards, interior windows, and floors. Step 2: ask for timeline. Step 3: add travel or parking fees. Step 4: ask for photo documentation. Step 5: identify likely add-ons like paint touch-up or minor handyman. The market can look cheaper on headline price but add hours for ovens, blinds, or photos. TurnOver LA’s Make Ready includes those for Studio $225, 1BR $255, 2BR $335, 3BR $425 with a 48-hour timeline and a 12-point photo report. That all-in structure usually wins when you include vacancy loss.
Sample scenarios: what would I actually pay with TurnOver LA?
Here are three real-world stacks using only catalog items, so you can forecast clearly.
- Koreatown 1BR, light wear: Make Ready $255. Total $255. Relist in 48 hours.
- Hollywood 2BR, scuffed entry and loose towel bar: Make Ready $335, paint touch-up $200, half-day handyman $230. Total $765.
- Santa Monica 1BR, left-behind junk and odor: Unit cleanout $310, Make Ready $255. If paint is fine, total $565. If needed, add paint touch-up $200 for $765.
All of these complete in 48 hours for the cleaning, with add-ons aligned same week so you are not carrying extra idle days.
Final take: what drives price up or down on a turnover clean?
Three variables matter. First, interiors of appliances, blinds, and shower glass set the pace. Second, add-on trades like paint or handyman fix what cleaning cannot. Third, your scheduling discipline. Lock a 48-hour window and parallel-path where possible. Across LA, market turnover cleaning runs $200 to $650. Our flat Make Ready is Studio $225, 1BR $255, 2BR $335, 3BR $425, with a 12-point photo report included. Back it with listing media at $399 if you want to publish faster. Get instant quote in 30 seconds
