Quick answer: In Los Angeles, most 1BR turnovers run $804 to $1,314 using our catalog rates. That combines Make Ready cleaning, rekey, and listing media, plus optional touch-up paint or a small handyman visit. A heavier 2BR that needs cleanout, multiple room repaints, drywall, and a full-day handyman often totals $1,900 to $2,914. TurnOver LA delivers in 48 hours.
In LA, the average apartment turnover cost depends on what you actually do, not a national estimate. Using TurnOver LA flat rates, a clean 1BR with light needs usually invoices $804 to $1,314. A 2BR with paint and minor repairs trends $1,314 to $1,900, and heavy 2BRs with cleanout and drywall typically land $1,900 to $2,914. Get instant quote in 30 seconds
How much does an average LA apartment turnover really cost?
For a typical LA 1BR, the most common scope is Make Ready cleaning, a rekey, and listing media, usually $804. Add paint touch-ups and a brief maintenance visit and you reach about $1,129. For a 2BR, the same core scope with touch-ups and a half-day handyman is about $1,314. When you need cleanout, two to three room repaints, a small drywall patch, and a full-day handyman, heavy 2BRs usually land $1,900 to $2,914. These totals are directly built from our catalog, so you can swap items without surprises. The faster you decide, the less you spend on vacancy loss in LA submarkets where idle days cost $80 to $200.
What mix of services drives that cost, and what do they actually cover?
Most invoices combine a few fixed pieces. Start with our core Make Ready cleaning at $225 for a studio, $255 for a 1BR, $335 for a 2BR, or $425 for 3BR plus. Add painting and drywall for either $200 touch-ups, $345 per room repaints, $125 ceilings or trim, $135 cabinets, or $150 to $240 for drywall patches. Layer in a handyman visit at $125, $230 for a half-day, or $425 for a full day. If the prior tenant left debris, cleanout and haul is $310 for a 1BR and $420 for a 2BR or 3BR plus. Rekeying is handled by our locks and security team at $150 for a full apartment with up to two locks. To relist quickly, our TLA Launch Pad listing media package is $399.
What line items should you expect on a turnover invoice?
Below are common items and their flat prices, so you can build your own total.
- Make Ready cleaning and photo report: Studio $225, 1BR $255, 2BR $335, 3BR plus $425.
- Paint touch-up: $200.
- Repaint per room: $345.
- Ceilings or trim: $125.
- Small drywall patch: $150, medium drywall: $240.
- Handyman maintenance visit: $125, half-day $230, full-day $425.
- Cleanout and junk haul: 1BR $310, 2BR or 3BR plus $420, extra load $200.
- Locks, full apartment rekey up to two locks: $150.
- TLA Launch Pad listing media package: $399.
These are plug-in modules. Pick only what the unit needs and run the math. Get instant quote in 30 seconds
How long does an apartment turnover take in LA?
TurnOver LA runs a flat 48-hour turnaround on every job. No rush fees, no same-day. Most 1BRs complete within one service day when the scope is Make Ready, rekey, and listing media. Add a day when you include multiple repaints, drywall drying, or a full-day handyman plan. If you are returning a unit after deposit accounting, remember California’s 21-day return window under California Civil Code §1950.5. That timeline often becomes your outer boundary, since you must document deductions and mail the accounting. Our Make Ready includes a 12-point photo report that supports your file.
What is a good turnover rate for apartments?
For small LA portfolios, a good annual turnover rate is the rate that you can service inside 48 hours without stacking vacancy. Many stabilized buildings in Koreatown, Mid City, or North Hollywood track 35 to 55 percent annual turnover, depending on building class and marketing. The number matters less than your ability to reset units quickly, document legally, and re-list with credible media. Your actual cost per move-out is the sum of the work you approve plus vacancy days. A well-sequenced 48-hour reset with next-day showings usually beats a slower, cheaper scope that adds two extra idle days at $80 to $200 per day. See how the math behaves in our guide on vacancy loss in LA.
What is the 30 percent rule for apartments, and does it apply to turnover?
The 30 percent rule is not a turnover pricing rule. It is an operations or affordability shorthand. In multifamily underwriting it can refer to keeping operating expenses near 30 percent of effective gross income, and in tenant affordability it refers to spending no more than 30 percent of income on rent. For turnover planning, use it as a sanity check only. If your building runs a tight expense ratio, your real decision point is still job scope versus vacancy days. In LA, a two-day, properly documented turn that protects your deposit accounting under the California DCA Landlord-Tenant Guide and the California Tenants Guide is usually the safer move.
Can a landlord charge you for flooring in California?
Flooring charges depend on damage versus normal wear. You cannot deduct for ordinary wear that comes with time and use, but you can charge for damage that exceeds normal wear when properly documented. California’s rules on deposits and deductions are in California Civil Code §1950.5. Also see our explainer on normal wear and tear in California. When you intend to deduct, your invoice, before-and-after photos, and a clear scope help. Our Make Ready includes a photo report that supports your file.
How do LA laws and rent control affect turnover choices?
LA’s rent controls do not set turnover prices, but they do set context and timing. If your unit is subject to the LAHD Rent Stabilization Ordinance or statewide rent caps under AB 1482, your documentation, re-listing, and rent setting must follow those rules. Deposit accounting must still meet the state 21-day requirement in California Civil Code §1950.5. For residents moving in after AB 12, most deposits are capped at one month’s rent starting July 1, 2024 under AB 12 (2023) security deposit cap. That cap raises the stakes on getting scopes right, since there is less deposit to offset damage.
How can you lower turnover cost without shifting risk?
Focus on scope sequencing and documentation, not cutting corners. A practical LA playbook looks like this: 1) approve Make Ready and rekey immediately, 2) authorize paint touch-ups first, and full-room repaints only where needed, 3) schedule a half-day handyman to batch minor items, 4) pre-clear cleanout if debris is present, 5) lock listing media for the afternoon of day one or morning of day two. This sequence usually completes in 48 hours and keeps vacancy loss down. For scope planning, check our guide on what Make Ready covers and the broader LA turnover cost variables. When in doubt, build a provisional scope, then update after our Make Ready report lands. Get instant quote in 30 seconds
Sample scenarios using our catalog pricing
Here are common builds we see, using only the flat items listed above, so you can angle your own totals the same way.
- Light 1BR: Make Ready $255, rekey full apartment $150, Launch Pad media $399. Total $804.
- Light 1BR plus minor fixes: add paint touch-up $200 and handyman maintenance visit $125. Total $1,129.
- Medium 2BR: Make Ready $335, paint touch-up $200, half-day handyman $230, rekey $150, media $399. Total $1,314.
- Heavy 2BR: Make Ready $335, cleanout $420, repaint 3 rooms $1,035, small drywall $150, full-day handyman $425, rekey $150, media $399. Total $2,914.
If you are weighing one more paint room against another idle day, remember the LA vacancy baseline of $80 to $200 per day from our vacancy loss math. That often makes the decision for you.
How long should you plan between move-out, deposit accounting, and move-in?
Two days for work, then a clean handoff. TurnOver LA runs a 48-hour completion standard. If you are deducting from a deposit, align your file with California Civil Code §1950.5 and aim to finish documentation within the 21-day window. Where smoke or pet odors exist, build time for ventilation and follow our odor playbooks. See the guides on how to handle smoke smell and pet odor in apartments. Once the unit is photo-ready, we capture listing media and you can begin showings while final punch items wrap.
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