Quick answer: Apartment turnover cleaning is the full reset between tenants so a unit shows, passes habitability, and documents condition. It covers a deep clean of kitchen, baths, floors, appliances, doors, and touch points, plus photos. Across LA, a 1BR clean often runs $200 to $450. TurnOver LA’s Make Ready is a flat $255 for a 1BR with a 48-hour turnaround.
Apartment turnover cleaning means you bring the unit back to showable and move-in ready, not just “tidied.” It includes deep cleaning, surface prep for any repairs or paint, and documentation. In LA, that documentation also supports compliant deposit accounting. If you already know you need a Make Ready, you can book it now: Get instant quote in 30 seconds.
What is apartment turnover cleaning?
Turnover cleaning is the operational reset between a move-out and the next showing or move-in. It is different from routine housekeeping. The scope is whole-unit, including kitchen and appliances, bathrooms, floors, blinds, interior glass and mirrors, inside cabinets and drawers, door faces and hardware, switch plates, and debris removal. It also includes a documentation pass so you have time-stamped photos of the post-clean condition.
At TurnOver LA, this reset is our Make Ready service. It is a deep clean plus a 12-point photo report. We schedule, clean, and deliver photos within 48 hours. This lets you show in Koreatown or Santa Monica by the weekend and keep vacancy loss, which often runs $80 to $200 per day in LA, under control.
What does a Make Ready include in Los Angeles apartments?
Answer first: a Make Ready covers all cleaning needed to show and move in, and it sets the stage for repairs or paint if you need them. The kitchen scope includes degreasing range hoods, ovens, and cooktops, cleaning the refrigerator inside and behind the handles, wiping cabinet faces and interiors, and cleaning sink bowls, faucets, and splash zones. Bathrooms are descaled, disinfected, and detailed, including glass, grout lines within reason, and fixture polish. Throughout the unit, we dust high-low, wipe doors and hardware, clean baseboards, remove light debris, and vacuum and mop floors.
Our Make Ready also includes 12 photos of representative areas: kitchen, each bath, main living area, entry, and any noted items. Floors get a detail clean appropriate to the surface. If you need repairs, you can add a punch visit after the clean so your tech is not working through dust.
How is turnover cleaning different from move-out cleaning?
Move-out cleaning is typically requested by a tenant before keys are returned. Turnover cleaning is ordered by the landlord or manager after possession so you control scope and quality. Move-out services often skip documentation and do not coordinate with repairs. A proper turnover makes sure the place shows and that your deposit accounting is supported.
Across LA, tenant-side move-out cleans are priced to minimums and may not include inside cabinets or appliance detailing. Our Make Ready is designed for owners and managers: deep clean coverage, a uniform photo report, and a 48-hour timeline. For policy background on deposits and deductions, review California Civil Code §1950.5 and our guide to the 21-day clock. Links: California Civil Code §1950.5, and California 21-day deposit return.
What is the 20 10 rule in cleaning?
The 20 10 rule is a pacing technique for longer cleans. You work for 20 minutes, then take a 10-minute reset. For turnover operations, we adapt it to zones: 20 minutes per micro-zone with a 10-minute cross-check. It prevents misses like an uncleaned fan cover or a forgotten oven rack.
On multi-room units, we set a fixed order of operations: entry first, kitchen, baths, living areas, bedrooms, final floors, and photo pass. If you DIY, use a timer and a printed checklist so your pace does not slip. If you outsource, ask your vendor how they zone the work and what they guarantee on timelines. If you want it handled start to finish, use our Make Ready. Get instant quote in 30 seconds.
What is a turnover checklist, and what should be on it?
A turnover checklist is your repeatable scope in writing. It controls quality and speed when you are fighting vacancy loss. At minimum, include: appliances inside and out, cabinet interiors, splash zones, glass and mirrors, switch plates, doorknobs, doors and frames, baseboards, blinds, interior windowsills, tub and tile descaling, toilet detail including base and hinge areas, fixtures polish, and a final floor pass.
You should also include documentation steps: before-after photos of each wet area, the range, the refrigerator interior, and a wide shot of each room. For a ready-to-use template, see our detailed apartment turnover checklist and our overview of what is a Make Ready.
What things are often forgotten for a first apartment turnover?
First turnovers often miss small but high-impact items. Common misses include: under the refrigerator crisper bins, the oven drip tray edges, range hood baffle filters, the top lip of shower doors, the underside of toilet seats and hinge caps, the door jambs near the latch, ceiling fan blades, and the inside edge of exterior-facing windowsills.
New landlords also skip documenting the condition of caulk lines and grout, or forget to wipe closet shelves and rods. In LA, do not forget keys and rekey policy. If you change locks between tenancies, document key control and rekey cost. Our locks service can rekey in the same 48-hour window. See our service pages for Make Ready and a rekey option under locks and security.
How much does apartment turnover cleaning cost in LA?
Across Los Angeles, a landlord-ordered turnover clean for a 1BR is commonly quoted at $200 to $450 depending on scope and speed. Two bedrooms run $275 to $600 in many submarkets. With TurnOver LA, Make Ready is a flat Studio $225, 1 Bedroom $255, 2 Bedroom $335, 3BR or larger $425. We deliver every Make Ready in 48 hours, no rush upcharge.
If you also need a junk haul after a bad move-out, market rates for light unit cleanouts are often $250 to $600. Our Unit cleanout is Studio $200, 1 Bedroom $310, 2 Bedroom $420, 3BR or larger $420. If additional loads are needed, it is $200 per load. You can combine services on one order and keep the timeline tight.
How do I schedule a 48-hour turnover without losing days?
The key is to stack work in the right order and book ahead. Use this basic sequence:
- Day 0: Keys in hand, initial walk, photograph obvious damage.
- Day 0: Order Make Ready for Day 1 morning.
- Day 1: Make Ready completes, 12-point photo report delivered.
- Day 1 afternoon: Punch list review, schedule repairs or paint if needed.
- Day 2: Handyman or painter completes work.
- Day 2 late: Quick reclean of work areas if required.
- End of Day 2: Listing media or first showing.
This sequencing keeps you inside 48 hours for showable condition. At $80 to $200 per day of vacancy in Downtown LA, Hollywood, or Pasadena, holding the line on this timeline pays for itself quickly. If you need the scheduling handled for you, start here: Get instant quote in 30 seconds.
Do I need painting, repairs, or rekey with turnover cleaning?
Cleaning exposes paint touch-ups and small defects. Typical LA market repainting is $350 to $700 per room depending on prep and ceilings. If you need paint, our catalog pricing is clear: paint touch-up only is $200, repainting is $395 per room, ceilings and baseboard or trim is $125, sand and repaint cabinets or shelving is $135. For drywall, small patches are $150 per patch and medium repairs are $240 per patch.
If you have safety or habitability items, add a maintenance visit. Our general maintenance and safety check is $125. For punch work, a half-day visit is $230, or book a full day for $425. Rekeying for key control is common between tenancies. Our full apartment rekey up to two locks is $150. You can view service details on handyman and general maintenance, painting and drywall, and locks and security.
How do photos and documentation protect your deposit accounting?
California requires itemized deductions and supporting documentation on deposit claims. A clean, well-documented unit helps separate normal wear from damage. Your Make Ready photo report provides time-stamped pictures of the unit after cleaning, which supports any later charges tied to damage or extra cleaning if the outgoing condition required it.
Study California Civil Code §1950.5 and the California DCA Landlord-Tenant Guide. In the City of LA, stay current on the LAHD Rent Stabilization Ordinance for unit turnover and notice rules. Also note AB 12, which limits most residential deposits. For context on deposit interest and timelines, see our guides on California security deposit interest and normal wear and tear in California.
What gets cleaned first, and what is the no-fail order of operations?
Start at the entry, then kitchen, bathrooms, living areas, bedrooms, final floors, then photos. Entry first prevents tracking dust, and it creates a first-impression win. Kitchen before baths lets degreasers dwell while you wipe cabinets and hardware. Bathrooms next so descalers dwell while you detail mirrors and fixtures. Living areas and bedrooms after so you are not revisiting floors. Finish with a whole-unit vacuum and mop, then take photos.
In practice this looks like: dust high to low, wipe cabinet interiors, hit glass and mirrors, detail appliances, sanitize touch points, pull minor debris, and close with floors. Mark any paint or repair items with blue tape. A predictable order keeps a 2BR in the 3 to 4 hour range for a two-person crew so you stay in the 48-hour window.
When do I add listing media to a turnover, and what do I get?
Once the unit is clean and any paint or patching has cured, capture marketing photos. Across LA, third-party photos can range $150 to $400 with variable delivery times. Our TLA Launch Pad Media Package is $399 and timed to your turnover, with delivery aligned to showings. You get a cohesive set sized for web listings and social, and you can order it with your Make Ready so the schedule is managed.
If you are targeting fast lease-ups in competitive areas like West Hollywood or Glendale, listing media on Day 2 can pull weekend traffic. You can add this package from the same booking flow as cleaning. See details on the TLA Launch Pad Media Package. To lock your calendar, start here: Get instant quote in 30 seconds.