What is included in a make ready for LA apartments?

Quick answer: A standard apartment make ready includes a full vacate deep clean, fixtures wiped, kitchens and baths descaled, floors detailed, and a move-out condition record. Across LA, most vendors charge $275 to $450 to deep clean a 1BR, while TurnOver LA Make Ready is $255 for a 1BR, with a 12 point photo report and a 48 hour turnaround.

A make ready is the work required to bring a vacated unit to rentable condition, fast. At TurnOver LA, the base Make Ready is a deep clean plus a 12 point photo report. Painting, drywall, handyman, junk haul, locks, and listing media are available as add-ons. Get instant quote in 30 seconds

What does “make ready” mean in apartments?

Make ready is the turnover phase between move-out and new keys. It covers cleaning, minor cosmetic fixes, safety basics, and documentation so you can market the unit and lawfully account for deductions. In practice, it means kitchens and baths are descaled, surfaces are wiped, floors are detailed, and the unit presents odor-free and photo-ready. The scope is narrower than renovation. You address obvious defects that would delay leasing, prioritize fast fixes that reduce vacancy loss, and document pre-existing conditions to support your security deposit itemization under California Civil Code §1950.5.

What is included in a make ready?

Here is the baseline scope for a true vacate Make Ready in LA, assuming water and power are on and the unit is empty:

• Full deep clean of kitchen, baths, bedrooms, living areas, halls, and entry
• Appliance exterior wipe, appliance interiors cleaned when empty and powered
• Cabinet and drawer interiors vacuumed and wiped once emptied
• Countertops, fixtures, and hardware descaled and polished
• Mirrors and glass cleaned without streaks
• Floor detailing appropriate to surface, including baseboard dust and edge vacuum
• Light dust on reachable fan blades, vents, and blinds
• Spot cleaning of switch plates and door touch points
• 12 point photo report documenting move-out condition and meter readings
• Odor check with light deodorization after cleaning

Our Make Ready is a cleaning and documentation service. If walls need paint, drywall needs patching, or locks need rekey, those are add-ons you can authorize same day.

What exactly does TurnOver LA’s 12 point photo report cover?

The photo report creates time-stamped evidence of condition that supports deposit deductions and reduces disputes. It includes these 12 shots as a minimum:

1. Entry door, locks, and keys returned. 2) Kitchen, wide and interior of oven and refrigerator if present. 3) Bath 1, wide and tub or shower surround. 4) Bath 2, same as above. 5) Bedroom 1, wide and closet interior. 6) Bedroom 2 or den, wide and closet interior. 7) Living room, wide toward windows. 8) Floors close-up showing wear or damage. 9) Walls close-up of notable holes, stains, or patches. 10) Windows and sills, close-up of condition. 11) Smoke and CO detectors test results shown on device. 12) Electric, gas, and water meter readings where accessible.

These images, tied to your tenant file, align with California Civil Code §1950.5 and your 21-day accounting obligations. They are lightweight to review and heavy on risk reduction.

How much should an LA landlord budget for a make ready?

Across LA, a 1BR move-out deep clean typically runs $275 to $450 from general cleaning vendors. TurnOver LA Make Ready is a flat $255 for a 1BR, Studio $225, 2 Bedroom $335, 3BR or larger $425, with a 48 hour turnaround. Painting varies widely. In the market, repainting a room often costs $450 to $900 per room. Our repainting per room is $395 per room, with ceilings and baseboard or trim at $125, and paint touch-up only at $200. Small drywall patch and texture is often $175 to $350 in LA. Ours is $150 per patch, with medium drywall repair at $240 per patch. Typical handyman half day rates land around $300 to $500. Our half-day handyman punch list is $230, full-day is $425, and a general maintenance or safety visit is $125.

If a unit needs junk removal, market haul-outs run $300 to $600 for a 1BR. Our unit cleanout or junk haul is 1 Bedroom $310, Studio $200, 2 Bedroom $420, 3BR or larger $420, with additional junk load at $200 per load. Rekey can range from $125 to $225 locally. Our full apartment rekey, up to 2 locks, is $150, or rekey first lock at $100 with additional lock rekey at $50 per lock. Listing media packages in LA run $250 to $600. Our TLA Launch Pad Media Package is $399.

What will a cleaner do in 3 hours during a make ready?

A focused 3 hour window is enough to stabilize a lightly used studio or 1BR between tenants when the unit is already empty and broomed. The cleaner will prioritize kitchen surfaces, appliance interiors if empty and powered, bath descaling, mirror and glass, floor detail on traffic lanes, baseboard dust, and high-touch points like switches and door hardware. They will also capture the 12 point photo set. Heavier soils, pet hair, hard water build-up in older Westlake and Koreatown buildings, or grease in vent hoods can extend run time. Our fixed Make Ready pricing covers the complete deep clean, so you do not need to manage the clock.

What is not included in a base make ready?

Make Ready is not a renovation service. The base does not include repainting entire rooms, drywall repairs beyond light scuffs, electrical or plumbing diagnosis, pest control, appliance repair, or flooring replacement. Those can be added as discrete work orders. For paint, choose paint touch-up only at $200 or repainting per room at $395 per room. For wall repairs, add small drywall patch and texture at $150 per patch or medium drywall repair at $240 per patch. For safety and minor fixes like loose hinges or wobbly towel bars, book a general maintenance or safety visit at $125 or a handyman punch list for a half day at $230.

How fast should a make ready be completed in LA?

In LA’s tight leasing windows, every day of vacancy runs roughly $80 to $200 depending on the submarket. A correct target is to finish the base Make Ready in one calendar day and wrap any add-ons the next day. TurnOver LA holds a flat 48 hour turnaround on every job with no rush upcharge. That schedule is suitable for Westwood and Santa Monica where weekend showings matter, and equally practical in Koreatown and North Hollywood where weekday traffic is steady. The faster you decide on add-ons like paint touch-up or a small drywall patch, the easier it is to stay inside that 2 day envelope.

What is the 30% rule for apartments, and does it apply to make ready?

People use 30% to mean different things. In leasing, it is often tenant income at 3 times rent. In operations, some owners target repairs and maintenance near 30% of gross on older stock, which is not a law and rarely a good litmus for turnovers. For make ready, use vacancy math instead. If your unit rents at $2,400, every day empty is roughly $80. Spending $200 on paint touch-up that trims one day is net positive. Spending $395 per room to repaint only makes sense when visible wall wear would delay leasing photos or fail showings.

Which add-ons are most common in LA units, and what do they cost?

• Painting and drywall: Paint touch-up only at $200 solves scuffs and nail holes after patch. Repainting per room is $395 per room. Ceilings and baseboard or trim are $125. Small drywall patch and texture is $150 per patch, medium drywall repair is $240 per patch.
• Safety and general maintenance: General maintenance or safety visit is $125. Half-day handyman punch list is $230. Full-day is $425.
• Cleanout: Unit cleanout or junk haul is Studio $200, 1 Bedroom $310, 2 Bedroom $420, 3BR or larger $420, with additional junk load at $200 per load.
• Locks and security: Rekey first lock is $100, additional lock rekey is $50 per lock, full apartment rekey up to 2 locks is $150. Smart lock install is $210. Door knob or handle replacement is $100 per knob.
• Listing media: The TLA Launch Pad Media Package is $399 and is the only media SKU. It gets your ad live without a second vendor.

For scope details, see our service pages for the Make Ready base and related trades: Make Ready deep clean, paint and drywall support, handyman punch work, junk haul and cleanout, locks and security, and listing media package.

Get instant quote in 30 seconds

How do make ready photos protect your deposit deductions?

California law requires you to return or account for the security deposit within 21 days. The best defense is dated, wide and close-up photos that show pre-existing wear, plus your invoices and receipts. Our 12 point photo set is designed to stand beside your itemization under California Civil Code §1950.5. LA owners operating under the LAHD Rent Stabilization Ordinance also benefit from consistent documentation when resolving habitability or relocation issues. With AB 12 (2023) security deposit cap limiting most new deposits to one month of rent, fewer dollars are available to offset damage. Clean documentation reduces disputes and chargebacks and helps you meet the 21-day clock. For deeper policy notes, see our guides on California 21-day deposit return and Normal wear and tear in California.

What does “make ready priority” mean in practice?

It means you fix what stops leasing first, then what sells speed. In LA, that is odors, heavy soils in kitchens and baths, obvious wall scuffs at eye level, and safety items like missing detector batteries. Then you handle items that improve photos, like a quick paint touch-up and a neutral curtain rod reinstall. Finally, you decide on discretionary upgrades that might increase rent in competitive pockets like Santa Monica and West Hollywood. If time or budget is tight, stabilize first, market the unit with the TLA Launch Pad Media Package, and schedule non-critical items after lease signing if needed.

Room by room, what does a make ready clean actually tackle?

• Kitchen: Degrease cooktop and backsplash, wipe appliance exteriors and interiors when empty and powered, descale sink and faucet, clean cabinet interiors, wipe pulls and switches, sweep and mop floors, polish stainless.
• Bathrooms: Remove hard water from glass and fixtures, disinfect toilet and tub or shower, clean grout lines as feasible, wipe vanity interiors, polish mirrors, refresh tub-to-tile caulk when handyman is authorized, vacuum and mop.
• Bedrooms and living areas: Dust reachable fans, vents, ledges, blinds, and baseboards, wipe switches and door touch points, clean closet shelves and rods, vacuum or sweep and mop, spot clean walls at hand level.
• Entry and hall: Clean door, peephole, and hardware, dust trim, vacuum thresholds, photo key drop and meter readings.

This scope is calibrated for pre-leasing standards in LA buildings from 1920s stock in Echo Park to 2000s podiums in Playa Vista.

How do you budget a make ready without overpaying?

Use simple tiers. If your 1BR in Koreatown was kept tidy and needs only cleaning and a couple of patches, choose Make Ready at $255 and small drywall patch and texture at $150 per patch. If there are many scuffs, add paint touch-up only at $200. If your 2BR in Santa Monica has bulky junk left, add unit cleanout at $420 and authorize a general maintenance or safety visit at $125 to handle loose towel bars and squeaks. Across LA, deep cleaning vendors often run higher than these numbers, which is fine on bigger rehabs, but it is hard to justify when vacancy runs $80 to $200 per day.

For a fuller planning tool, see our Apartment turnover checklist and the LA turnover cost guide. If you only need a cleaning primer, start with Move out cleaning in Los Angeles.

Does make ready tie into LA’s rent rules or city requirements?

Your scope decisions are operational, but paperwork touches the law. Your deposit accounting must follow California Civil Code §1950.5. Many LA units are regulated under the LAHD Rent Stabilization Ordinance, which affects allowable rent actions and notifications during vacancy. Starting in 2024, the AB 12 (2023) security deposit cap reduced most deposits to one month of rent, which makes clean, dated documentation and clear invoices more important. For general best practices, the California DCA Landlord-Tenant Guide is a useful overview.

When should you book media relative to the make ready?

If the unit is already clean and lightly scuffed, book the TLA Launch Pad Media Package the same day as cleaning to accelerate showings. If paint touch-up is needed, schedule media after touch-up dries to avoid color mismatch in photos. In busy leasing pockets like Downtown LA and Studio City, shaving even one day off the marketing timeline can offset the cost of a paint touch-up or a small drywall patch. Clean, true-to-life photos outperform phone snaps and reduce in-person no-shows.

Get instant quote in 30 seconds

Where in LA does this approach work best?

This is the standard across our service areas, from high-turnover Koreatown and North Hollywood to coastal markets like Venice and Marina del Rey. Buildings with older plumbing or heavy hard water, such as parts of Mid City and Silver Lake, benefit from the descaling focus in our base scope. If you manage a small portfolio in any of these areas, bookmark the service pages and the area page for Koreatown apartments to keep local context handy.

Bottom line: what is included, and what should you add?

Included: a vacate deep clean of all rooms, floors detailed, kitchen and bath descaled, interior cabinets and appliance interiors when empty and powered, plus a 12 point photo report. Add painting, drywall, handyman, junk haul, locks, and listing media as needed. Use vacancy math to justify add-ons. Keep your 21-day file tight with photos and receipts. Book early to lock the 48 hour window.

Get instant quote in 30 seconds