The short answer
A flat-rate apartment turnover in Los Angeles costs $225 to $425 through a dedicated turnover company. Itemized contractor bills typically run $1,500 to $5,000 once you add painting, repairs, and specialist cleaning on top of the base unit prep. The gap between those two numbers is what LA landlords are paying for fragmented vendor management.
Below is the 2026 TurnOver LA flat-rate pricing by unit size:
| Unit Size | Base Turnover Cost | What's Included |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $225 | Deep clean, appliance degreasing, baseboards, vents |
| 1BR (Make Ready) | $255 | Adds carpet steam clean, wall scuff removal, HEPA air pass |
| 2BR Turnover | $335 | Multi-bath clean, kitchen degreasing, balcony pressure wash |
| 3BR+ Full Turnover | $425 | Complete protocol + HVAC filter swap, storage restoration |
What drives LA apartment turnover cost up
1. Vacancy loss
In most LA neighborhoods, a 1BR sitting empty costs a landlord $80 to $200 per day in lost rent. A sloppy turnover that drags two extra weeks costs more than the entire turnover package. Speed is the single highest-leverage factor.
2. Line-item painter and cleaner markup
Independent painters in LA charge $350–$800 per room for interior repaints. Independent cleaners charge $40–$60 per hour with a 4–8 hour minimum. Stacking separate vendors means paying each one's overhead, scheduling friction, and LA traffic surcharges. A bundled turnover package cuts that stack by 30–50%.
3. Rent-controlled building paperwork
Santa Monica, West Hollywood, and LA city rent-stabilized buildings require itemized invoices and photo evidence for any repair pass-through. Using a contractor who doesn't document the work can cost you the ability to recover those costs from security deposit or RSO filings.
4. Coastal and high-rise premiums
Venice, Santa Monica, and Marina del Rey units accumulate salt residue that generic cleaners under-estimate. Downtown LA high-rises require loading-dock coordination and elevator reservations. Both are typical in LA and both routinely add $100–$300 if the contractor isn't local.
What's actually in an apartment turnover cost?
- Deep cleaning — kitchen, bathrooms, floors, windows, appliance interiors, vents, baseboards, closets
- Painting — touch-ups or full repaint, scuff removal, wall texture matching
- Minor repairs — drywall patches, fixture replacements, hardware upgrades, smoke detector checks
- Carpet & flooring — steam cleaning, stain treatment, hardwood polish, vinyl plank restoration
- Security prep — lock rekey, deadbolt inspection, entry hardware replacement
- Junk removal — tenant-abandoned furniture, boxes, cleanout
- Photo documentation — 12+ inspection points, sent to your phone for records
How to lower your LA apartment turnover cost
- Bundle into a flat-rate package instead of itemizing. A $255 1BR Make Ready package replaces a $180 cleaning bill + $400 painting bill + $150 repair bill — same quality, 40% less.
- Book multi-unit if you manage a portfolio. Landlords with 10+ monthly turnovers get bulk discounts + dedicated scheduling that removes most of the coordination overhead.
- Document everything so repair costs are deposit-deductible under California Civil Code §1950.5. TurnOver LA sends photo reports you can attach directly to deposit itemizations.
- Book same-day turnover when possible. Getting a unit from move-out to market-ready within 48 hours cuts vacancy loss by more than most landlords spend on the turnover itself.