Photo of a clean apartment by Matt Biddulph/Flickr.

Tenant turnover cleaning services ensure that a residence is in immaculate condition between tenants, relying on a team of property professionals to get the job done. Such services can be useful in situations where previous tenants have left a mess or lived in a house for an extended period of time, making it hard to get in to make updates and repairs. They also help with tenant retention by helping a property look its best upon move-in, so tenants have an incentive to stay with the property and keep it in good condition.

Advantages of Tenant Turnover Cleaning Services

Many property owners handle their own tenant turnover, to save money and take the opportunity to perform a detailed inspection. However, there are some advantages to tenant turnover cleaning services to consider. One is that it takes a lot of time to clean, repaint, replace carpets, handle minor repairs, and perform all the other little tasks that might be needed. Property owners may not have time to do this and manage their other properties and business matters.

Furthermore, when you find a good tenant turnover cleaning service, they should handle everything, not just cleaning. They’ll take care of hiring all necessary contractors or other personnel, getting everything repaired and cleaned up, and hauling away any garbage. In addition, they can provide an itemized list of work done, which acts like a second property inspection, allowing property owners to determine whether there are damages they might have missed in an initial inspection.

Short-term Rentals

These firms have experience and typically work quickly, aware of the fact that each day an apartment sits empty represents a loss of income to the owner. Working with tenant turnover cleaning services can be especially useful with furnished short-term rentals, including vacation homes; staff can get in and out quickly, make sure the space is clean and ready to go, and provide ongoing information about the overall condition of the property.

Ongoing Maintenance

Some also provide ongoing maintenance, including landscaping care, to their clients. If a property owner with numerous properties has a relationship with a tenant turnover cleaning service, the service can regularly dispatch personnel to mow and care for lawns, weed, clip plants, and perform other routine maintenance around a property to keep it in good condition. This reduces the risk of problems caused by deferred maintenance, encourages tenants to be responsible about caring for the property, and cultivates tenant retention by giving people a clean, pleasant environment to live in.

Find the Right Service

Landlords considering tenant turnover cleaning services may want to get quotes and information from several companies. Customer reviews are very informative, and if possible, an opportunity to see units processed by the service is a good idea, to understand how thoroughly they clean and make sure their definition of “move-in ready” matches yours. You should also ask to see the company’s business license and insurance information, along with contractor’s license, if applicable. Taking the time to do some research before entering into a contract is more likely to result in a positive outcome for everyone, by ensuring that all parties understand what’s expected of the business relationship.

Updated March 26, 2018.