Unit-Turn Checklist for Landlords

Every day a unit sits empty costs rent. The fastest turns follow the same pattern: walk it right away, fix and patch first, paint second, clean last, and check it against a list before it's shown. This checklist puts the work in that order. Print it and use it on your next turn.

Why the order matters

Patching makes dust. Painting drips. If the unit gets cleaned first, it gets cleaned twice. Doing the dirty work first and the cleaning last means each step only happens once, and the unit is truly ready when the cleaners leave.

It also helps when the same crew does both. There's no gap waiting on a second vendor, and no argument about whose drip is on the floor.

Day of move-out: walk it

• Walk the unit as soon as the keys come back.
• Photograph every room, including inside cabinets and closets.
• List wall damage, stains, scuffs and anything broken.
• Note the paint colors and sheens in use. One standard house color across units makes every future touch-up easier.
• Decide what's being painted: touch-up, walls only, or walls, ceilings and trim.
• Set the target date the unit must be ready to show.

Patch and prep

• Fill nail holes, anchors and small dents.
• Repair larger drywall damage, such as door-knob holes.
• Caulk gaps where trim meets walls and around door frames.
• Spot-prime patches and any stains so they don't bleed through.
• Replace or tighten loose doorstops, cabinet hardware and closet doors.

Paint

• Ceilings where stained or yellowed.
• Walls in every room, including inside closets if they're marked up.
• Trim and baseboards.
• Doors and door frames, both sides.
• Touch up any scuffs from the move-out itself.
• Remove tape and clean up drips before the paint crew leaves.

Clean: kitchen

• Inside and outside of every cabinet and drawer.
• Countertops and backsplash.
• Inside the refrigerator and freezer, including shelves and drawers.
• Inside the oven, stovetop, and the range hood surface.
• Sink scrubbed and polished.
• Microwave and dishwasher wiped inside and out, if present.

Clean: bathrooms

• Tub and shower, including grout and soap scum.
• Toilet, inside and out, including the base.
• Vanity, sink and inside the vanity cabinet.
• Mirror and medicine cabinet.
• Floor, including edges and behind the toilet.

Clean: every room

• Windows, sills and tracks.
• Blinds dusted or washed.
• Baseboards and door tops wiped.
• Closet shelves and rods.
• Cobwebs and high dusting.
• Entry door, inside and out.

Floors, last

• Carpet vacuumed and extracted.
• Hard floors swept and scrubbed, edges included.
• Spots and drips from the paint stage removed.

Final check before showing

• Walk the unit against this list in daylight.
• Take "ready" photos of every room for your records and listing.
• Make sure every key, fob and mailbox key is accounted for.
• Leave the unit closed up and ready to show.

Fortis handles unit turns for property managers with one crew: patching, painting and the full move-out clean in a single visit. Call or text 309-269-2752, or book a walkthrough below.