Here's a step-by-step checklist Cleveland landlords can adapt for their own properties.
Before the Tenant Moves Out
- Confirm the move-out date in writing. Know exactly when you'll get the unit back.
- Review the lease for move-out terms, the security deposit, and any items the resident is responsible for.
- Pull the move-in records. Your move-in photos and condition report are the baseline for comparing damage.
- Start lining up help. If you expect cleaning, painting, or flooring, contact vendors early so their schedules don't hold you up.
- Plan your listing timing. Check your lease's access and showing terms before you schedule showings while a resident still lives there.
Step 1: Move-Out Inspection
Walk through the unit as soon as you get it back, ideally with a checklist and a camera.
- Take dated photos of every room, including floors, walls, and fixtures
- Test every light, outlet, and switch
- Run every faucet and flush every toilet, and look for leaks under sinks
- Check doors, locks, and windows
- Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
- Check appliances and HVAC filters
- Note anything left behind
Compare what you find with the move-in record. Questions about how to handle the security deposit should go to the right professional under Ohio law and the terms of your lease.
Step 2: Build the Scope of Work
Turn your inspection notes into a written list. Group it by trade and by priority:
- Safety and code items (detectors, electrical hazards, trip hazards, leaks)
- Systems (plumbing, heating, appliances)
- Surfaces (patching, paint, flooring)
- Cleaning and finishing touches
Write down who is doing each item and what "done" looks like. Something like "Replace kitchen faucet, test for leaks, photo when complete" is much easier to check than "fix kitchen."
Step 3: Schedule Work in the Right Order
The order matters, because doing things out of sequence means redoing them:
- Trash-out and removal of anything left behind
- Repairs that open walls or involve plumbing and electrical
- Drywall patching, then paint
- Flooring (after paint, so new floors don't get splattered)
- Fixtures, hardware, and detectors
- Deep clean last
Step 4: Decide What to Do About the Floors
Floors are often the biggest line item in a turnover. If carpet is stained or damaged, many landlords switch to luxury vinyl plank (LVP), which is easier to clean at the next turnover.
If you're in the Cleveland area, East Cleveland Flooring (a DBA of ACC Solutions LLC) offers LVP at $2.49/sq ft for material only and a $3.00/sq ft labor-only install special that is still running (contact them for what's included). A 50% deposit books the job, and $500 gets you on the schedule. Rush and portfolio work is quoted on request. Call (216) 238-5999 or visit eastclevelandflooring.com.
Step 5: Plumbing and Other Trade Work
Slow drains, running toilets, and leaky fixtures are common turnover items. Bigger plumbing issues should be looked at by a qualified plumber. Through ACC Solutions, plumbing is quoted after a walkthrough, and ACC partners with several plumbing companies. Call (216) 480-8899.
Step 6: Final Walkthrough
Before you list or hand over keys:
- Walk the whole unit against your scope of work, item by item
- Make a punch list of anything unfinished and assign who fixes it
- Take a fresh set of dated photos. These become the next resident's move-in baseline.
- Rekey or change the locks before the new resident moves in
- Make sure utilities are set up correctly for showings
Step 7: Lease It Up
With the unit clean and finished, take good listing photos and get it on the market. Keep every invoice, photo, and approval from the turnover together in one file so you have a full record for the property.
Turnover Checklist at a Glance
| Stage | Key tasks |
|---|---|
| Before move-out | Confirm date, review lease, pull move-in records, line up vendors |
| Inspection | Dated photos, test systems, note damage |
| Scope | Written list by trade and priority |
| Work | Removal → repairs → paint → flooring → fixtures → clean |
| Final | Punch list, photos, locks, utilities |
| Lease-up | Photos, listing, keep records |
Want Help Running Your Turnovers?
Turnovers take time, and they're even harder to manage if you don't live near the property. ACC Solutions helps Cleveland rental owners with property management and rehab project coordination, including organizing the work between tenants. Learn more on our rental property management in Cleveland page, or book a consultation.
ACC Solutions LLC is a Licensed General Contractor, License #CR25025171.