Whether you are a landlord or property manager, the turnover period between tenants is a time-consuming, often stressful process. One of the most important aspects of tenant turnover is the turnover cleaning.
In this blog, we will share tips on how to prepare rental units for new tenants from our Toronto condo cleaning experts to increase tenant satisfaction and improve tenant retention.
Conduct a Walk-Through
Tenants require 24 hours’ written notice before you enter their apartment. You also need to either perform repairs or a unit maintenance inspection. To reduce stress, ensure the tenant has received the notice and prepare a walk-through checklist so you know exactly what you are looking for.
Your tenant should be present so you can discuss possible issues. Ideally, part of your tenant turnover process is taking pictures of the unit in its pre-tenant condition. This provides a reference for the inspection so you can determine what (if any) damage was caused by the tenant.
Keeping in mind that normal wear and tear is expected, some of the things you want to check for include the following:
- Broken appliances
- Plumbing issues
- Unauthorized changes to the decor (such as paint, wallpaper, alterations to kitchen cabinets, etc.)
- Dirty carpets that require replacement or shampooing
- Broken windows or doors and locks
- Torn or missing screens
- Security issues such as broken window latches
- Mould and mildew
You can then arrange for repairs and any specialty cleaning requirements. Anything that falls on the tenant’s shoulders should also be discussed both in person and in writing so they understand why you might withhold part or all of their security deposit.
Schedule Repairs and Maintenance
To help prolong the life of finishes and systems, it is best to schedule repairs and maintenance to ensure that the new tenants are happy. This would include things such as:
- Plumbing and electrical
- HVAC maintenance
- Appliance maintenance
- Changing air filters
- Addressing leaks
- Considering installing water-saving fixtures to reduce costs
- Mould remediation
- Pest control
- Repairing things like locks, doors, broken windows, etc.
- Eliminating clogs
- Replacing blown light bulbs in light fixtures and appliances
Consider Opportunities for Possible Upgrades
Making upgrades before you list the unit justifies rent increases. Upgrades will also help improve the quality of tenants you attract and encourage them to become long-term tenants.
You have to consider what things will attract your ideal tenant, the costs involved, and the return on investment. You also have to weigh the timing to complete the upgrades, as you don’t want to miss out on rent for several months!
Think about budget-friendly easy upgrades such as repainting the entire unit including the baseboards and doors, new countertops, or upgrades to fixtures like toilets, tubs, shower doors, and faucets.
Perform a Deep Clean
Once all the repairs and upgrades are complete, it’s time to clean. This should be left until the last moment but booked in advance to ensure you secure an effective apartment turnaround cleaning service.
Deep cleaning should address every corner and surface of the unit, including the following:
Bathrooms
- Bathtub and shower enclosure
- Inside, outside, and behind toilets
- Lights, mirrors, sinks, and countertops
- Vacuuming the ceiling fan cover
- Light switches and door knobs
- Vacuuming and mopping floors
- Wiping the vanity inside and out
Bedrooms
- Wiping switches and door knobs
- Vacuuming or mopping floors
Kitchen
- Cleaning inside and outside the fridge, oven, and stovetop
- Polishing the fridge front
- Cleaning the microwave inside and out
- Scrubbing the backsplash, countertops, and cupboard fronts
- Scrubbing the sink
- Wiping light switches and door knobs
- Vacuuming and mopping floors
- Wiping inside cabinets and drawers
Living and Dining Rooms
- Wiping switches and door knobs
- Vacuuming and/or mopping floors
- Cleaning the laundry room
- Clearing the air vent and lint trap
- Wiping down the washer and dryer
For an even more satisfying clean for new tenants, consider adding a GermBlasters clean to the list. GermBlasters is even better than deep cleaning, safely targeting germs and superbugs using hospital-grade disinfectant to help prevent illness.
It also targets other harmful substances such as mould, mildew, allergens, and odours. The benefits of GermBlasters include the following:
- Proven to kill a wide range of viruses and bacteria
- Won’t create a more potent virus
- No volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
- No rinsing required, with 99.999% sanitization on food-contact surfaces
- Odourless and tasteless
- Kills E. coli, salmonella, and listeria in less than 60 seconds
- Kills mould and mildew, and prevents spores from forming for up to seven months
- Safe on a wide range of high-touch surfaces
- Eliminates allergens, including dust mites and pet dander
- Safe for pets
- Eliminates odours
- Effectively cleans HVAC and air ducts for antimicrobial control
- Safe and effective soft-surface sanitation and odour removal, such as carpets
- 100% biodegradable
- No aquatic toxicity, carcinogens, mutagens, or reproductive toxicants
Engaging these types of thorough cleaning services will ensure your new tenants are satisfied with the unit’s condition, while setting a good first impression to improve their tenant experience!
Why Turnover Cleaning Is Crucial
Although you can leave the turnover cleaning up to the tenants, they will never clean to the standards the new tenants expect. By scheduling move-out cleaning services yourself, you can dictate the level of cleaning to ensure all of the above cleaning tasks are completed, with the added assurance of sanitization when you also include GermBlasters’ cleaning protocols.
Proper cleaning also ensures you prolong the life of materials in the unit to reduce the costs related to repairs and replacements. Through professional turnover condo cleaning in Toronto, you create a clean slate for new tenants. You can record the condition on video and with images of every room and surface as a reference when the tenants decide to move out.
All these benefits provide peace of mind, reduce stress, help save costs, and contribute to tenant retention by improving tenant satisfaction.
Call the Cleaning Experts
The apartment cleaning experts at Maid4Condos offer professional move-out, deep cleaning, and GermBlaster cleaning services for landlords and property managers.
Click here to get a quote on condo cleaning in Toronto, or reach out to our team to discuss a customized solution. For more information, you can call us at 647-822-0601 or contact us online.
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