When a normal make-ready isn't enough
Most turnovers need paint, carpet cleaning and a standard clean. Some units need much more. A tenant may leave behind human or animal waste, sharps, heavy smoking residue, spoiled food, pest contamination or signs of drug use. Sometimes a tenant has died in the unit. Your usual make-ready crew isn't equipped, trained or insured for those conditions, and the unit can't be safely relisted until they're dealt with.
Rental turnover remediation is the step between move-out and your normal make-ready. It removes the hazards so your regular vendors can work.
Common conditions
- Pet and animal waste: urine saturation in carpet, pad, subfloor and baseboards; feces accumulation; ammonia odor.
- Human waste and bodily fluids, including from incontinence, illness or neglect.
- Heavy smoking residue: nicotine and tar on every surface, in HVAC components and cabinet interiors.
- Suspected drug use: residue concerns that call for testing before cleaning decisions are made.
- Sharps and paraphernalia left in the unit.
- Spoiled food and pests: refrigerators left full, cockroach or rodent contamination.
- Hoarding conditions at move-out or after abandonment.
How the process works for managers
- Request. You send the unit address, access details and what was observed. Photos help.
- Assessment and scope. We confirm the conditions and send a written scope, with photos, for approval.
- Remediation. Removal of contaminated materials, cleaning and disinfection, deodorization, and testing coordination where drug residue is suspected.
- Documentation. A unit-level completion record with before-and-after photos, useful for security deposit accounting, owner reports, insurance and any later dispute.
- Handoff. The unit is returned ready for your painting, flooring and make-ready vendors.
Drug residue at turnover
Several states have specific rules for drug-contaminated rental properties. Some require certified contractors for certain situations, and some impose disclosure obligations. If drug use is suspected, testing before re-leasing gives you a factual basis for your next steps. Our drug residue remediation for rental properties page explains this in more detail.
Abandoned property
If a tenant left personal property behind, your state's landlord-tenant law and your lease govern how it must be handled. We follow your written instructions, which should be based on your counsel's advice. We can inventory, photograph and store items rather than discard them.
Portfolio support
For managers with many units, we can set up standing authorization limits, a consistent documentation format and a single billing contact so turnovers move without repeated approvals.