Apartment Turnover Cleaning for Property Managers: What a Turnover Includes
Apartment turnover cleaning in Snohomish & King County: room-by-room scope, scheduling, fixed unit prices, photo reports. Text for a written price.
By Yuri and Tatiana, owners of Shining Cleanse LLC, a family cleaning company based in Everett, WA and licensed in 10 cities across Snohomish and King County.
Apartment turnover cleaning is a full deep clean of a vacant unit: inside every cabinet and appliance, bathrooms descaled, windows and floors, often with carpet extracted the same visit. Our fixed prices are $316–$416 per unit, with a dated photo report the same day.
A turnover has a deadline, an empty unit, an owner who wants to see what was paid for, and a former tenant who may dispute a deduction. So what a property manager is really buying is predictability: ready on the date, priced before the work, and documented well enough to show an owner.
What does an apartment turnover clean include?
Kitchen
Inside every cabinet and drawer, including shelves, tracks and hinges; oven degreased with racks soaked; fridge shelves out and washed; microwave; dishwasher filter; range hood; counters, backsplash and sink; floor edge to edge.
Bathrooms
Tub and shower descaled, tile and grout steamed, toilet inside and around the base, vanity inside and out, mirror, fixtures, exhaust fan cover, floor. We do grout and fixtures with dry steam (about 290°F at the nozzle), so no product residue is left there for the next tenant.
Bedrooms and living areas
Baseboards washed, walls spot-cleaned, closets wiped inside including shelving and rods, interior windows with tracks and sills, blinds dusted, light fixtures and ceiling fans, switches and outlets, floors by surface.
Not included
Quoted separately: patching nail holes, painting, hauling items left behind, carpet repair or pad replacement, water damage, hoarding-condition or biohazard units.
How fast can a vacant unit be turned over?
A vacant unit is turned fastest when the vendor knows the move-in or showing date and agrees the date in writing on the work order. Four things make a quick turn possible:
- Access is arranged in advance: a key, lockbox or on-site staff.
- The unit is actually empty. Furniture or trash left behind adds hours and should be a separate line.
- Utilities are on. No water or power means no cleaning.
- Carpet is done last, with air movers, so it is dry for a showing in 4–8 hours.
Same-day turns are sometimes possible. A vendor who promises them for every unit is overbooking. We are two owners who do every turnover ourselves, so we confirm in writing how many units we can take and on which days.
Our job
Our jobIs carpet cleaning part of a turnover?
It should be booked in the same visit, after the cleaning, so nobody walks dust back onto it. Our move-out carpet cleaning is a pre-vacuum, pre-spray of traffic lanes, hot water extraction with extra dry passes, spot treatment and air movers. Where there were pet accidents, pet odor treatment of the areas you point out, or that we find by stains and smell, is a separate, agreed line.
Carpet matters for documentation too. Under RCW 59.18.280, no part of a deposit may be withheld for carpet cleaning unless the landlord documents wear beyond ordinary use. For what extraction costs on its own, see carpet cleaning prices for a 2-bedroom apartment.
What documentation should a turnover cleaner provide?
Start with a photo report per unit: a before and an after photo of each room from the same spot, dated, with a one-line neutral note per room: ordinary wear, or a specific issue such as a permanent stain or a broken blind. It should arrive the same day.
RCW 59.18.280 requires a landlord to give the tenant a written statement of deductions within 30 days, with estimates or invoices to support damage charges. A dated photo set and an itemized invoice are the kind of record that supports a legitimate charge. Our move-out checklist for landlords covers the inspection side.
Then the vendor paperwork. Before the first unit: a W-9, state license and UBI, city business licenses for the cities where your properties are, and a Certificate of Insurance naming your company as additional insured where required. If you use a credentialing portal, the vendor enrolls and uploads once.
How much does apartment turnover cleaning cost?
Managers do not have time to count rooms, so the workable model is a fixed price by unit type for an empty unit with ordinary wear. These are our current prices (full list on our pricing page):
| Item | Shining Cleanse |
|---|---|
| Turnover clean, studio or 1BR | $316 |
| Turnover clean, 2BR / 3BR | $366 / $416 |
| Turnover carpet, studio or 1BR | $156 with the clean ($220 on its own) |
| Turnover carpet, 2BR / 3BR | $196 / $236 with the clean ($226 / $276 on its own) |
| Pet odor treatment | $52 per affected area |
| Stairs | $5 per step |
| Heavy soil or items left behind | quoted from photos before work starts |
The not-to-exceed amount on the work order should match the fixed price plus extras agreed in advance, and a vendor should not exceed it without a written yes. Renters booking a single move-out clean pay different rates, shown in our move-out cleaning cost guide. The same prices apply in Lynnwood and our other licensed cities.
Can common areas go on the same contract?
Yes. Many managers pair turnovers with scheduled common-area cleaning: lobby, mailroom, corridors, elevator, stairwells, laundry room, clubhouse and fitness room, weekly or every two weeks. Ours start at $297 per building visit. Corridor carpet can be cleaned quarterly with hot water extraction on a quiet day, since it takes 4–8 hours to dry. One vendor, one COI, one invoice. Condo and townhome boards buying this service directly can use our guide to HOA cleaning services.
What should you ask a turnover vendor?
- What is the fixed price for a 1BR, 2BR and 3BR, and what is excluded?
- How long from work order to ready?
- What does the photo report look like?
- Who enters the unit, and is it the same people each time?
- Can you enroll in our portal and provide a COI with additional insured?
- What happens if the unit is in worse condition than described?
Short-term rental hosts have a different checklist; here is how to find an Airbnb cleaner you can rely on.
Our jobFAQ
Should the turnover clean happen before or after painting and repairs?
After. Paint, drywall sanding and maintenance leave dust on every surface, so the clean comes last and the carpet last of all. If painters and cleaners are booked on the same day, the cleaning ends up being done twice.
How long does a turnover clean take on site?
For two people, roughly 3–6 hours on site, depending on unit size and condition. Carpet extraction adds roughly 20–30 minutes per room. Heavy grease, smoke film or items left behind add time, which is why we quote condition from photos first.
What payment terms are normal for turnover cleaning?
Management companies usually pay a monthly invoice itemized by unit and date. Ours is Net 15. Small landlords often pay by card or Zelle on completion. A small vendor may pause new work orders if an account runs 30 days past due.
What if the unit is worse than the work order described?
A good vendor stops and tells you before starting, with photos, and you decide whether to approve an extra or change the scope. Nothing should be added on site without your written approval.
Get a written price for your turnovers
Text 2–4 photos of the unit, the unit type and the ready-by date to (425) 539-5492 or request a written quote. We reply with a written price the same business day (Mon–Fri 9am–7pm, Sat 9am–5pm).
apartment turnover cleaningproperty managersturnover cleaningmove-out cleaningcarpet cleaningRCW 59.18.280Snohomish CountyKing County