Make-Ready & Turnover Operations GuideBuilt-In P5 — Rent Ready + Vacant / No Tenant Support
Vacant Unit Make-Ready & Rent-Ready Turnover Checklist for Property Managers
Every extra day a vacant unit sits in make-ready costs your property owner $50–$100+ in lost rent and delays your leasing commission. Use this standardized turnover checklist alongside PropDispatch’s built-in P5 — Rent Ready queue.
1. Lockout, Trash-Out, Utilities & Initial Scope Walk (Day 1)
Complete these items within 24 hours of key return so you can request multi-vendor quotes immediately:
- Rekey locks or rotate smart-lock master/vendor codes; verify lockbox code is documented on the work order
- Confirm electric, water, and gas utilities are transferred to landlord/vacant revert account
- Capture move-out / inspection "Before" photos of every room, wall, floor, and appliance for security deposit accounting
- Remove all tenant trash, furniture, and debris; check attic, garage, patio, and storage closets
2. Paint, Drywall, Flooring & Mechanical Punch-List (Days 2–5)
Request up to 3 contractor estimates via SMS (with up to 20 supporting photos embedded in the Estimate PDF) or dispatch your in-house turn crew:
- Patch nail holes, repair drywall dings, caulk tubs/counters, and complete full or touch-up interior paint
- Replace HVAC air filters, flush AC condensate drain line, and test heating and cooling cycles
- Test all plumbing fixtures, angle stops, garbage disposal, dishwasher, range burners, oven, and refrigerator ice maker
- Replace burnt-out bulbs with matching 3000K/4000K LED bulbs, test smoke/CO alarms, and replace window blinds
3. Deep Clean, Carpet Steam & Final "After" Photo Sign-Off (Days 6–7)
Require mandatory Vendor "After" completion photos before approving the turnover invoice or marking the unit Rent Ready:
- Professional deep clean inside oven, refrigerator drawers, cabinets, baseboards, window tracks, and bathrooms
- Professional carpet steam cleaning or LVP floor polish after all trades have exited
- Generate 1-Click Owner PDF Report (showing Inspection "Before" Photos + Vendor "After" Photos + Approved Estimate vs. Final Invoice)
Built for Vacant Units: No Fake Tenant Name or Phone Number Required
When creating or bulk-importing a P5 — Rent Ready work order in PropDispatch, simply leave Tenant Name and Phone blank. PropDispatch automatically labels the work order "Vacant / No Tenant", omits tenant contact lines from vendor SMS dispatches, lets contractors attach up to 20 quote photos, and labels the Owner PDF Report "Vacant Unit — Full Access".
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we bulk-import a 25-item vacant unit turnover punch-list from Excel?
Yes! Download our .xlsx Excel Template on the Work Orders page, select P5 — Rent Ready from the built-in Priority dropdown, leave the tenant name and phone columns blank, and import the entire turnover sheet in 10 seconds.
Battle-Tested in Real Emergencies
When a Hurricane Hit, PropDispatch Handled Every Emergency.
Real unscripted tenant calls, real SMS damage photos, and real autonomous vendor dispatches from a 500+ unit portfolio during a regional hurricane surge—with zero busy signals and zero mobile apps required.
🚨 P1 Emergency🛠️ Trade: Structural / Tree & Roof
Massive Fallen Tree Punches Hole Through Roof & Interior Ceiling
TENANT SMS PHOTO #1: EXTERIOR
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Massive hurricane-downed tree limbs crushed across the brick home’s roof overhang and patio.
TENANT SMS PHOTO #2: INTERIOR
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Hole punched through the interior ceiling exposing wooden rafters, insulation, and daylight.
TENANT SMS PHOTO #3: WIDE VIEW
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Wide exterior view showing the fallen oak tree across the roof, crushed gutter, and debris.
Autonomous Resolution: When a huge oak tree crashed onto a brick home during the hurricane, Kathy calmly asked follow-up questions to uncover that the tree had punched a hole right through the interior ceiling and damaged the tenant’s belongings—then immediately texted a photo upload link and dispatched emergency crews.
AI Answered
SMS Photo
Vendor Dispatched
Invoiced
Play Real Call Recording (1:04)0:00 / 1:04
* Privacy Note: Company names, tenant names, phone numbers & street addresses are intentionally replaced with a gentle chime (🔔) for privacy.
Full Call Transcript (Unscripted)
[AI Dispatcher — Kathy]:Hi, this is Kathy with 🔔 Redacted for Privacy. For medical or fire emergencies, call 911. Otherwise, please describe your maintenance issue. Por favor, describa su problema de mantenimiento.
[Tenant]:The tree fell on my house.
[AI Dispatcher — Kathy]:Is there any other damage related to the fallen tree?
[Tenant]:Yes, it has put a hole on the inside of the home. And it damaged all my stuff that I had here.
[AI Dispatcher — Kathy]:Please provide your full name.
[Tenant]:🔔 Redacted for Privacy
[AI Dispatcher — Kathy]:I have your number as 🔔 Redacted for Privacy. Is that a good number to text you at?
[Tenant]:Yes.
[AI Dispatcher — Kathy]:Please tell me your full property address and your unit number if you have one.
[Tenant]:🔔 Redacted for Privacy
[AI Dispatcher — Kathy]:Please let me know if there are any pets on the property.
[Tenant]:No. No pets.
[AI Dispatcher — Kathy]:One moment, please... Your ticket is created. Please upload photos using the link I just texted you, and a vendor will be in touch shortly. Thank you. Goodbye.
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