Make-ready checklist

Use this on the day the keys come back. Work top to bottom, and book the trades in order: repairs, then paint, then flooring, then cleaning, then the final walk. The make-ready and turnover guide walks through each step.

Move-out walk

• Dated photos of every room, wall to wall, before any work
• Compare with the move-in photos, and note damage beyond normal wear for the deposit
• Collect every key, fob, remote and mailbox key
• Read the meters and record the numbers

Safety

• Test every smoke alarm and CO alarm, and check each manufacture date
• Replace batteries in alarms that use them
• Check the water heater for leaks and its temperature setting
• Look for exposed wiring, missing outlet covers and loose fixtures
• Rekey or change the locks
• Built before 1978? Use a lead-safe certified firm for any sanding, scraping or window work

Kitchen and bathrooms

• Run every faucet and shower, and check under each sink for leaks
• Flush every toilet and check it stops running
• Test the range, oven, hood fan, dishwasher, disposal and refrigerator
• Recaulk tubs, showers and sinks where needed
• Check bathroom fans run

Every room

• Patch and paint walls, and touch up trim
• Open and close every door and window, and check the locks
• Test every light, switch and outlet
• Replace the HVAC filter and test heating and cooling
• Clean or replace flooring as needed

Final walk and punch list

• Walk the unit after cleaning with this list in hand
• Write every small item left on a punch list, with the room
• Close the list, with a photo of each item
• Take listing photos once the punch list is closed

How to use it

1. Walk the unit with this checklist the day the keys come back. The make-ready clock starts then.
2. Take dated photos of each room before any work starts, for the deposit file.
3. Book the trades in order: repairs first, then paint, then cleaning, then the final punch list walk.
4. Test every smoke and CO alarm and record the date before the next tenant moves in. See smoke and CO alarms in rentals.

The guide behind it

The work order process