Guide for apartment make-ready teams and turn contractors · checked 3 November 2026
Apartment make-ready, a vacant unit on a clock that costs rent every day
A make-ready starts when a resident gives notice and ends when the next one gets keys. In between: a pre-move-out walk, a vacant lock, trash-out, paint, repairs, cleaning, carpet, a final inspection and a deposit statement with its own legal deadline. This guide covers the turn sequence, what to photograph and why California now requires it, the 6 square foot lead trigger on pre-1978 units, NSPIRE items that must be fixed in 24 hours on HUD-assisted units, state deposit deadlines, and what housing authorities charge for each line.
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Short answer
Apartment make-ready teams use software that opens a turn when a notice to vacate lands, schedules a pre-move-out inspection, sequences vendors (paint, clean, carpet, repairs) on a make-ready board, counts days from move-out to ready, and keeps dated before and after photos and invoices for the deposit statement. Most communities run turns inside their property management system or a turn tool such as HappyCo, Entrata, Rent Manager or NetVendor; make-ready contractors serving many communities often need their own job system. Fieldproxy is set up around your own turn stages, scope lines and deadlines.
7 working days
Common industry guideline to turn an apartment; many managers expect 5, sometimes 3
source: National Apartment Association, Apartment Turnover (March 2025 member guidance)
24 hours
Correction time for NSPIRE life-threatening and severe deficiencies on HUD-inspected properties
source: eCFR, 24 CFR 5.711: NSPIRE scoring, inspection report requirements and correction times
6 sq ft
Painted surface per room a pre-1978 turn can disturb before EPA's RRP lead rules apply (2 sq ft on HUD-assisted units)
source: eCFR, 40 CFR 745.83: RRP rule definitions (minor repair and maintenance, 6 sq ft per room)
21 days
California deadline for the itemized deposit statement after move-out; Texas 30, New York 14, Florida 15 or 30
How a job runs
One apartment make-ready job, from first call to paid
The order the work really happens in, and what has to be written down at each step so nothing is argued about later.
- 1
Notice to vacate opens the turn
The turn begins at notice, not at move-out. NAA's guidance is to do a pre-move-out inspection once a resident has given notice with a set move-out date, ideally within a week, so parts can be ordered, contractors booked and $500+ replacements approved before the unit sits empty. Some operators fix move-outs to one weekday (one turn vendor recommends Sundays) so the whole week is working time.
- 2
Offer the resident's pre-move-out inspection where the law requires it
In California the landlord must tell the resident in writing of the option to request an initial inspection, held no earlier than two weeks before the move-out date with at least 48 hours' written notice, so the resident can fix items and avoid deductions. New York has its own move-in and move-out inspection rules. The deficiency list from this walk becomes both the resident's to-do list and your draft scope.
- 3
Move-out: key in, vacant lock, photos before anything is touched
On the move-out date the unit gets keys back, a vacant or construction lock, a trash-out and the move-out inspection. In California, from 1 April 2025 the landlord must photograph the unit within a reasonable time after it is returned and before any repair or cleaning that will be deducted, then again after those repairs and cleanings are done. Abandoned property is inventoried and photographed before removal; NAA notes 30 days is a typical reclaim period, subject to state law.
- 4
Scope the turn: wear and tear versus damage
Each item gets a line: patch and paint, full repaint, clean, carpet clean or replace, blinds, appliance repair, re-key, pest treatment. Each line is tagged normal wear and tear (owner cost) or resident damage (deposit charge), with photos. California bars claims for the cumulative effects of ordinary wear and tear over one or more tenancies, and housing authorities depreciate items like paint and carpet over a set life when charging residents.
- 5
Check lead and NSPIRE triggers before work starts
On a pre-1978 building, a turn that disturbs more than 6 square feet of painted surface in a room (20 outside), or any window replacement or demolition, falls under EPA's RRP rule: certified firm, certified renovator, lead-safe work practices. On HUD-assisted housing the Lead Safe Housing Rule threshold is 2 square feet per room. If the unit is HUD-inspected or going to a voucher holder, the turn checklist includes NSPIRE items such as smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that sound when tested.
- 6
Sequence the trades on the make-ready board
The usual order: trash-out, vacant lock, paint, maintenance repairs, general cleaning, then carpet clean or replacement last so nobody walks on wet carpet. Each vendor gets a start date that depends on the previous one finishing. NAA describes the make-ready board as the status view of every leased and unleased vacant unit, digital in the PMS or on a whiteboard, with boxes for each step.
- 7
Final inspection a day before move-in
NAA recommends finishing at least a day before move-in to leave room for a final walk, contractor callbacks and maintenance emergencies. The final walk checks every scope line closed with an after photo, alarms tested, appliances running, keys cut for the new lock, and the unit marked ready in the PMS so leasing can show or move in.
- 8
Initial inspection for voucher holders
If the next resident uses a Housing Choice Voucher, the unit must pass the housing authority's NSPIRE inspection before the assisted lease and HAP contract begin. One Maryland authority gives owners up to 30 days, at the inspector's discretion, to correct failed items on an initial inspection, which is 30 days of no rent if the turn missed something.
- 9
Deposit statement and vendor bills close the turn
The deposit disposition goes out by the state deadline with deductions backed by invoices or, for in-house work, a description of the work with time spent and hourly rate (California). Vendor invoices are matched to scope lines, and the turn closes with days vacant, days to ready, cost by line and cost charged back to the resident.
What to record
The fields every apartment make-ready job should capture
Each turn
- Community, building, unit, floor plan (studio, 1BR, 2BR...), year built (pre-1978 flag), HUD program (none, public housing, project-based, voucher next)
- Notice date, scheduled move-out, actual move-out, keys received, vacant lock installed, target ready date, actual ready date, next move-in date
- Pre-move-out inspection: offered in writing (date), requested by resident (yes or no), held (date), deficiency list given to resident
- Status: Notice, Pre-walk done, Vacant not ready, In progress, Final walk, Ready, Leased ready, Moved in
- Days vacant, days to ready, days from ready to move-in
Each scope line
- Room and item (e.g. bedroom 2, wall by window; kitchen, range element bake 30 in.)
- Action: clean, patch and paint, full repaint, replace, repair, re-key, treat
- Responsibility: wear and tear (owner) or resident damage (charge), with item age for depreciation
- Vendor or tech, scheduled date, done date, quantity (sq ft, hours, gallons, each), cost
- Before photo with timestamp (after return, before work), after photo (after the work), invoice attached
- Painted surface disturbed per room in sq ft on pre-1978 units; RRP certified renovator on site if over the threshold
Final walk and deposit
- Smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm tested (sounds or flashes), dryer transition duct attached, GFCIs trip, heat works (NSPIRE fails heat below 64°F from Oct 1 to Mar 31)
- Appliances run, water heater relief valve and gas shutoff present, entry door and locks work, keys cut and counted
- Final walk inspector, date, result, callbacks opened
- Deposit: state, deadline date, amount held, deductions by line with invoice or time and rate, sent date and method (e.g. certified mail in Florida)
Rules and standards
The rules that shape the work, with their sources
| Rule | What it means on the job |
|---|---|
| NSPIRE correction times, 24 CFR 5.711 | On HUD-inspected properties, life-threatening deficiencies must be corrected within 24 hours of notice, and severe ones within 24 hours unless a standard says otherwise. The owner certifies the fix with supporting evidence within 2 business days after that deadline. Moderate deficiencies are corrected within 30 days and low ones within 60 days. A property scoring below 60 must survey every unit and send the results to HUD. source: eCFR, 24 CFR 5.711: NSPIRE scoring, inspection report requirements and correction times |
| NSPIRE life-threatening items a turn must not miss | Housing authorities list them for owners: smoke alarm not installed where required, obstructed, or silent when tested; carbon monoxide alarm missing, badly placed, obstructed or silent; dryer transition duct detached or of unsuitable material; exposed electrical conductor or water on one; missing entry door; obstructed egress; heat not working, or the unit below 64°F, between October 1 and March 31. source: Raleigh Housing Authority owner memo: NSPIRE life-threatening deficiencies (July 2025) |
| NSPIRE affirmative requirements scored from 1 October 2026 | HUD's PIH Notice 2025-27 pushed the scoring of the newer affirmative requirements on public housing and multifamily inspections to October 1, 2026. The list covers fire-labeled doors, GFCI or AFCI protection, guardrails, HVAC, interior lighting, and minimum electrical and lighting. Smoke alarms, call-for-aid, carbon monoxide devices and handrails stay non-scored items, which still have to be fixed. source: NAHRO (2 Oct 2025): NSPIRE dates extended to 2026 (PIH Notice 2025-27) |
| Voucher units pass NSPIRE before the HAP contract | A newly leased Housing Choice Voucher unit must pass the authority's NSPIRE inspection before the assisted lease and Housing Assistance Payment contract start. Montgomery County's HOC gives owners up to 30 days to fix items failed on an initial inspection, at the inspector's discretion, and inspects each voucher unit at least once a year after that. source: Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County, MD, Administrative Plan chapter 10 (NSPIRE inspections) |
| EPA RRP rule, 40 CFR 745 subpart E | Minor repair and maintenance is exempt only if it disturbs 6 square feet or less of painted surface per room inside, or 20 square feet or less outside, uses none of the prohibited practices, and involves no window replacement or demolition of painted surfaces. Jobs in the same room within 30 days are added together. Removing a painted component counts its whole surface area. source: eCFR, 40 CFR 745.83: RRP rule definitions (minor repair and maintenance, 6 sq ft per room) |
| HUD Lead Safe Housing Rule de minimis, 24 CFR 35.1350(d) | On HUD-assisted housing, safe work practices apply above 20 square feet on exterior surfaces, 2 square feet in any one interior room or space, or 10 percent of the surface of a small component such as a window sill, baseboard or trim. Specialized cleaning afterward uses a HEPA vacuum or equivalent and lead-specific detergent. source: eCFR, 24 CFR 35.1350: HUD Lead Safe Housing Rule safe work practices and de minimis levels |
| California move-in and move-out photos (Civil Code 1950.5, AB 2801) | From April 1, 2025 the landlord must photograph the unit within a reasonable time after it is returned and before repairs or cleaning that will be deducted, and again after they are done. For tenancies starting on or after July 1, 2025 the landlord must also photograph the unit immediately before or at the start of the tenancy. Professional cleaning can only be charged if needed to return the unit to its move-in cleanliness, excluding ordinary wear and tear. source: California AB 2801 (2024), chaptered text amending Civil Code 1950.5 (photos, itemization, initial inspection) |
| California itemized statement and the $125 line | Within 21 days of move-out the landlord sends an itemized statement. For work by the landlord's own staff, it describes the work with time spent and the hourly rate; for outside vendors, a copy of the bill, invoice or receipt with the vendor's name, address and phone. Those document requirements do not apply when repair and cleaning deductions together are $125 or less. source: California AB 2801 (2024), chaptered text amending Civil Code 1950.5 (photos, itemization, initial inspection) |
| Texas: 30 days and bad-faith penalties | Texas Property Code 92.103 requires the deposit refund on or before the 30th day after the tenant surrenders the premises. Under 92.109, a landlord who keeps a deposit in bad faith owes $100 plus three times the amount wrongfully withheld plus attorney's fees, and one who in bad faith fails to give the itemized list of damages forfeits the right to withhold any of it. source: Texas Property Code 92.109: bad-faith retention, $100 plus three times the amount withheld |
| Florida: 15 days or a certified-mail claim in 30 | Florida Statutes 83.49(3) gives a landlord with no claim 15 days to return the deposit. To make a claim, the landlord must send written notice within 30 days, by certified mail to the last known address or by e-mail under 83.505, stating the claim and the reason. source: Florida Statutes 83.49: deposit return in 15 days, claim notice by certified mail in 30 days |
| New York: 14 days, itemized, or the whole deposit | Under General Obligations Law 7-108 the landlord must give an itemized statement of deductions within 14 days after the tenant moves out, or return the full deposit. Deductions are limited to items like unpaid rent and damage beyond normal wear and tear, and landlords must offer a move-in inspection and record existing damage in writing. source: Cornell Law School Tenant Advocacy Practicum: NY security deposits (GOL 7-108, 14 days, move-in and move-out inspections) |
| Housing authorities depreciate what they charge | Public housing charge schedules show the depreciation logic in writing. Manhattan Housing Authority (KS) prices a full repaint from $650 for an efficiency to $950 for a 4-bedroom with monthly depreciation over 5 years, and charges a flat $50 base for carpet cleaning at move-out with no depreciation. Williamsburg (VA) charges smoke-damage repaints regardless of time in unit. source: Manhattan Housing Authority (KS), Schedule of charges, public housing 2024 |
Rules vary by state, council and contract. Checked 3 November 2026; confirm against the source for your area before relying on it.
Numbers
What two housing authorities charge residents for turn work, and NAA's turn benchmarks
Rows are from two published public housing schedules of charges (resident charges, labor plus materials, not contractor bids) and NAA's turnover guidance. Use them as a picture of how turn lines are priced and depreciated, not as market rates.
| Line | Figure | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Full repaint, ceilings and walls, efficiency to 4BR | $650 to $950 (labor $500 to $750) | Manhattan HA, KS, 2024 |
| Monthly depreciation on that repaint, over 5 years | $8.65 (efficiency) to $16.75 (4BR) | Manhattan HA, KS, 2024 |
| Carpet cleaning, efficiency or 1BR tower unit | $160 or $190; $50 base charge at move-out | Manhattan HA, KS, 2024 |
| Repaint after smoking damage, by size | $850 (1BR), $1,350 (2 to 3BR), $1,550 (4 to 5BR) | Williamsburg RHA, VA, 2026 |
| Cleaning a kitchen / a bathroom | 5 hours, $150 / 3 hours, $90 | Williamsburg RHA, VA, 2026 |
| Re-key an entry lock | $30 ($15 per cylinder, 30 minutes) | Williamsburg RHA, VA, 2026 |
| Maintenance labor rate | $30 an hour, $45 after hours, 15 minute minimum | Williamsburg RHA, VA, 2026 |
| Replace 18 cu ft refrigerator | $799 | Williamsburg RHA, VA, 2026 |
| Turn time guideline | 7 working days; often 5, sometimes 3 | NAA, 2025 |
| Average cost of one move-out (NAA 2019 survey) | $1,800; turnover rate 46.8% | NAA, 2025 |
| Worked example from NAA: 5 days saved at $50 a day rent | $250 a unit; $45,000 over 180 turns | NAA, 2025 |
source: Manhattan Housing Authority (KS), Schedule of charges, public housing 2024source: Williamsburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority (VA), Maintenance schedule of charges, effective 11 May 2026source: National Apartment Association, Apartment Turnover (March 2025 member guidance)
Where it breaks
Where spreadsheets and generic software fall over
The turn starts on move-out day. The pre-walk never happened, so the vinyl plank order goes in on day 2 and the unit waits a week for flooring.
A turn opens automatically from the notice to vacate, with a pre-move-out inspection due within e.g. 7 days and any line over e.g. $500 sent for approval before the keys come back.
The painter, cleaner and carpet vendor all get texted the same unit number. The carpet gets cleaned before the painter is done, then cleaned again.
Scope lines are sequenced on the make-ready board: carpet cannot be scheduled until paint and cleaning are closed with after photos, and each vendor sees only units ready for their trade.
A California resident disputes a $640 repaint charge. The photos are on a leasing agent's phone with no date, and nobody shot the walls after the paint was done.
Every chargeable line needs a timestamped before photo (after return, before work) and an after photo, attached to the line and to the deposit statement, as Civil Code 1950.5 now requires.
A pre-1978 unit gets drywall cut out behind a leaking vanity and a full sand-down of a bedroom. It is well over 6 square feet in two rooms, and no certified renovator was there.
Units built before 1978 carry a lead flag; any scope line over the threshold per room (6 sq ft EPA, 2 sq ft HUD-assisted), or any window replacement, requires a certified renovator assignment and lead-safe cleaning before it can be scheduled.
The unit is marked ready, the voucher inspection fails on a carbon monoxide alarm that does not sound, and the HAP contract slides a month.
Final walk includes the NSPIRE life-threatening list for every unit going to a voucher holder or on a HUD-inspected property; ready status is blocked until alarms are tested and logged.
The deposit statement goes out on day 33 in Texas because the vendor invoices came in late.
Each turn carries the state's deposit deadline from the move-out date (Texas 30, California 21, New York 14, Florida 15 or 30) and flags open invoices days before it.
Checklist
The apartment make-ready operations checklist
Print it, or hand it to whoever runs the office side.
- Turn opened from the notice to vacate, not the move-out
- Pre-move-out inspection within a week of notice; California initial-inspection notice sent in writing
- Vacant lock, keys counted and abandoned property photographed at move-out
- Before photos timestamped after return and before any work; after photos per line
- Each scope line tagged wear and tear or resident damage, with item age for depreciation
- Year built checked; pre-1978 scope lines measured in sq ft of painted surface per room
- Trades sequenced: trash-out, paint, repairs, clean, carpet last
- Days vacant and days to ready tracked per unit and per community
- Final walk at least a day before move-in
- Smoke and CO alarms tested and logged on every unit; NSPIRE list on HUD-inspected and voucher units
- Voucher initial inspection booked as soon as the ready date is known
- State deposit deadline on the turn; statement backed by invoices or time and rate
- Vendor invoices matched to scope lines before payment
Software options
What software apartment make-ready teams and turn contractors actually use
Judge each one on whether it fits the way your jobs run, not on the feature list. Bring a real job to every demo.
HappyCo
Multifamily operators that want inspections and make-ready boards tied to their PMS
Digital turn boards, move-in and move-out inspections with photos for damage disputes, and make-ready projects created when a move-out is flagged in the PMS (MRI, ResMan and RealPage among its integrations).
Entrata Facilities
Communities already running leasing and accounting on Entrata
Make-ready boards and work orders in the Entrata Facilities app, sharing unit and move-out data with the rest of the Entrata platform.
Rent Manager
Property managers on Rent Manager who want the turn board inside the PMS
A Make Ready Board that shows units with a make ready process assigned and color-coded task status; covered in Rent Manager's own training webinars.
NetVendor
Operators that manage outside turn vendors and their compliance documents
Vendor compliance plus a Make-Readies feature: a make-ready is created when a notice to vacate is received, with tasks built and assigned per unit and timelines adjusted through PMS integration.
Lessen
Owners that want to outsource turns to a managed vendor network
A services company more than a tool: it manages and performs multifamily turns and maintenance through its vendor network, with its own make-ready board in Lessen360.
Questions to ask any vendor
- Can a turn open automatically from a notice to vacate in my PMS, with the pre-move-out inspection already scheduled?
- Can each scope line hold wear and tear or resident damage, item age, timestamped before and after photos and the vendor invoice?
- Can I block carpet from being scheduled until paint and cleaning are closed?
- Will it flag pre-1978 units and require a certified renovator when painted surface disturbed per room passes 6 sq ft (2 on HUD-assisted)?
- Does it track days vacant and days to ready per unit, vendor and community?
- Will it count down the state deposit deadline from the move-out date and build the itemized statement from the scope lines?
Bring one real apartment make-ready job. We show it running in Fieldproxy.
Get DemoHow Fieldproxy is set up for this
Apartment make-ready on Fieldproxy: built around how you already work
A Fieldproxy setup for apartment make-ready is built around the turn: it opens at notice, carries a pre-walk, a scope of lines tagged wear and tear or damage, a sequenced vendor board and a final walk, and closes with a deposit statement on the state's deadline. Make-ready contractors running turns for many communities get the same structure per client, with each property manager's approval limits and photo rules.
Module 1
Community and unit register
The rules on a turn depend on the unit: year built, HUD program, state and floor plan.
- Records: Owner or client > Community > Building > Unit; fields: floor plan, sq ft, year built (pre-1978 flag), state, HUD program (none, public housing, project-based, voucher next), flooring type per room
- Unit components with install dates for depreciation: paint date, carpet or LVP install date, appliances, blinds, water heater
- Lock core or key code history per unit; alarm types (smoke, CO, hardwired or battery)
- Client rules per community: approval limit (e.g. $500), photo requirements, vendor list, target days to ready
Module 2
Turn record and make-ready board
The board is the turn: every vacant unit, its stage and its days count, in one view.
- Turn opens from a notice to vacate (PMS export, email or manual) with scheduled move-out and next move-in
- Stages: Notice, Pre-walk done, Vacant not ready, Paint, Repairs, Clean, Carpet, Final walk, Ready, Leased ready, Moved in
- Days vacant, days in stage and days to ready on each card; units past target highlighted
- Board views per community, per client and per vendor trade
Module 3
Pre-move-out and move-out inspections
The scope, the deposit and any dispute all come from these two walks.
- Room-by-room checklist with condition, photos and notes; California initial-inspection offer and 48-hour notice logged
- Move-out walk: keys returned, vacant lock installed, abandoned property inventory with photos and reclaim date
- Each finding becomes a scope line with responsibility (wear and tear or resident damage) and item age
- Lead check on pre-1978 units: painted surface to be disturbed per room in sq ft against the 6 sq ft (EPA) or 2 sq ft (HUD) threshold
Module 4
Scope lines, pricing and approvals
Turns are priced by line: repaint by floor plan, carpet by sq ft, cleaning by room.
- Price book per client: full repaint by floor plan, touch-up per wall, clean by room or unit, carpet clean, carpet or LVP per sq ft, re-key, blinds per window, trash-out per load
- Lines over the client's limit go to the property manager for approval before scheduling
- Resident charge calculated with depreciation from the component's install date
- Status per line: Proposed, Approved, Scheduled, Done, Verified, Charged
Module 5
Vendor and crew sequencing
Paint before clean before carpet; a turn stalls when trades overlap or wait.
- Painters, cleaners, carpet and flooring vendors, in-house techs and regional turn crews as resources with trade and coverage
- Dependency blocks: carpet can't be scheduled until paint and clean are closed with after photos; final walk can't start until all lines are done
- RRP block: a lead-flagged line can't be scheduled without a certified renovator assigned
- Vendor insurance and license expiry on file; expired vendors can't be booked
Module 6
Field app for techs and vendors
The person in the unit closes the line, with proof, from a phone that may have no signal in a stairwell.
- Today's units in order, with scope lines for their trade only
- Before and after photo per line, timestamped; quantity used (gallons, sq ft, hours)
- Add a found item (e.g. soft subfloor under the toilet) as a new line for approval
- Offline capture; Spanish and English
Module 7
Final walk and NSPIRE readiness
Ready means ready for the next resident and, on assisted units, for the inspector.
- Final walk checklist: all lines verified, smoke and CO alarms tested, dryer duct attached, GFCIs trip, heat works (64°F rule Oct to Mar), appliances, locks and keys
- NSPIRE life-threatening items shown on every HUD-inspected or voucher-bound unit; fail blocks Ready
- Voucher initial inspection date and result; failed items reopen the turn with their correction deadline
- Callbacks after move-in logged against the turn and the vendor
Module 8
Deposit statement and chargebacks
The statement has a legal deadline and needs its evidence attached.
- State deadline from the move-out date: California 21 days, Texas 30, New York 14, Florida 15 (no claim) or 30 (certified-mail claim)
- Itemized statement built from resident-damage lines: description, before and after photos, invoice or in-house time and hourly rate
- California $125 rule: document requirements flagged when repair and cleaning deductions together exceed $125
- PDF statement from your template, sent and logged with date and method
Module 9
Billing, vendor pay and turn reporting
A make-ready company bills the client per turn; an operator wants days and dollars per unit.
- Invoice per turn or per month per community from verified lines; QuickBooks or Xero sync
- Vendor bills matched to lines before payment
- Reports: days to ready by community and vendor, cost per turn by floor plan, chargeback recovery rate, callbacks per vendor
- Client portal showing each unit's stage and photos
The AI agents, set up for apartment make-ready teams and turn contractors
| Agent | When | What it does | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Document intelligence agent | A notice-to-vacate report or move-out list arrives from a PMS export or a property manager's email | Reads unit, resident move-out date and lease end, matches each to the unit register and checks for an open turn | A new turn per unit with the pre-move-out inspection scheduled and the deposit deadline set from the state |
| Vision agent | Move-out photos are uploaded room by room | Reads each photo for holes, stains, burns, broken blinds, missing fixtures and smoke staining, and compares with the move-in photos for that unit | Draft scope lines with room, item and suggested responsibility (wear and tear or damage) for the inspector to confirm |
| Watcher agent | A unit passes its target days to ready, a deposit deadline is 5 days out with open invoices, or a voucher-bound unit has no alarm test logged | Checks the turn stage, the open lines and who is holding them | An alert to the property manager or turn coordinator naming the unit, the blocking line and the vendor |
| Dispatch agent | A scope line becomes schedulable because the trade before it closed | Picks the painter, cleaner or carpet vendor by community coverage, open capacity, insurance status and RRP certification where the unit is lead-flagged | A booked vendor slot on the make-ready board and a job sent to their app |
| Autopilot | A line over the client's approval limit waits more than e.g. 24 hours, or a vendor has not uploaded after photos on a finished line | Drafts a follow-up to the property manager or vendor with the photos and price attached | A chase message a coordinator approves before it sends |
| Scheduler agent | Every morning at e.g. 7 am, and Monday for the weekly view | Pulls every vacant unit by stage, days vacant, move-ins in the next 7 days and units not ready for them | A make-ready briefing email per community and a weekly days-to-ready and cost-per-turn report per client |
Straight answers
Apartment make-ready: FAQ
What software do apartment make-ready teams use?
Most communities track turns inside their property management system (Yardi, Entrata, RealPage, Rent Manager) or a turn tool such as HappyCo or NetVendor that reads move-outs from the PMS. Make-ready contractors serving several communities often need their own job system that holds each client's units, price book and approval limits. Fieldproxy is set up around your own turn stages, scope lines and deadlines.
How many days should an apartment turn take?
NAA's turnover guidance says many companies use 7 working days as the guideline, and many managers expect 5, sometimes 3. Units after long tenancies, smokers, pets or evictions take longer. Track days vacant and days to ready separately, so a unit that is ready but unleased does not look like a slow turn.
What order should make-ready trades go in?
NAA describes the usual sequence as inspection, trash-out, vacant lock, paint, maintenance repairs, general cleaning, and carpet cleaning or replacement, then a final inspection. Carpet goes last so it is not walked on or splattered by other trades.
When does lead paint law apply to an apartment turn?
In housing built before 1978, EPA's RRP rule applies when work disturbs more than 6 square feet of painted surface in a room (20 outside), or involves window replacement or demolition of painted surfaces, and jobs in the same room within 30 days are added together. On HUD-assisted housing the Lead Safe Housing Rule threshold is 2 square feet per interior room.
Do I need move-out photos in California?
Yes. Since April 1, 2025, Civil Code 1950.5 requires photos within a reasonable time after the unit is returned and before repairs or cleaning you will deduct for, and again after that work. For tenancies starting on or after July 1, 2025, you also need photos at or just before move-in.
How long do I have to send the deposit statement?
It depends on the state: 21 days in California, 30 days in Texas, 14 days in New York, and in Florida 15 days to return it with no claim or 30 days to send a claim notice by certified mail or e-mail. Texas makes a bad-faith landlord pay $100 plus three times the amount wrongfully withheld and attorney's fees.
What NSPIRE items fail a unit in 24 hours?
Life-threatening items include a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm missing, obstructed or silent when tested; a detached dryer transition duct; exposed electrical conductors; a missing entry door; obstructed egress; and no working heat or a unit below 64°F from October 1 to March 31. Under 24 CFR 5.711, life-threatening and severe items are corrected within 24 hours.
Does a voucher unit have to pass inspection before move-in?
Yes. A newly leased Housing Choice Voucher unit must pass the housing authority's NSPIRE inspection before the assisted lease and HAP contract begin. Owners may get up to 30 days to fix failed items on an initial inspection, at the inspector's discretion, so a missed item can cost a month of rent.
How do housing authorities charge residents for turn damage?
They publish a schedule of charges. Manhattan Housing Authority in Kansas lists a full repaint at $650 to $950 by unit size with monthly depreciation over 5 years. Williamsburg in Virginia charges $850 to $1,550 for repainting after smoking damage, regardless of time in the unit, and $30 an hour for labor.
Can Fieldproxy work for a make-ready contractor with many property management clients?
Yes. Each client gets its own communities, units, price book, approval limits and photo rules; turns arrive from their notice lists or emails, vendors and crews see only their trade's units, and each client gets invoices and a portal view of their units' stages and photos.
Related guides
All sources on this page (19)
- source: National Apartment Association, Apartment Turnover (March 2025 member guidance)
- source: eCFR, 24 CFR 5.711: NSPIRE scoring, inspection report requirements and correction times
- source: eCFR, 40 CFR 745.83: RRP rule definitions (minor repair and maintenance, 6 sq ft per room)
- source: California AB 2801 (2024), chaptered text amending Civil Code 1950.5 (photos, itemization, initial inspection)
- source: Raleigh Housing Authority owner memo: NSPIRE life-threatening deficiencies (July 2025)
- source: NAHRO (2 Oct 2025): NSPIRE dates extended to 2026 (PIH Notice 2025-27)
- source: Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County, MD, Administrative Plan chapter 10 (NSPIRE inspections)
- source: eCFR, 24 CFR 35.1350: HUD Lead Safe Housing Rule safe work practices and de minimis levels
- source: Texas Property Code 92.109: bad-faith retention, $100 plus three times the amount withheld
- source: Florida Statutes 83.49: deposit return in 15 days, claim notice by certified mail in 30 days
- source: Cornell Law School Tenant Advocacy Practicum: NY security deposits (GOL 7-108, 14 days, move-in and move-out inspections)
- source: Manhattan Housing Authority (KS), Schedule of charges, public housing 2024
- source: Williamsburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority (VA), Maintenance schedule of charges, effective 11 May 2026
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