Have a Successful Clean Between Tenants

In Northern Virginia, landlords must comply with health, safety, housing, and maintenance standards.

Although tenants share responsibility for maintaining a reasonable level of repair and cleanliness in the unit, the bottom line is that you won’t find new tenants if the unit is dirty.

In this article, we will share 4 professional cleaning tips for a successful clean between tenants.

Have a Successful Clean Between Tenants

1. Enlist current tenants

Once a tenant gives notice, send a polite note reminding them they are responsible for cleaning their unit before they go. You can include a list of tasks to help them understand what this involves.

It sometimes helps to highlight the clause in the lease indicating the terms related to the condition they must leave the unit in when they move.

This ensures they know what needs to be done while reducing the amount of cleaning you’ll have to complete once they move out, thus saving you time and money.

2. Inspect the unit

You have a right to inspect the unit before your tenants move out. You must provide 24 hours’ written notice to inspect the unit.

To keep things amicable, try to work with your tenant to find an agreeable time for your inspection. This will just make it easier for everyone involved.

Although normal wear and tear is a given, look for obvious damage caused by the tenant and create a list, preferably with images, of anything that needs to be repaired or replaced.

Share the list with the tenant and let them know they need to address the damage before they go.

In most cases, this will not be necessary.

Make a list of major concerns that you can address before showing the unit to potential tenants. This is important as it ensures the unit is as presentable as possible.

You want tenants to feel safe in the space and clean apartments in good repair feel secure and homey.

3. Create a go-to apartment turnover checklist

Create an apartment turnover cleaning list you can use for every cleaning between tenants. This will include:

Kitchen:

• Floors
• Cabinets
• Microwave
• Dishwasher
• Refrigerator
• Stove and oven
• Counters, sink, and garbage disposal

Bathroom:

• Toilet
• Floors
• Vanity
• Sink and cabinets
• Bath, shower, and surrounding area
• Grout

All rooms:

• Light fixtures
• Trim moulding
• Walls and doors
• Windows and blinds
• Ceilings
• Floors
• Professional carpet cleaning
• Laundry and storage areas

You can also include general maintenance on your checklist, such as:

• Paint touch-ups or repainting
• Replacing air filters and lightbulbs
• Tightening loose cabinet and door knobs
• Clearing clogs
• Ensuring smoke detectors are working with new batteries
• Addressing leaks in drains and pipes
• Mould clean-up
• Appliance maintenance

This will ensure you have a solid apartment turnover process that you can follow between tenants.

4. Schedule professional Northern Virginia cleaning services

Once you receive notice that a tenant is moving, schedule move-out Northern Virginia cleaning services to manage the work.

No matter how hard you clean, you won’t reach the level of cleaning that your tenants deserve.

You can reduce your own workload and ensure the job gets done to the highest possible standards.

It will also save time and money in the long run by avoiding complaints and keeping your new tenants happy.

Before choosing Northern Virginia cleaning services, review their move-out cleaning list to ensure it meets your expectations.

Discuss any specialty jobs you might want to see if they can handle those details as well.

For example, a deep cleaning is advisable, as this ensures every inch of your unit is spotless.

In fact, many landlords opt for a disinfecting clean to kill germs and bacteria.

Tips to Help Attract and Retain Tenants

To help attract and retain tenants, you should always take a proactive approach to maintenance, including:

• Keep up with tenant requests: Listen to current tenants’ needs when they request repairs to reduce tenant churn. They live in the unit and are familiar with its shortcomings. In most cases, requests are reasonable, and it is a major benefit to make repairs while they are affordable instead of waiting for the issues to cause further damage.
• Manage unit systems: Pay close attention to things, like in-unit HVAC and appliance maintenance, to increase life and improve performance and energy efficiency. It takes minimal time, and when part of a comprehensive maintenance plan, it also saves money.
• Examine plumbing: Leaks can lead to mold and water damage, which are hard to clean and costly to repair. They can also compromise the structure of floors and walls if the leaks are allowed to settle in major wood components such as joists and supports.
• Check smoke detectors: Let tenants know you will check smoke detectors in the spring and fall to make sure they work. This way, you keep tenants safe and avoid liabilities should a fire or C02 leak occur.
• Clean exterior windows: Exterior window dirt and grime interfere with natural light and make units appear uncared for. Cleaning exterior windows at least once a year improves views from inside the unit while increasing natural light, a highly desirable feature for most tenants.
• Maintain doors and windows: Replace damaged door and window seals with the change of the seasons. This helps provide a tight seal to protect against air and water infiltration and also improve energy efficiency.
• Replace anything broken: Replace broken light fixtures, window panes and screens, etc. as soon as possible to keep the unit and common areas looking their best.
• Improve security: Ensure unit entry doors are secure with functioning locks and consider installing smart locks to make the change over to new tenants easier, safer, and more affordable.

Your tenants will appreciate your efforts and might even decide to stay, so you won’t have to worry about cleaning between tenants as often.

Call the Cleaning Professionals

If you would like more information about Blanca Clean Services’ professional Northern Virginia cleaning services between tenants, click here to contact us online.

You can also call us at 703-479-0485.