Chattanooga Rental Turnover Checklist

Rental turnovers in the Chattanooga area run on tight schedules and tighter margins. The unit needs to be inspection-ready, move-in ready, and photo-ready within 48–72 hours of the previous tenant handing over keys. Anything that slows that down costs money in vacancy and stress.

This is the turnover checklist our crews use across Hamilton, Walker, and Catoosa County rental units. It is built for property managers, landlords, and DIY owner-landlords who want a consistent standard every time.

The turnover timeline at a glance

1. Day 0: Previous tenant moves out; keys returned.
2. Day 0–1: Maintenance walk-through; identify repair, paint, and replacement needs.
3. Day 1–2: Repairs, painting, and replacements completed.
4. Day 2–3: Carpet cleaning (if applicable).
5. Day 3: Full turnover clean.
6. Day 3: Final inspection and listing-ready photos.
7. Day 3+: Unit available for new tenant.

Variations are normal, but the dependencies are not. Cleaning must happen after paint and after carpet — every time.

Pre-cleaning maintenance walk

Before any cleaning, walk the unit and identify:

• Wall damage requiring spackle, sanding, paint touch-up, or full repaint.
• Carpet condition — vacuum, spot clean, professional clean, or replace.
• Flooring damage on hard surfaces — scratches, chips, water marks.
• Appliance condition — clean only, repair, or replace.
• Bathroom condition — caulk replacement, grout repair, fixture replacement.
• HVAC filter age and condition.
• Smoke and CO detector batteries and operation.
• Light bulbs throughout — replace any non-working with matching color temperature.
• Door and window hardware — loose handles, sticking locks, broken blinds.
• Pest evidence — bait, treatment, or pest control as needed.

The turnover clean — room by room

Kitchen

• Empty every cabinet and drawer; vacuum, wipe interior, dry.
• Wipe all cabinet exteriors including handles and tops where reachable.
• Pull out the refrigerator; vacuum coils, clean floor and wall behind.
• Clean inside the refrigerator and freezer including gaskets and drawers.
• Pull out the stove; clean floor and wall behind.
• Clean inside the oven — broiler drawer included.
• Clean stovetop, drip pans, knobs, and exterior.
• Wipe inside and outside the microwave; clean the vent grease filter.
• Run a vinegar cycle through the dishwasher; wipe the door, gasket, and detergent dispenser.
• Polish the sink and faucet; run boiling water through the disposal.
• Wipe the range hood interior and exterior; wash the metal filter.
• Clean the backsplash thoroughly.
• Replace shelf liners if old or stained.
• Sweep, vacuum, and mop the floor — including edges and corners by hand.

Bathrooms (per bathroom)

• Apply long-dwell shower cleaner first; let it work while continuing elsewhere.
• Scrub shower walls, door, soap shelf, and floor.
• Scrub the tub including the edge against the wall.
• Scrub grout with oxygen-bleach paste.
• Re-caulk silicone if it is mildewed or yellowed.
• Descale showerhead and faucets.
• Clean toilet inside, outside, base, bolts, and hinges (both sides of the seat).
• Wipe vanity exterior, inside drawers, and inside the medicine cabinet.
• Polish mirror, light fixture, and chrome.
• Clean exhaust fan cover — rinse in sink.
• Sweep, vacuum, and mop floor — behind toilet by hand.
• Restock toilet paper and provide a new shower curtain liner.

Bedrooms and closets

• Vacuum closet floors and shelves.
• Wipe closet rods and shelves with damp microfiber.
• Vacuum closet door tracks (bifold and sliding doors specifically).
• Dust ceiling fan blades; clean light fixture.
• Wipe light switches, outlet covers, door handles, and door tops.
• Clean windows inside; wipe sills and frames; vacuum tracks.
• Dust blinds slat by slat or replace if damaged.
• Wipe baseboards damp-cloth then dry.
• Wipe all horizontal surfaces.
• Vacuum carpets twice in different directions.

Living areas

• Ceiling fans dusted.
• Light fixtures and bulbs dusted; replace burned-out bulbs.
• HVAC vents and returns vacuumed.
• All baseboards damp-wiped.
• All door frames and door tops dusted.
• All light switches and outlet covers wiped.
• Patio door tracks vacuumed and wiped; glass cleaned both sides.
• Fireplace surround dusted; firebox cleaned if applicable.
• Carpet vacuumed throughout; spot-cleaned where needed.
• Hard floors swept and mopped, edges by hand.

Laundry area

• Pull washer and dryer out; vacuum lint and debris behind.
• Clean inside dryer drum; clean lint screen and lint trap recess.
• Run an empty hot cycle in the washer with washer cleaner; wipe gasket on front loaders.
• Wipe detergent shelves, hookups, and utility sink if present.

Entry, hallways, and stairs

• Vacuum or sweep entryway; mop hard floor.
• Wipe inside the front door at handle height and below.
• Clean entry light fixture inside and outside the door.
• Vacuum stair treads and risers.
• Wipe stair railings and banisters.

Systems and replacements

• Replace the HVAC filter with the correct size.
• Replace the refrigerator water filter if present.
• Replace smoke detector and CO detector batteries.
• Replace toilet seats (recommended).
• Replace shower curtain liners.
• Replace burned-out bulbs.
• Touch up paint where scuffs remain after cleaning.

Documentation for the file

At the end of every turnover, document:

• Photo of every room post-clean — wide angle and detail shots.
• Photo of each appliance interior.
• Photo of HVAC filter and filter date written in marker.
• Photo of light bulbs and any switches confirmed working.
• List of any items left behind by previous tenant — photographed and stored or disposed of per policy.
• List of any new damage discovered during the turnover.
• Cleaning receipt for the unit file.

This documentation protects against future tenant disputes about move-in condition.

Chattanooga-area specifics

• Pollen season exterior pass. March–May turnovers in Hixson, Red Bank, Signal Mountain, and East Ridge need exterior porch and window sweep on top of standard scope.
• Crawl-space humidity check. Walk the perimeter and confirm vapor barrier, vents, and any dehumidifier. Closet musty smell starts here.
• Garage detail. Common in East Ridge, Fort Oglethorpe, and Ringgold single-family rentals. Sweep, mop oil spots with cat litter, wipe down shelving and the garage door interior at handle height.
• Yard handoff. If lawn maintenance is on the property manager rather than the tenant, confirm the lawn is mowed before listing photos.

Add-ons commonly requested for turnovers

• Interior window cleaning (when listing photos are scheduled).
• Exterior power-washing of porch and walkway.
• Garage clean and sweep.
• Patio and outdoor area clean.
• Carpet steam clean (often subcontracted but coordinated by the cleaner).
• Wall washing where painting is not required but scuffs remain.

Turnover cost expectations in the Chattanooga area

Rough flat-rate ranges for standard turnover cleaning:

• 1BR apartment / studio: $220–$320
• 2BR apartment: $290–$410
• 2BR single-family / townhome: $340–$470
• 3BR single-family: $420–$590
• 4BR single-family: $540–$740

Add-ons and exterior work are priced separately. Multi-unit portfolios typically qualify for volume rates.

A turnover partner that holds up at portfolio scale

We handle rental turnovers across Chattanooga, Rossville, Ringgold, Fort Oglethorpe, East Ridge, Hixson, and Red Bank for individual landlords and portfolio property managers. Standard commitments include 48–72 hour turnaround, post-clean photos with every invoice, and per-property invoicing.

See our move-out cleaning service for scope and our property manager cleaning guide for the broader framework. Request a quote with your unit count and average turn frequency.