Make Ready Checklist: What Gets Inspected Before a Unit Turns

A make-ready checklist identifies the systems, surfaces, appliances, safety items, and cleaning tasks that need to be inspected and completed between move-out and move-in.

A detailed checklist can contain dozens of items across multiple rooms and systems, but the unit is not ready until the applicable items are completed before move-in. 

We’ve managed more than 100,000 completed jobs, and our experience shows that the checklist itself is rarely the hardest part. 

Getting every required scope completed and documented before the lease start date is the harder part.

What a Make Ready Checklist Covers #

A make-ready checklist commonly covers five broad areas, although the exact scope varies by property type, unit condition, and market.

1. Safety systems—smoke detectors, CO detectors, GFCI outlets, lock function
2. Mechanical systems — HVAC, plumbing, electrical
3. Appliances—range, refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave, disposal
4. Cosmetic condition—paint, drywall, flooring, hardware
5. Final clean—kitchen, bathrooms, floors, odor removal

Each category can involve different types of work, so a single checklist category may contain several separate scopes. A checklist that lists “kitchen” as one line item, for example, can contain plumbing work for the sink and disposal, electrical work for outlets and lighting, appliance service, and cleaning.

A shorter checklist does not make a unit turn faster. Clear scopes, deadlines, and completion tracking do.

Why a PDF Checklist Isn’t the Same as a Completed Turn #

A printed or fillable checklist identifies what needs inspection, but it does not manage the repair, scheduling, documentation, or completion work that follows.

The gap appears when a property manager completes the walkthrough, identifies repairs, and then has to arrange each subsequent job separately. A 50-line PDF checklist may identify painting, plumbing, and flooring work, but the checklist itself does not schedule those jobs or manage their completion.

The turn slows when those follow-up tasks are not scheduled and completed in sequence. A GFCI replacement may sit for two days because the required service is unavailable, while cleaning may not be scheduled behind completed flooring work. Scheduling gaps can add days to the turn, extending the period before the unit is ready to generate rental income.

The Room-by-Room Make Ready Checklist #

The checklist below organizes the work by property zone and maintenance scope.

Entry and Exterior #

• Exterior light fixture function
• Door lock, deadbolt, and door sweep condition
• Screen door and threshold condition
• Mailbox lock and key set

Kitchen #

• Range, oven, and range hood function
• Refrigerator and freezer temperature check
• Dishwasher cycle test
• Disposal function
• Sink, faucet, and supply line leak check
• Cabinet hinges and drawer function
• Countertop and backsplash condition

Bathrooms #

• Toilet flush and fill valve function
• Tub, shower valve, and showerhead function
• Caulking and grout condition
• Exhaust fan function
• Vanity, mirror, and medicine cabinet condition
• Supply line and angle stop leak check

Living Areas and Bedrooms #

• Wall and drywall condition, holes patched
• Closet door and track function
• Window and screen condition
• Blinds present and functional
• Flooring and baseboard condition

Electrical and Safety #

• Smoke and CO detector operation, with batteries replaced when required
• GFCI protection and operation in required locations, including applicable kitchen and bathroom outlets
• Switch and outlet cover condition
• Ceiling fan and light fixture function

Plumbing #

• Water heater operation and leak check
• Hot water reaches fixtures that require hot-water service
• Drain speed test at every sink and tub
• Under-sink and toilet base leak check

HVAC #

• Filter replacement
• Heat and cool cycle test
• Thermostat function
• Condensate line inspected and clear

Final Cleaning #

• Deep clean kitchen and bathrooms
• Carpet shampoo or hard flooring mop
• Interior window cleaning
• Odor source identification and removal
• Trash and prior-resident items removed

In Breasy’s experience, a light turn involving paint touch-ups, cleaning, and no major repairs can take 2 to 3 days. A standard turn involving drywall or flooring work can take 5 to 7 days, while appliance replacement or full-unit painting can extend the timeline further. The timeline depends more on how many scopes need to be completed in sequence than on the number of items on the checklist itself.

What Changes the Checklist by Property Type #

Single-Family Rentals #

Single-family turns may include exterior items that are less common in multifamily unit turns, such as yard condition, gutters, exterior paint, and access to the HVAC condenser. The checklist can also run longer per unit because a single-family property may have more exterior and property-specific maintenance requirements.

Multifamily Units #

Multifamily turns can have a narrower unit-level scope because some building systems, such as shared water infrastructure, central HVAC, or building-wide pest control, may be managed outside the individual unit.

The tradeoff is volume. A property manager running an apartment complex with a concentrated lease cycle can have multiple units turning within the same two-week window, and each unit needs the applicable checklist items completed within a compressed timeline.

At that volume, the challenge shifts from identifying work in individual units to scheduling and completing work across several units at the same time. Managing turns across multiple properties means the bottleneck can shift from identifying what needs fixing to determining what needs to happen, when it needs to happen, and how each work order reaches completion.

What Slows Down a Make Ready #

Three recurring issues can delay a make-ready turn.

• Trade sequencing gaps slow the turn when work is scheduled in the wrong order. Flooring may need to wait until drywall repairs and painting are complete, so gaps between those jobs can extend the vacancy period.

• Incomplete initial inspections create additional work mid-turn. If the punch list misses a leak behind a vanity or a non-functional GFCI, the issue may surface after other work has already started, forcing a new quote and schedule adjustment.

• Missed appointments can delay every task that follows. When one scheduled job runs late or has to be rescheduled, subsequent work may need to move as well because the next scope cannot always begin until the preceding work is complete.

How Breasy Runs a Make Ready Checklist #

Breasy addresses those three failure points by managing inspections, scheduling, and completion throughout the turn.

Inspection and Punch List #

Every turn starts with a full walkthrough against the applicable checklist, with item-level photos rather than only a room-level summary. This allows issues such as a leaking supply line to be identified and quoted during the inspection instead of surfacing after other work has started.

Dispatch and Scheduling #

Once the punch list is confirmed, Breasy provides the quote and manages scheduling within 48 hours.

Breasy sequences the required work so drywall, paint, flooring, and cleaning are completed in the order needed to finish the unit efficiently, rather than in the order individual service requests were submitted.

A checklist identifies the work, while a managed turn also handles the scheduling and sequencing needed to complete it.

Completion Photos and Sign-Off #

Every closed item comes with a completion photo, so a property manager can confirm the work matches the punch list without a second site visit.

The unit is marked ready for a move-in inspection only after every applicable checklist item is completed and documented with a photo.

Frequently Asked Questions #

What is included in a make ready? #

A make-ready typically includes a unit inspection, required repairs and touch-ups, safety checks, HVAC and plumbing checks, appliance testing, cleaning, and any other work needed to prepare the unit for the next resident.

What is a make-ready checklist a first step to? #

A make-ready checklist establishes the work that needs to be completed during the unit turn. It identifies repair, safety, cleaning, and inspection items that need to be completed before move-in inspection, but the checklist itself does not complete the work. Breasy then manages the required work through scheduling, completion, and documentation.

What is the make ready checklist for property management? #

It’s the standardized inspection list property managers use to confirm that a vacant unit is safe, functional, and clean before re-leasing. It typically covers five broad areas: safety, mechanical systems, appliances, cosmetic condition, and final cleaning, although the exact checklist varies by property and unit condition.

What are make-ready needs in construction? #

In telecommunications construction, “make-ready” refers to modifying or replacing a utility pole, or the lines and equipment on it, so the pole can accommodate additional facilities. In property management, make-ready refers to the work required to prepare a rental unit for a new resident. This article covers the property management usage.