Apartment Turnover Services
Speed-to-market B2B service: Clean, repair, and prep rental units between tenants for property managers who value every vacancy day
📸 Business Snapshot
Apartment turnover services prepare rental units between tenants by handling cleaning, minor repairs, painting touch-ups, and move-in readiness. This B2B model targets property managers, landlords, and real estate investors who value speed over cost because every vacancy day means lost rent. Services are priced $200–$600 per unit, with high repeat business from property management companies.
Why This Works
Time-sensitive problem: Property managers lose $50-150/day per vacant unit. A 3-day faster turnover is worth paying $200-400 premium to professional service.
High repeat business: Property management companies manage 50-500+ units with constant turnover. Lock in 2-3 PM companies = predictable recurring work.
Sticky clients: Once reliability is proven, switching costs are high. Property managers value consistency over saving $50/unit.
🏗️ Business Model Breakdown
Service Categories (How Work Breaks Down)
| Service Type | % of Time | Pricing Model | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deep Cleaning | 60% | $150-350/unit | Floors, bathrooms, kitchen, windows, baseboards |
| Minor Repairs | 20% | $50-150 add-on | Patch holes, fix door handles, touch-up paint |
| Painting Touch-Ups | 10% | $75-200/room | Spot painting or full room refresh |
| Coordination/Scheduling | 10% | Built into fee | Scheduling, inspections, supply ordering |
Client Types
Property Management Companies (70% of revenue): The bread and butter. 50-500+ units, constant turnover, value speed and reliability. Once you're in, you're doing 5-20 turnovers/month.
Individual Landlords (20%): 1-10 properties, sporadic work, price-sensitive but will pay for quality. Good for filling gaps.
Real Estate Investors/Flippers (10%): Need fast turnarounds for sale-ready or rental-ready units. Pay premium for speed.
Typical Job Pricing
- 1-bedroom: $200-300 (3-4 hours)
- 2-bedroom: $300-450 (5-6 hours)
- 3-bedroom: $450-600 (7-8 hours)
- Add-ons: Carpet cleaning (+$75-150), painting full room (+$150-300), appliance deep clean (+$50-100)
💰 Financial Details
Startup Costs Breakdown
| Item | Low End | High End | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleaning Supplies & Equipment | $1,500 | $5,000 | Vacuum, mop, chemicals, tools, ladder |
| Basic Repair Tools | $500 | $2,000 | Drill, paint supplies, patching materials |
| Vehicle/Transportation | $0 | $3,000 | Use personal vehicle or upgrade to van |
| Insurance | $800 | $2,000 | General liability, bonding |
| Business License & LLC | $200 | $500 | State/local registration |
| Marketing & Website | $500 | $2,000 | Google My Business, basic site, flyers |
| Software & Operations | $200 | $500 | Scheduling, invoicing, CRM |
| Total Startup | $5,000 | $15,000 |
Revenue Projections (Solo Operator)
| Month | Jobs/Month | Avg Revenue/Job | Monthly Revenue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months 1-2 | 8-12 | $350 | $3K-$4K | Building pipeline, proving quality |
| Months 3-6 | 15-25 | $375 | $6K-$9K | Locking in 1-2 PM companies |
| Months 7-12 | 25-40 | $400 | $10K-$16K | Maxing out solo capacity |
| Year 2+ | 40-60 | $425 | $17K-$25K | Adding contractors, scaling |
💡 Path to $10K/Month
Strategy: Lock in 2-3 property management companies with 50-200 units each. At 15-20% annual turnover rate, that's 15-40 turnovers/month from just 3 clients.
Math: 25 jobs/month × $400 avg = $10,000/month. With 40% margins = $4,000 profit/month after labor and supplies.
Unit Economics
⚙️ Operations
Typical Week Breakdown (Solo)
| Activity | Hours/Week | % of Time |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning & Repairs (Fulfillment) | 30-40 | 60-70% |
| Travel Between Jobs | 8-12 | 15-20% |
| Scheduling & Coordination | 5-8 | 10-15% |
| Supply Shopping & Restocking | 2-3 | 5% |
| Sales & Outreach | 3-5 | 5-10% |
⚠️ Physical Demands
Reality check: This is physically demanding work. 50-60 hours/week, lots of bending, lifting, scrubbing, climbing ladders. Most founders hit capacity at 25-30 jobs/month solo.
Scaling requirement: To break $15K/month, you need contractors. Managing labor becomes the new bottleneck.
Labor Model Options
- Solo (Year 1): Do everything yourself. Max capacity: 25-30 jobs/month, $10K-12K revenue.
- 1099 Contractors (Year 2): Hire 2-4 cleaners at $15-20/hour. You handle sales, scheduling, quality control. Capacity: 50-80 jobs/month, $20K-30K revenue.
- Team Model (Year 3+): 5-10 W-2 employees, multiple crews. Capacity: 100-200 jobs/month, $50K-80K revenue.
Tools & Software Stack
- Scheduling: Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, Jobber ($50-150/month)
- Invoicing: QuickBooks Online, Wave (free-$50/month)
- Communication: Google Workspace, Slack ($0-15/month)
- Marketing: Google My Business (free), property management networking
🎯 Business Model Deep Dive
Revenue Model
Primary: Per-unit flat fee ($200-600/unit). Most common and preferred by property managers for budget predictability.
Alternative: Hourly service rates ($25-45/hour). Used for custom jobs or when scope is uncertain.
Customer Retention & Churn
Why Property Managers Stay
Switching costs: Training new vendor, explaining systems, quality uncertainty.
Reliability premium: Knowing you'll show up on time, do quality work, and communicate proactively is worth more than saving $50/unit.
Relationship lock-in: You become the "go-to" for all turnover needs. Property managers hate managing multiple vendors.
Seasonality
| Season | Activity Level | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| May-August (Peak) | 150-200% of avg | Moving season, college turnover, family relocations |
| Sept-Oct | 100-120% of avg | Secondary peak from late summer moves |
| Nov-Feb (Slow) | 50-70% of avg | Minimal moving activity, holidays |
| March-April | 90-110% of avg | Building toward summer peak |
📈 Customer Acquisition
Primary Acquisition Channels
| Channel | % of New Clients | CAC | Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct Outreach to PMs | 40% | $50-100 | High - targeted, immediate need |
| Referrals | 30% | $0-50 | Very High - warm intros, pre-sold |
| Google My Business/Local SEO | 20% | $100-200 | Medium - individual landlords mostly |
| Property Management Networking | 10% | $50-150 | High - quality leads, relationship-based |
Cold Outreach Strategy (Most Effective)
Step 1: Identify 20-30 property management companies in your area (Google, Yelp, local associations).
Step 2: Call directly, ask for operations manager: "Hi, I run a turnover service specifically for PM companies. We handle cleaning, minor repairs, and move-in prep with 24-48 hour turnaround. Would you be open to a trial unit?"
Step 3: Offer discounted first unit ($150-200) to prove quality. If they're happy, you're in for 15-50 units/year.
Conversion rate: 10-20% of cold calls → conversations. 30-50% of trial units → ongoing relationship.
Customer Economics
Referral Mechanics
Highly referral-driven after initial traction. Property managers talk to each other. Real estate investors share vendor lists. Once you have 3-5 happy clients, referrals start flowing organically.
- 40-50% of new clients come from referrals by Year 2
- Incentive: Offer $50-100 credit for referrals that convert
- Ask for Google reviews after every job (social proof for new PMs)
⚠️ Risks and Red Flags
Licensing & Regulatory Requirements
- Business license: Required in most cities/states ($50-500)
- General liability insurance: $800-2,000/year minimum (property managers require proof)
- Contractor license: Required in some states if doing repairs beyond "handyman" scope (check local laws)
- Bonding: Some PM companies require bonding ($100-500/year)
Key Risk Factors
| Risk | Severity | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Concentration | Moderate | Losing 1 major PM client could drop revenue 20-40%. Diversify across 4-6 PM companies. |
| Physical Burnout | High | 50-60 hour weeks of physical labor. Hire contractors by Month 6-12 to avoid burnout. |
| Labor Quality Control | Moderate | As you scale, contractor quality varies. One bad job can lose a PM client. Implement checklists + spot checks. |
| Low Barriers to Entry | Low-Moderate | Anyone can start this. Moat = reliability, relationships, reputation. Build these fast. |
| Seasonality Cash Flow | Low | Nov-Feb revenue drops 30-50%. Save during summer peak or diversify with commercial cleaning. |
Market Trends & Defensibility
Market trend: Growing. Rental market expanding, PM companies outsourcing more services, DIY landlords aging out.
Defensibility: Low barriers to entry, easy to copy. Your moat is reliability and relationships. Property managers pay premium for vendors they trust. Build this fast, lock in 3-5 anchor clients.
🚨 Biggest Failure Mode
Losing 2-3 anchor property management clients simultaneously. If 60-80% of revenue comes from 3 clients, losing 2 of them could cut revenue in half overnight. This happens when quality slips, communication breaks down, or a competitor undercuts you.
Prevention: Over-communicate, deliver consistent quality, diversify client base beyond top 3.
🤖 AI and Automation Opportunities
High-Leverage Automation Targets
| Task | Current Time | Automation Potential | Tools/Approach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduling & Coordination | 5-8 hrs/week | High (80% reduction) | Housecall Pro, Jobber with automated booking |
| Invoicing | 2-3 hrs/week | Very High (90% reduction) | QuickBooks auto-invoicing tied to job completion |
| Estimate Generation | 1-2 hrs/week | High (70% reduction) | AI photo analysis → auto-estimate (emerging tools) |
| Client Communication | 3-5 hrs/week | Moderate (50% reduction) | Automated job updates, completion notifications |
| Supply Management | 2-3 hrs/week | Moderate (40% reduction) | Inventory tracking + auto-reorder triggers |
AI Use Cases
1. Photo-based estimate generation: PM sends photos of unit → AI analyzes condition → generates scope of work + estimate. Emerging tools like Joist, ServiceTitan AI.
2. Automated checklists: Digital checklists for cleaners (photo proof of completion) → auto-send to PM when done.
3. Onboarding workflows: New PM client onboarded via automated email sequence + portal setup.
What Can't Be Automated
- Cleaning & repairs: Physical labor. Robots aren't cleaning apartments yet.
- Quality inspections: You or a trusted contractor needs to verify work meets PM standards.
- Relationship management: Property managers hire people they trust. Calls, check-ins, problem-solving = human.
💡 AI Leverage Score: 3/5
Scheduling, invoicing, and communication can be heavily automated (save 10-15 hours/week). Core fulfillment (cleaning, repairs) stays manual. AI helps you scale operations, but doesn't replace labor.
👤 Founder Fit
Emotional Investment & Passion
Emotional investment needed? No. This is an ops-driven business. Clients care about speed, quality, and reliability — not your passion for cleaning.
Can you succeed without passion? Yes. Systems, hustle, and consistency matter more than enthusiasm. If you can grind physically for 12-18 months while building systems, you'll win.
Trust-Driven vs Ops-Driven
Trust-driven. Property managers need to trust you'll show up on time, do quality work, and communicate issues proactively. Building this trust takes 3-6 months. Once established, it's sticky.
Ideal Founder Profile
Best For:
- Operators who can hustle physically while building systems. You need to do the work Year 1, then systematize your way out.
- Sales-comfortable founders. Cold calling property managers is the fastest path to revenue. If you hate sales, this is harder.
- Process-oriented thinkers. As you scale, checklists, SOPs, and quality control become critical.
- People who value predictability over excitement. This isn't a sexy business. It's cleaning apartments. But the numbers work.
⚠️ Not Great For:
- People who want to avoid physical labor (this is 60-70% manual work Year 1)
- Founders who need passion/purpose to stay motivated (this is a utility service)
- People who hate sales/networking (PM relationships = revenue)
- Anyone who can't handle 50-60 hour weeks for 12-18 months
Founder Flexibility Score: 5/5
Highly flexible. This is systems-driven, not passion-driven. Once processes are documented and contractors are trained, you can step back. Many founders run this semi-absentee by Year 2-3.
📊 Nik's 8+1 Scorecard
| Category | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Neanderthal-Friendly | 4/5 | Cleaning + handyman skills, plus coordination |
| Tastes Like Chicken | 5/5 | Everyone gets "clean apartments between tenants" |
| Startup Cost & Payback | 5/5 | $5K–$15K startup, 3–6 month breakeven |
| Recurring Revenue | 4/5 | Strong repeat business with property managers |
| Operator-Friendly | 3/5 | Physically demanding, requires contractors to scale |
| Low Downside Risk | 4/5 | Low regulatory burden, skills and tools transferable |
| Founder Flexibility | 5/5 | Systems-driven, passion optional |
| Customer Acquisition | 4/5 | Direct outreach works, referrals grow over time |
| AI Leverage | 3/5 | Scheduling, estimating automatable; labor manual |
Nik's Verdict
Apartment turnover services solve a painful, time-sensitive problem for landlords and property managers. The numbers make sense, the demand is steady, and referrals snowball once reliability is proven. The ceiling hits when you max out physically and need to manage crews — and losing just a few major property managers could sting.
Bottom Line: A gritty but profitable service business. Great starter play for operators who can grind, then systematize their way out of the labor.
🌍 Real-World Example
TurnoverBNB (Franchise Model)
Business: Apartment and vacation rental turnover services franchise
Model: Franchisees pay $50K-75K to license the brand, systems, and training. TurnoverBNB provides operational playbooks, software, and marketing support.
Revenue: Franchisees report $100K-250K annual revenue by Year 2 (highly variable by market)
Key insight: Systematized operations (checklists, pricing templates, hiring playbooks) allow semi-absentee ownership once team is trained.
Quick Turn Pros (Austin, TX - Independent Operator)
Founder: Started solo in 2018 with $8K (supplies, insurance, marketing)
Growth: Built relationships with 5 property management companies in Year 1. By Year 2, doing 40-60 turnovers/month with 3 contractors.
Current state: $40K-50K monthly revenue, 7 employees, semi-absentee owner. Founder focuses on sales and quality control, team handles fulfillment.
Key lesson: "The first 10 PM relationships took 6 months. After that, referrals did 80% of the work. I stopped marketing in Year 3."
Clients Needed for $10K/Month
15-25 regular property management clients (50-200 units each, 15-20% annual turnover)
Math: 3 PM companies × 100 units × 20% turnover = 60 turnovers/year per client = 15 jobs/month from 3 clients. Need 8-10 clients to hit 25 jobs/month consistently.
🛠️ Tools & Platforms
Essential Software Stack
| Category | Tool | Cost | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduling & Dispatch | Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, Jobber | $50-150/month | Job scheduling, automated booking, crew dispatch |
| Invoicing & Accounting | QuickBooks Online, Wave | $0-50/month | Auto-invoicing, expense tracking, financial reports |
| Communication | Google Workspace, Slack | $0-15/month | Client communication, team coordination |
| CRM | HubSpot (free tier), Airtable | $0-50/month | PM relationship tracking, pipeline management |
| Marketing | Google My Business, Yelp | Free | Local SEO, reviews, credibility |
Physical Equipment Checklist
- Cleaning supplies: Industrial vacuum, mop, buckets, microfiber cloths, cleaning chemicals ($500-1,000)
- Repair tools: Drill, patching materials, paint supplies, ladder, basic hand tools ($500-1,500)
- Transportation: Reliable vehicle (van preferred for equipment storage)
- Safety gear: Gloves, masks, knee pads, back brace
Resources & Learning
- Property management associations: NARPM (National Association of Residential Property Managers) - networking gold
- Training: YouTube for cleaning techniques, local community college for handyman skills
- Insurance: Next Insurance, Hiscox (small business liability policies)
🎯 Final Takeaway
Apartment turnover services are a solid, gritty service business for operators willing to hustle physically while building systems. The path to $10K/month is clear: lock in 2-3 property management companies, deliver consistent quality, and let referrals compound. The ceiling hits when you max out physically — plan to hire contractors by Month 6-12. Not sexy, but profitable and predictable.
Best for: Operators who value systems over passion, can grind for 12-18 months, and want a business with clear unit economics and recurring revenue potential.