Rental Turnover Repairs in Atlanta: The Landlord’s Make-Ready Checklist
Every empty day costs you rent. In Duluth, where a good rental near Peachtree Industrial or off Pleasant Hill Road can draw strong interest, we see landlords lose a full week not because the work is big, but because they are waiting on three different people: a painter who cannot patch drywall, a handyman who cannot come until Thursday, and a cleaner who finds problems nobody fixed.
A make-ready should not work that way. One crew, one visit list, and a clear order of operations will get most standard turnovers done in two to three days. This is the checklist we use with Duluth and Gwinnett landlords, from single-family homes to townhouses.
Day One: Walk It, Photograph It, and Fix What Is Broken
Start with a walk-through and photos of every room, even if the last tenant left it in decent shape. Test every door, faucet, toilet, light, fan, and appliance. Tenants do not always report the slow drain, the toilet that runs, or the door that does not latch, and those are exactly the calls you will get in the first month if you miss them now.
Day one repairs are the unglamorous ones: patch drywall holes from TVs and anchors, repair a dinged corner, re-caulk a tub that has gone black at the edges, reseat a loose toilet, replace a broken blind, fix a sticking door, and swap burned-out bulbs and dead smoke detector batteries. In Georgia rentals, bathroom caulk and kitchen caulk fail fast because of humidity. Leaving moldy caulk in place tells a new tenant the unit was not really turned.
Change the locks or rekey on day one too. It is inexpensive, it is what a careful tenant expects, and it protects you.
Paint, Patch, and the Work That Makes a Unit Look New Again
Paint is the highest-return dollar in a turnover, but only if the prep is right. A fresh coat over unpatched holes, greasy kitchen walls, or water-stained ceilings looks cheap in photos and worse in person.
Our order is patch first, sand, spot-prime repairs and stains with a stain-blocking primer, then paint. Most Duluth landlords do well with a single durable color throughout, in an eggshell or satin finish that cleans up between tenants. Do the ceilings only where there is staining or a color mismatch. Do trim only where it is scuffed or peeling. That keeps cost down without cutting corners a tenant can see.
Typical turnover paint and patch work for a two or three bedroom unit is often bundled into a half-day or full-day handyman visit, rather than paying a separate painter minimum and a separate drywall minimum. Bundling is the landlord advantage of using a handyman crew: drywall, paint, caulk, locks, and minor carpentry happen in the same trip.
If there is a water stain, do not just paint it. Confirm the leak above it is actually fixed, let the drywall dry, then prime and paint. Painting over active moisture is the fastest way to get a callback and a mold complaint.
The Final Pass: Kitchens, Baths, Safety, and Listing Photos
Before photos or showings, do a final pass a listing agent would do. In the kitchen: clean or replace a stained sink caulk line, check under-sink plumbing for drips, test the garbage disposal, and make sure cabinet doors hang straight. In bathrooms: regrout or recaulk where needed, check exhaust fans, and confirm hot water at the tap.
For safety and compliance, test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, replace filters, check that all windows open and lock, and confirm exterior doors latch and seal. In the fall and winter, check hose bibs and weatherstripping too. A drafty front door in a Duluth townhouse will be the first complaint in January.
Only then bring in the deep clean. Cleaning before repairs just means cleaning twice.
Landlords who use the same checklist every time turn units faster and argue less about deposits, because the photos and list show what was done. If you manage property in Duluth, Norcross, Suwanee, or Johns Creek and want one call for the whole make-ready list, call Just Fix Today at (678) 549-8083. We handle punch lists for owners and property managers, usually in a single visit for standard turnovers, and we will tell you up front if something needs a licensed specialist.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ 1: How long should a rental turnover take in Atlanta?
A standard make-ready with patch, paint, caulk, and minor repairs should take 2 to 3 days. Heavy damage or full repaint of a large home can take longer.
FAQ 2: How much do make-ready repairs cost?
It depends on condition. Many landlords bundle a half-day or full-day visit for patch, paint touch-ups, caulk, locks, and minor fixes, which is cheaper than hiring separate trades for each item.
FAQ 3: Should I repaint the whole unit between tenants?
Not always. If walls are in good shape, targeted touch-ups with matched paint work. If there are many patches, stains, or strong colors, a full repaint pays for itself in faster leasing.
FAQ 4: Do I need to change locks between tenants in Georgia?
It is strongly recommended for safety and tenant confidence, and many leases and managers require it. Rekeying is a quick, low-cost step.
FAQ 5: What repairs do landlords most often miss?
Running toilets, slow drains, moldy bathroom caulk, loose cabinet hinges, sticking doors, and dead detectors. All are cheap to fix during turnover and annoying to fix after move-in.
FAQ 6: Can Just Fix Today work with my property manager?
Yes. We work from a punch list, send photos when requested, and coordinate timing so cleaning and showings are not delayed.
FAQ 7: Can one visit cover drywall, paint, and plumbing checks?
For minor work, yes. Patching, painting, caulk, lock changes, and basic fixture checks can be bundled. Licensed plumbing or electrical work beyond minor scope will be flagged clearly.