Cost to Start a Rental Turnover & Make-Ready Business (Free Calculator)
You can start a rental turnover and make-ready business for as little as $700–$1,200 with basic cleaning supplies, paint tools, and a hand tool set for minor repairs and rekeys — enough for one-bedroom turns. A full-time setup with commercial cleaning equipment, a paint sprayer, and a cargo van runs about $12,000–$19,000, and a full equipment set with crew capacity for same-week rush turnarounds and property-management contracts pushes it to $18,000+. Use the calculator below to build your own number.
Build your rental turnover startup budget
Pick a budget tier, edit any price to match your market, and see your real startup cost, monthly overhead, and how many turnovers it takes to break even. No signup, no email.
Basic cleaning supplies and paint tools plus hand tools for minor repairs and rekeys — enough to start turning one-bedroom units for local landlords.
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The honest range: $700 to $18,000+ per tier
Rental turnover’s range on “how much does it cost to start” comes down to equipment and turnaround speed — one-bedroom units need only basic cleaning and paint supplies; full-time volume needs commercial equipment and a van; and property-management contracts need a full equipment set and crew capacity for rush turnarounds.
Most operators start with a basic cleaning and paint kit on one-bedroom units, then invest in commercial equipment once they’re booking multiple turns a week.
Tier 1 — Bootstrap (~$700–$1,200)
Basic cleaning supplies and paint tools plus a hand tool set for minor repairs and rekeys — enough to start turning one-bedroom units for local landlords.
- Cleaning supply kit (~$300) — vacuum, mop, chemicals
- Paint tools (~$150) — rollers, brushes, drop cloths
- Hand tool set (~$250) — minor repairs and rekeys
- Basic rekey kit (~$100) — swap locks between tenants
Tier 2 — Serious Solo (~$12,000–$19,000)
The upgrade that changes the business is commercial cleaning equipment, a paint sprayer, and a cargo van — this lets you take on two- and three-bedroom turns and multiple units a week instead of one job at a time.
Tier 3 — Pro Rig ($18,000+)
A full equipment set plus crew or helper capacity gets same-week rush turnarounds done, which is what wins standing contracts with property management companies instead of one-off landlord jobs.
Don’t forget the monthly number
Startup cost is the one-time hit; monthly overhead against what you charge decides whether the business works. Solo, budget roughly $70–$120/month: general liability insurance, plus booking/invoicing software.
The calculator turns that into a single line: how many turnovers it takes to break even.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to start a rental turnover business?
A lean start is $700–$1,200 — basic cleaning supplies, paint tools, and a hand tool set for minor repairs and rekeys. That's enough for one-bedroom turns, which run $400–$900 per unit.
Do you need a van to start doing rental make-readies?
No — a basic cleaning and paint kit fits in a car for one-bedroom units. A cargo van becomes worth it once you're carrying commercial equipment (extractor, paint sprayer, rekey kit) for two- and three-bedroom turns.
What equipment do you need to start a rental turnover business?
The non-negotiables are cleaning supplies, paint tools, and a basic rekey kit. Commercial cleaning equipment, a paint sprayer, and a cargo van are the Serious Solo upgrade. A full equipment set and crew capacity are for the pro tier's rush-turnaround and property-management work.
What are the ongoing monthly costs of a rental turnover business?
Budget roughly $70–$120 a month solo: general liability insurance, plus booking/invoicing software. Crew pay and commercial insurance scale up sharply once you take on property-management contracts.
Is a rental turnover business profitable?
Yes — priced as a task list rather than a flat fee: cleaning $150–$400, paint $250–$600 per room-set, carpet cleaning $30–$60 per room, and rekeys $25–$60 per door, plus a rush premium for same-week turnarounds.