The Landlord Turnover Package: Flooring, Paint, Locks, and Punch List

A full Twin Cities rental turnover runs $2,800–$9,500 and should be done in 5–10 days. Every extra vacant day on a $1,800/month unit costs you $59. Speed is the whole game.

The standard turnover scope

Line item	Cost (2-bed unit)	Days
Full interior repaint	$1,800–$3,200	2–3
LVP flooring replacement (700 sq ft)	$2,800–$4,900	2
Carpet replacement (bedrooms only)	$900–$1,600	1
Rekey all locks	$150–$350	0.5
Deep clean + appliance detail	$350–$650	1
Blind / window covering replacement	$250–$600	0.5
Drywall patch and door repair	$400–$1,200	1
Smoke / CO detector replacement	$120–$300	0.5
Faucet, toilet seat, outlet cover refresh	$300–$800	0.5
Bath caulk and grout reset	$250–$550	0.5

Why LVP has replaced carpet in Twin Cities rentals

Carpet in a rental lasts one to two tenancies. Luxury vinyl plank lasts eight to twelve, survives Minnesota salt and slush, and cannot hold odor.

	Carpet	LVP
Install cost	$3.50–$5.50/sq ft	$4.50–$7.00/sq ft
Lifespan in a rental	2–4 years	8–12 years
Replaced per turnover	Usually	Rarely
10-year cost	Higher	Lower

Put LVP everywhere except bedrooms. Keep carpet in bedrooms only — it is cheap to replace and tenants prefer it there.

The sequence that keeps vacancy short

Order matters more than anything else on this page:

1. Day 0 — walkthrough with the outgoing tenant. Photograph everything. Damage documentation happens now or never.
2. Day 1 — demo and haul. Old flooring out, walls patched.
3. Day 2–3 — paint. Always before flooring. Always.
4. Day 4–5 — flooring.
5. Day 6 — trim, doors, fixtures, hardware.
6. Day 7 — rekey, detectors, blinds.
7. Day 8 — deep clean.
8. Day 9 — photos and listing.

The most common mistake is listing before the photos are good. A unit photographed mid-turnover rents for less and slower.

Paint spec for rentals

• One color, everywhere, forever. Pick a warm off-white and standardize it across your whole portfolio. Touch-ups become a 20-minute job instead of a repaint.
• Eggshell on walls, semi-gloss on trim and doors. Flat paint in a rental is a false economy.
• Ceilings only when needed — usually every third turn.

Minnesota-specific punch list items

• Furnace filter and service. Cheap, and it prevents a January emergency call.
• Window seal check. Failed seals in MN units cause condensation complaints all winter.
• Storm door closer and sweep. Fails constantly here.
• Frost-free hose bib. Confirm it is actually frost-free and shut off correctly.
• Attic insulation depth. If it is under R-38, the tenant's heat bill will drive turnover.
• Ice dam history. Address it in the summer, not in February.

Budget by unit size

Unit	Light turn	Full turn
Studio / 1-bed	$1,400–$2,600	$2,800–$5,000
2-bed	$2,200–$3,800	$4,500–$7,200
3-bed house	$3,200–$5,500	$6,500–$9,500

Budget a full turn every third tenancy and a light turn in between. Landlords who defer a full turn indefinitely end up paying for it in longer vacancy and lower rent.