[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":116},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-landlord-refurbishment-apartment-turnover-nyc-en-US":3},{"guide":4,"related":96},{"title":5,"seoTitle":6,"description":7,"summary":8,"tldr":9,"sections":14,"experience":64,"faq":69,"cta":79,"date":81,"updated":81,"service":82,"order":83,"sources":84,"provenance":92,"slug":94,"locale":95},"Landlord refurbishment services: what an apartment turnover should include","Landlord Refurbishment Services in NYC & Long Island","What landlord refurbishment and apartment turnover services include in NYC and Long Island, how scope affects vacancy, and how to compare contractors before a unit turns over.","Landlord refurbishment returns a vacant apartment to rentable condition and can upgrade it for the next lease. A turnover covers paint, repairs, cleaning and the punch list; a refurbishment adds finishes and fixtures; a full renovation can change layouts and usually needs permits. Decide the scope on move-out day, schedule the trades back to back and check lead paint, rent-stabilization and permit rules before work begins.",[10,11,12,13],"Landlord refurbishment returns a vacant apartment to rentable condition. The usual levels are a turnover, a refurbishment of finishes and fixtures, and a full renovation.","Inspecting on move-out day, making one punch list and scheduling trades back to back are what shorten vacancy.","We have turned a unit around in as little as four hours with coordination in advance, and we advise designing for quick part replacement and painting just before move-in.","Check lead paint rules, rent-stabilization rules and permit requirements before work begins.",[15,38,46,54],{"heading":16,"paragraphs":17,"table":19},"What landlord refurbishment means",[18],"Landlords and contractors use several names for this work: refurbishment, apartment turnover, make-ready, unit rehab or rent-ready work. All of them describe returning a vacant unit to a condition you can lease, and they can mean very different amounts of work. Agreeing on the scope in writing matters more than the name.",{"caption":20,"head":21,"rows":25},"Three common levels of work on a vacant apartment",[22,23,24],"Level","Typical scope","When it fits",[26,30,34],[27,28,29],"Turnover","Paint, repairs, cleaning, punch list, and replacement of worn parts such as blinds and toilet seats","The unit is sound and the previous tenancy was short or uneventful",[31,32,33],"Refurbishment","Turnover work, plus new flooring, fixtures, cabinet hardware, lighting or counters in standard, durable finishes","The unit looks dated or needs repeated repairs, and you want to reduce upkeep",[35,36,37],"Full renovation","Kitchen or bath replacement, changes to plumbing or electrical, or layout changes, usually under permits","A long tenancy has ended, or you are preparing for a sale or refinance",{"heading":39,"list":40},"How to shorten vacancy",[41,42,43,44,45],"Inspect the unit on move-out day, with photographs, and make one punch list.","Choose the scope immediately, since most delay comes from decisions and parts rather than from the work itself.","[Schedule painting, repairs and cleaning back to back](\u002Fservices\u002Frental), so that no trade waits on another.","Order standard parts in advance. Using [the same finishes and fixtures across units](\u002Fguides\u002Frental-turnover-cost-tips) makes this much easier.","Give the contractor a date when the unit must be ready, and confirm access for each trade.",{"heading":47,"list":48},"Rules to check before work begins",[49,50,51,52,53],"Lead paint: turnover work in older housing carries [specific lead paint requirements](\u002Fguides\u002Fnyc-lead-paint-apartment-turnover). As an EPA RRP certified firm, we use lead-safe work practices whenever a turnover disturbs paint in housing built before 1978.","Rent-stabilized units: [improvements and rent increases have their own rules](\u002Fguides\u002Frental-repair-vs-improvement-tax). Confirm them with your attorney or management advisor before work begins.","Permits: painting and like-for-like repairs often need no permit, while plumbing, electrical and layout work may. Our guide to [NYC renovation permits](\u002Fguides\u002Fnyc-renovation-permits) describes how to tell.","Open violations: [clear them during the vacancy](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nyc.gov\u002Fsite\u002Fhpd\u002Fservices-and-information\u002Fclear-violations.page), when access is easiest.","Co-ops and condominiums: the building's [alteration agreement](\u002Fguides\u002Fcoop-condo-renovation) can limit the scope and working hours.",{"heading":55,"list":56,"after":62},"What to ask when comparing contractors",[57,58,59,60,61],"Is the price per unit, and is the scope written room by room?","Which trades are included, and who holds the licenses for electrical and plumbing work?","What is the expected schedule from access to rent-ready, and who coordinates it?","What is the lead-safe certification, if the building was built before 1978?","What happens when hidden damage is found, and how are changes priced?",[63],"Our guide to [comparing contractor estimates](\u002Fguides\u002Fcompare-contractor-estimates) covers how to put written estimates on the same basis.",{"after":65,"paragraphs":66},1,[67,68],"When a landlord is in a rush, we have turned a unit around in as little as four hours. That only works when everything is coordinated ahead of time.","What saves money over several turnovers is designing for quick replacement. Blinds, toilet seats and similar parts should be things you can swap in minutes. We also advise holding off on paint until right before the new tenant moves in, since tenants sometimes have their own requests.",[70,73,76],{"q":71,"a":72},"What is the difference between a turnover and a refurbishment?","A turnover returns the unit to rentable condition with paint, repairs and cleaning. A refurbishment also replaces finishes or fixtures. The names vary between contractors, so compare the written scope.",{"q":74,"a":75},"How long does an apartment turnover take?","A paint-and-repair turnover often takes a few days, and floors, kitchens or baths take longer. Each estimate includes an expected schedule.",{"q":77,"a":78},"Do you handle more than one unit?","Yes. Using a standard scope across units makes pricing and scheduling more predictable. Send the unit count and your next turnover dates.",{"text":80},"Send the unit count, the next turnover date and photographs of a typical unit. You receive, at no charge, a standard turnover scope and a written estimate per unit, with an expected schedule for the trades.","2026-10-30","rental",10,[85,89],{"title":86,"url":87,"publisher":88},"Clear Violations","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nyc.gov\u002Fsite\u002Fhpd\u002Fservices-and-information\u002Fclear-violations.page","NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development",{"title":90,"url":91,"publisher":88},"Lead-Based Paint","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nyc.gov\u002Fsite\u002Fhpd\u002Fservices-and-information\u002Flead-based-paint.page",{"experience":93},"owner interview 2026-10-27","landlord-refurbishment-apartment-turnover-nyc","en-US",[97,102,107,112],{"slug":98,"title":99,"description":100,"service":82,"date":101,"updated":81},"rental-turnover-cost-tips","Reducing turnover and maintenance costs on rental units","Practical ways for NYC and Long Island landlords to shorten vacancy and spend less on each turnover: standard finishes, durable materials and planned maintenance.","2026-10-24",{"slug":103,"title":104,"description":105,"service":82,"date":106,"updated":106},"nyc-lead-paint-apartment-turnover","Lead Paint Work Required at Apartment Turnover in NYC","What NYC owners of pre-1960 rentals must do at each turnover under Local Law 1: friction surfaces, XRF testing, dust clearance limits and records.","2026-10-25",{"slug":108,"title":109,"description":110,"service":82,"date":106,"updated":111},"rental-repair-vs-improvement-tax","Repairs vs Improvements on a Rental Turnover","How IRS repair and improvement rules apply to NYC and Long Island rental turnovers, the safe harbors to raise with your CPA, and how to itemize invoices.","2026-10-26",{"slug":113,"title":114,"description":115,"service":82,"date":111,"updated":111},"contractor-1099-nec-w9-2026","Paid a Contractor in 2026? Form 1099-NEC and W-9 Rules for Landlords and Small Businesses","The 1099-NEC threshold rose to $2,000 for 2026 payments. Who must file, when landlords file, which payments are left out, W-9s, backup withholding and the February 1, 2027 deadline.",1793501700891]