Rental Turnover Checklist for Washington Landlords

By Ben, owner of Handyman Near You LLC, Bothell, WA · WA L&I #HANDYNY745PF

What order should a rental turnover follow?

A turnover, also called a make-ready, works best from dirty work to clean work. Document the unit first, then make repairs, then patch and paint, then handle flooring, and finish with the deep clean. Cleaning before painting or flooring just means cleaning twice. Walk the whole unit once before any tools come in, and write one punch list that covers every room. One list keeps items from being missed and gives you a record for the deposit statement.

1. Walkthrough and before photos
2. Safety checks
3. Repairs: doors, hardware, fixtures, appliances, drywall
4. Patch, prime and paint
5. Flooring repair or replacement
6. Final clean
7. Final photos and records

What should you document at move-out?

Washington landlords who collect a deposit must give the tenant a signed, written checklist of the unit's condition at move-in, covering walls, floors, appliances and furnishings (RCW 59.18.260). That checklist is your baseline at move-out. Walk the unit with it and photograph every room: each wall, the floor, the ceiling, and inside closets and cabinets. For damage, take one close photo with a tape measure for scale and one wide photo that shows where it is.

Within 30 days after the rental agreement ends and the tenant moves out, you must give a full and specific statement for any part of the deposit you keep, with copies of estimates or invoices, along with any refund due (RCW 59.18.280). The law does not allow charges for wear from ordinary use. Dated photos and a written punch list make that statement easier to write and help separate normal wear from real damage.

Which safety items must be checked before the next tenant moves in?

In Washington, installing smoke alarms in a rental is the owner's job, and when a unit becomes vacant, the owner must make sure the alarm works before anyone moves in (RCW 43.44.110). Carbon monoxide alarms are required in residential buildings, and tenants maintain them, including batteries, during the tenancy (RCW 19.27.530). The State Fire Marshal advises smoke alarms in every bedroom and on every level, CO alarms outside sleeping areas and on each level, and replacing alarms per the maker's instructions; most are designed to last up to 10 years.

• Press-test every smoke and CO alarm and read the date on the back.
• Replace batteries in battery-only alarms. A licensed electrician handles hardwired alarms, missing alarms and bare wires.
• Press TEST and RESET on every GFCI outlet. Dead, loose or scorched outlets go to a licensed electrician.
• If you smell gas, leave and call the gas utility or 911 from outside.
• Open every bedroom window all the way so it can be used as an exit.
• Swap corded blinds for cordless ones where you can, as the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends.

What are the lead paint rules for pre-1978 rentals?

If the building was built before 1978, assume the paint may contain lead. Washington is one of the states EPA has authorized to run its own renovation, repair and painting (RRP) program, and the Department of Commerce runs it. Commerce says RRP certification is required for renovation, repair or painting work in pre-1978 homes and child-occupied facilities. Firms need a firm certification, renovators need an 8-hour course, and Commerce lists landlords and property managers who do this work among those who need firm certification.

On a turn, that means no dry sanding, dry scraping or heat guns on old paint until a certified firm sets up lead-safe work. Sanding, scraping and cutting are what turn old paint into dust. If you don't know the build year, treat the unit as pre-1978 until you confirm it.

What should you check on doors, locks and keys?

Washington's landlord-tenant law requires the landlord to provide reasonably adequate locks, furnish keys, and take reasonable care of any master or duplicate keys (RCW 59.18.060). Rekeying between tenants is the simplest way to know no old key still opens the door. Some common locks, such as Kwikset SmartKey models, can be rekeyed without replacing the hardware.

• Entry door swings freely, latches without a push and doesn't rub.
• Deadbolt throws all the way from inside and outside.
• Knob, deadbolt and strike plate screws are tight.
• Interior doors latch and have door stops; the bathroom privacy lock opens from the hall with the release tool.

What belongs on the walls, paint and floors list?

Pull leftover nails and anchors, fill small holes, sand flush and spot prime. Water stains, marker and smoke spots need a stain-blocking primer before paint, or they bleed through. If a touch-up flashes, showing as a shiny or dull patch, paint the whole wall corner to corner. Never paint over a stain that is still wet or soft; find and fix the leak first.

• Carpet: stains, burns, ripples, loose seams, and pet or smoke odor.
• Vinyl plank and laminate: gaps, lifted edges, chips and soft spots.
• Tile: cracked tiles, missing grout and hollow-sounding spots.
• Baseboards and trim: gaps, splits and loose pieces, caulked before paint.

What should you test in the kitchen and bathroom?

Run everything instead of just looking at it. Turn on every burner, bake and broil, run the dishwasher on a short cycle, and run the disposal with cold water. Check the fridge with an appliance thermometer; the FDA advises 40°F or below in the fridge and 0°F in the freezer. Make sure the range anti-tip bracket is in place, and photograph the model tag of any appliance that fails so the right part gets ordered.

In the bathroom, flush the toilet and make sure it stops running, then rock it gently to see if it moves. Add a few drops of food coloring to the tank and wait without flushing; color in the bowl means a leak. Run every faucet and drain, test the exhaust fan, and check caulk and grout. Press a dry paper towel on each joint under the sinks. Leaking pipes or valves, soft floors and slow drains go to a licensed plumber.

What about windows, blinds and the exterior?

Open, close and lock every window, and look for rot or water stains on sills and the wall below. Pour a little water into each track to see that it drains out the weep holes. Replace torn screens and blinds with bent or missing slats. Outside, check the walkway for trip hazards, push hard on stair handrails, make sure the unit number is readable, and test the entry light and doorbell. Note any roof, gutter or siding problem for the right trade.

How should the final clean and final records be done?

Clean from top to bottom: ceilings, vents and light covers first, then walls, doors and trim, then cabinets and appliances inside and out, and floors last. Follow each product label, and use a neutral cleaner on vinyl plank floors. Then take a full set of after photos in the same order as the before photos, close out the punch list, and save receipts and invoices in the unit file. Those records support the deposit statement and the next move-in checklist.

Common questions

Sources

• RCW 59.18.260 - Move-in condition checklist (Washington State Legislature)
• RCW 59.18.280 - Return of deposit within 30 days (Washington State Legislature)
• RCW 43.44.110 - Smoke detection devices in dwelling units (Washington State Legislature)
• RCW 19.27.530 - Carbon monoxide alarms (Washington State Legislature)
• RCW 59.18.060 - Landlord duties, locks and keys (Washington State Legislature)
• Washington State Patrol, State Fire Marshal: Home Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms (January 2026)
• Washington Department of Commerce: Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Program
• Washington Department of Commerce: LBPA and RRP Training for Lead-Based Paint
• U.S. EPA: How does my firm become RRP certified? (authorized states list)
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Go Cordless with Window Coverings
• U.S. FDA: Are You Storing Food Safely?

General information, not legal advice. Check current rules with the agency that enforces them.