Prepare the Apartment (#3) - Third Step
The process of preparing an apartment begins with the Pre Lease board and when the apartment needs to be turned in. This date must be exact and can not change as the make-ready team has to meet the deadline. This date also matches the lease start date on the contract.
Once you note the apartment on the pre-lease board, make sure to erase it from the make-ready board.
As stated previously, all non-office personnel must have a work order to perform any tasks.
Preparing the apartment normally goes as follows:
The first person who performs a task in a vacant unit is the Porter.
They perform trash-outs in cases where the previous tenant has left furniture or belongings that need to be thrown away.
After the porter finishes the trash out of the unit, the Make Ready will then enter the apartment.
They will repair or restore any painting, sheetrock, leaks, electrical, and plumbing.
They will also make sure that all appliances are in good condition.
Resurfacing is the act of painting the bathtubs or the countertops.
This task is normally carried out by support personnel and it must be scheduled correctly as they need to dry for 2 days to dry properly.
Note* not all apartments need resurfacing.
This task is performed by the on-site maintenance personnel.
A new air conditioning filter should always be put into the apartment before handing over the apartment keys.
The housekeeper must be the final team member to go into the apartment, as it must be delivered in the best condition possible to the new resident.
They clean every inch of the apartment. (They can do a touch-up clean after the Shampoo is done)
The Carpet Cleaning is carried out by the Carpet Crew they perform the highest quality of work, due to the experience they have, their machines, and the products that are used.
Make sure this is one of the last things done in an apartment for better results.
Normally one key is used to access every vacant apartment, we call this the master key.
When an apartment is done and ready to be turned in, a make-ready will go and change the key from a master to a unique key, that then can be given to the tenant.
A copy of that key must always stay in the office.
Note
*After the Key has been changed the Leasing Agent is required to walk the apartment and make sure that everything in the apartment is in tip-top shape. This is a form of quality control. If anything is out of place then the leasing agent can send the correct team member to correct the errors before the keys are turned in.*