Expand Your Cleaning Business with Apartment Move-Out Cleaning

Cleaning apartments after tenants vacate can be a great addition to a residential cleaning business' offerings. Home cleaning companies have flexibility in scheduling and hard-working employees, which are musts for apartment cleaning. If you already have solid relationships with apartment managers and staff, you're even better situated to land this type of work.

Handled skillfully, apartment turnover cleaning can provide an additional, ongoing income stream for your business. Consider the following tips to position your company as the “Move Out Cleaning Specialists,” and help nip any potential problems in the bud.

Is apartment move-out cleaning a good strategy for your home cleaning business?

Build Strong Relationships with Apartment Managers

If you're just getting started in move-out cleaning, or want to re-introduce yourself to prospective clients, consider sending out a sales letter with your business card to apartment complexes in your service area.

Better yet, hand deliver them and introduce yourself to the property owner and manager in person. Your flyer can describe your services in detail, explain why you're the best choice, and offer fast and efficient “move-in ready” service to complexes eager to get their units back in business as soon as possible.

Personal introductions can help you build good relationships with property owners and management. Once a manager gets to know you and sees the benefits of your services, you're likely to gain a loyal customer.

You can use LinkedIn to meet property owners and managers. The site's search function makes it easy to find people in your area with those job titles. Connect with and begin conversations online with these people.

It may be tempting to immediately send information about your business to your new connections, but doing so is a mistake. Instead, focus on your “know, like, and trust factor.” Instead of pushing for a sale, first get to know the other person.

Look over the prospect's profile and find a shared connection or something of interest. Mention this as an ice breaker and ask about them and their business. People love to talk about themselves, so they will likely reply. Plus, using this approach increases the chances they'll reciprocate and ask about you. That creates an open invitation to talk about your offering rather than broaching the subject without a request.

Don't use LinkedIn hoping for quick sales. It's about establishing your brand, finding prospects, and creating relationships. Once you've started conversations there, however, your goal is to move those talks offline.

Once you've established rapport with a prospect, ask them for a call or in-person meeting. If you've been personable, helpful, and providing value up to this point, the buyer will likely trust you enough to agree to the next step.

Schedule Apartment Move-Out Cleaning for Success

Move-out cleaning can be sporadic. You may hear nothing from a client for a week, then suddenly get a call when several apartments all need to be cleaned within a couple of days.

Of course, apartment managers are often under pressure to get units move-in ready quickly, since unoccupied apartments represent lost income. Be mindful of this, but also realistic with scheduling. The last thing you want is for your cleaning quality to suffer because your staff is overworked or cutting corners to get jobs done hurriedly within the allotted time.

Rushing your work can harm your reputation with your clients as well as employee morale in the long run. You may have to stand your ground—firmly yet politely—but you'll gain the respect of all involved if you strive to create reasonable expectations while still getting the job done.

Consider Your Pricing for Apartment Move-Out Cleaning

Rates will vary by market and region, but consider these points when quoting your prospects:

• Know the Variations. The condition of each apartment, and the time it will take to clean, can vary enormously from unit to unit. Some tenants clean like pros (eager to get their deposits back) while others leave a veritable path of destruction. Most units lie somewhere between these two extremes. Consider all the possibilities to determine a standard price and cleaning timeframe that leaves you with a profit.
• Consider Various Pricing Strategies. Some cleaning businesses base their move-out cleaning rates on the number of bedrooms. For example: $100, $120, and $130 for 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments, respectively. Some use total square footage, while others provide one rate, regardless of apartment size, to make pricing ultra-simple for customers.
• Allow Sufficient Time. Many cleaning companies allow 3 to 4 hours for a 1-bedroom/1-bath apartment to be move-out cleaned by a two-person crew. If the unit is in bad shape, this may take considerably longer. (If you have a good relationship with the apartment manager, they may give you a heads up when an all-day job is looming so you can plan accordingly.)
• Define Your Clean. Move-out cleaning usually includes deep cleaning of all surfaces, including the insides of cabinets, refrigerator, and oven. Always define the scope of your work with the apartment complex owner or manager. Be clear about what's included in your standard price and what's extra. Provide this checklist to the owner and manager and to your employees. Floor cleaning services like carpet cleaning or hardwood refinishing should be quoted separately.
• Add Common Areas. Apartment managers often ask for a bid on common areas and apartment turnovers at the same time, so consider adding them to your quotes. Common areas can include hallways, entry foyers, laundry rooms, elevators, and stairwells. This also gives you a recurring profit center, which is desirable for cleaning companies.

Get Down to Business

Employ a good scheduling system to keep track of your apartment move-out jobs. Note who called to schedule the appointment, the date and time, who logged it, when the work is scheduled, and other important details for your records.

When cleaning day arrives, ensure each employee knows what's expected, has a list of all required tasks and expected time frame, and notifies management or the team leader if any significant changes occur. Keep track of clock-in and out times, who did the work at each location, and any difficulties that arise in case any issues come up with the apartment management.

Provide high-quality tools and all the supplies your employees need to do the job well. Have a comprehensive checklist at the job site so everything is at hand to avoid return trips to company headquarters or to the store. Your supply list will include things like spray bottles, rags, dusters, vacuum, mops, buckets, oven cleaner, and paper towels. You may also want to invest in a steam cleaner to greatly reduce cleaning time of built-up grease and grime on stove tops and inside ovens.

Inspect the finished work routinely or designate a supervisor to do so, to ensure your quality standards are met and any problems are remedied quickly. This will also allow you to praise and make corrections with your staff as appropriate and provide a good training experience.

Lastly, ask your employees regularly if there's anything that would make apartment move-out cleaning easier and and more efficient to accomplish. Get their input and implement their good ideas whenever possible.