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Vacancy Turn Cost Calculator
The 'turn' is the gap between one tenant moving out and the next moving in. The obvious cost is rent lost while the unit sits. The hidden cost is make-ready labor, marketing spend, leasing fee, and a $50-$100 tail of screening and admin. Roll them all here to see the true per-turn dollars, days lost, and annual portfolio drag.
All-in cost per turn
$4,800
Vacancy rent loss
$1,680
Leasing fee
$1,350
Annual portfolio drag
$72,000
Vacancy share of turn cost
35.0%
Make-ready share of turn cost
29.2%
Daily vacancy burn
$60
How the math works
Turn cost is one of the biggest leverage points in single-family rental profitability. Cutting days vacant by 10 days on an $1,800/month unit saves $600 per turn — and operators doing 15 turns a year save $9,000 annually from that one discipline. Make-ready is the other lever: pre-positioning vendors during the notice period beats scrambling after keys are back.
Structurally, watch the ratio of vacancy loss to total turn cost. If vacancy > 50%, your make-ready or marketing is too slow. If make-ready > 50%, your scope or vendor quality is off. Target roughly 30/30/20/20 across vacancy / make-ready / leasing / screening for a healthy operation.
How to Use
- Enter monthly rent, days vacant this turn, and the daily market rent equivalent.
- Add make-ready costs — paint, carpet, cleaning, punchlist — and vendor mileage or travel.
- Enter marketing cost (Zillow/Apartments.com/syndication + professional photos) and the leasing fee (flat or % of rent).
- Include applicant screening costs beyond whatever the applicant pays, and any admin time at your loaded rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's a realistic turn cost?
For a class B/C single-family rental in median US markets, full-turn cost runs $1,800-$3,500 — with make-ready and vacancy each about 35-40% of the total and marketing/leasing about 20%. For a class A multifamily unit professionally managed, it's typically $1,200-$2,000 because make-ready vendors work cheaper at volume.
How do I cut turn days?
Pre-inspect 30 days before move-out. Have vendors lined up and quoted. List on day 1 of vacancy with pro photos. Accept applications immediately. Operators who run sub-20-day turns save 30-50% of the annual turn drag compared to 45-60 day turns.
Should I always repaint?
No. Full repaints cost $800-$1,800 and can be skipped if the walls are in good shape with fewer than 5 scuffs per room. Spot-fix touchups ($75-$150) preserve the repaint cycle to every 2-3 turns. Freshly painted units rent faster, but only by 2-5 days — the premium has to clear that small lift to be worth it.
What counts as 'leasing fee' here?
Either your in-house loaded labor cost to run showings + screen + draft + sign (typically $150-$400) or the outside broker/leasing agent fee (usually 0.5-1 month of rent). Use whichever applies; don't double-count.
Related Calculators
Tenant Turnover Cost Calculator
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Make Ready Cost Calculator
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Turnover Cleaning Cost Calculator
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Vacancy Loss Calculator
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Tenant Placement Fee Calculator
Leasing commission structure.
Leasing Commission Calculator
Size a leasing broker fee.
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