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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.

Monthly rent

Days vacant this turn

Make-ready total (paint/carpet/clean/punchlist)

Marketing + photos + syndication

Leasing fee basis

Leasing fee %

Leasing fee (flat)

Screening + admin overhead

Turns per year (portfolio)

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.

Editorial noteMaintained by EveryCalc - Reviewed June 2026

EveryCalc calculators are designed for fast, practical estimates with transparent inputs and no required account. We use plain formulas, visible assumptions, and related tools so visitors can check the result from more than one angle.

Results are informational only. For financial, tax, legal, medical, construction, or other high-impact decisions, verify the output against primary sources or a qualified professional.

Learn more about our review process on the EveryCalc methodology page.

How this calculator works

What this page estimates

This Vacancy Turn Cost Calculator is built to give a quick, browser-based estimate for vacancy turn cost. 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. The inputs stay on the page during normal use, and the result should be treated as an estimate for planning, comparison, or education rather than professional advice.

Calculation approach

The calculator applies the standard relationship implied by the inputs, then formats the answer so it can be checked and reused. For finance tools, the most important step is using consistent units, rates, time periods, and assumptions before comparing the result with another calculator or outside quote.

Example workflow

For example, start with a realistic value you already know, change one input at a time, and watch how the answer moves. That makes it easier to tell whether the result is being driven by the main amount, the rate, the time period, or a unit conversion.

Practical checks

Use current, real-world numbers when the result affects money, health, tax, or legal decisions.
Run a low, base, and high case when the inputs are estimates.
Check the related calculators below when the next decision depends on a different assumption.

How to interpret the vacancy turn cost result

Best use

Use the result as a planning number for comparing payments, rates, returns, tax reserves, or cash-flow choices before you request a quote or make a commitment.

Cross-check

Compare the answer with the contract, lender estimate, tax form, brokerage statement, payroll record, or invoice that will control the real-world outcome.

Watch for

Do not rely on a single optimistic rate, return, or fee assumption. Money pages work best when you run low, base, and high cases and keep professional advice separate from the estimate.

This page belongs to the Finance calculator library, so the answer should be read in the context of the decision you are modeling rather than as a universal rule.

Before relying on this vacancy turn cost estimate

Most calculator mistakes come from the inputs, not the arithmetic. Use this short audit before you reuse the answer in a spreadsheet, quote, application, or important conversation.

Confirm source numbers

Match balances, rates, fees, taxes, income, and payment dates against the lender quote, payroll record, tax form, statement, invoice, or contract.

Separate cash flow from total cost

A lower monthly payment can still cost more over time if fees, interest, taxes, or a longer term are hidden in the structure.

Run conservative cases

Test at least one higher-cost or lower-return case before using the output for a purchase, refinance, investment, loan, or tax decision.

Rerun this page when the rate, price, term, fee, tax rule, income, expense, or expected holding period changes.

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.