When the notice arrives
Turnover starts the day you learn the tenant is leaving, not the day they hand back keys. The earlier you plan, the shorter the gap between tenants. Confirm the move-out date in writing and remind the tenant of the lease terms on cleaning, keys and the forwarding address.
Decide early whether you will renew the listing at the same rent. Check what comparable homes nearby rent for now; rents in San Antonio neighborhoods can move noticeably in a year. If you can show the home while the tenant still lives there, and the lease allows it with notice, you may line up the next tenant before the current one leaves.
- Confirm the move-out date and time in writing.
- Send the tenant a move-out instruction letter: cleaning standard, key return, utilities, forwarding address.
- Pull the move-in photos and signed condition form.
- Price the home against current comparable rentals.
- Schedule showings with the notice the lease requires, if you plan to pre-lease.
- Line up vendors: cleaner, painter, carpet, HVAC, locksmith, lawn.
The move-out inspection
Inspect as soon as the tenant is out, with utilities still on. Walk the home with the move-in photos open on a tablet and compare room by room. Photograph everything again from the same angles. Separate what you find into two lists: normal wear and tear, which Texas Property Code 92.104 says you cannot charge, and damage beyond it, which you can.
Be honest with the split. Faded paint after two years, light traffic wear on carpet and small nail holes from pictures are wear. A hole in drywall, pet urine in the pad, a broken window, missing blinds or a garage full of junk are not. A deduction that would embarrass you in front of a justice of the peace is a deduction to drop.
- Dated photos of every room, matched to the move-in set.
- Keys, remotes and fobs counted against the move-in record.
- Meter readings recorded.
- Every appliance, faucet, toilet and the HVAC tested.
- A written damage list with a repair estimate or invoice for each item.
- Any abandoned property handled according to your lease terms.
Settling the deposit inside 30 days
Texas Property Code 92.103 gives you 30 days after the tenant surrenders the home to refund the deposit, less lawful deductions, with a written itemized list of those deductions. The duty to send it is tied to the tenant giving you a forwarding address under 92.107, but do not wait on technicalities; if you have an address, send it on time.
Itemize each deduction with the amount and the reason. Attach invoices or estimates. Under 92.109, a landlord who misses the deadline is presumed to have acted in bad faith, and a bad-faith landlord can owe the tenant a statutory penalty plus attorney's fees. This is the single most expensive mistake in a turnover, and it is entirely avoidable with a calendar reminder.
The make-ready
Make-ready is everything that turns a lived-in home back into a rentable one. Run it as one coordinated schedule so vendors are not waiting on each other. Paint goes before carpet cleaning; repairs go before final cleaning; the locksmith comes last.
- Repairs from the inspection list, in order: plumbing and electrical, drywall, doors and blinds.
- Touch-up or full paint, depending on age and condition.
- Carpet cleaning or replacement; clean and polish hard floors.
- HVAC service and a new filter. A summer turnover in San Antonio is a good time to catch a weak AC before a new tenant does.
- Replace smoke alarm batteries and test every unit.
- Replace burned-out bulbs, worn caulk and damaged screens.
- Pest treatment.
- Yard: mow, edge, trim, clear beds, check sprinklers. HOAs in many San Antonio subdivisions send violation letters fast on a vacant lot.
- Professional deep clean after all trades are done.
- Rekey every exterior lock. Texas requires it between tenants under Property Code 92.151 and following.
While the home is vacant
Keep utilities on in your name during vacancy. Vendors need power and water, showings need light and cool air, and a vacant home without AC in August can grow mold. In winter, a hard freeze can split pipes in an unheated house. Check your insurance too; some policies limit coverage when a home sits empty beyond a set number of days.
Visit or have someone visit at least weekly. Pick up flyers and packages, check for leaks and make sure the doors are locked after showings.
Relist and lease
Take new photos once the make-ready is done, not before. List the home on the MLS and the major rental sites, respond to inquiries quickly and screen every applicant against the same written criteria. Then start the move-in process for the next tenant with a full photo inspection, so this turnover has a clean record to compare against next time.
How Rothrock runs a turnover
When Rothrock Realty Team manages your home, the team inspects at move-out against the move-in photos, itemizes the deposit and refunds it within Texas's 30-day window. Make-ready repairs go to licensed vendors the team already uses, within the dollar limit you set; anything above it gets a call first, and every invoice is billed at cost with the invoice attached in your owner portal. The home is photographed, listed on the MLS and major rental sites and shown by a licensed agent. There is no management fee while the home is vacant.
Questions
How long does a Texas landlord have to return a security deposit?
Thirty days after the tenant surrenders the home, under Texas Property Code 92.103, with a written itemized list of any deductions. The obligation is tied to the tenant providing a forwarding address.
What counts as normal wear and tear in a Texas rental?
Deterioration from ordinary, reasonable use: faded or lightly scuffed paint, light carpet wear in traffic paths, loose door handles from age. Damage from negligence, accidents, pets or abuse is not wear and tear.
How long should a rental turnover take?
It depends on the condition of the home and vendor schedules. A light turnover can be done in about a week; heavy repairs, paint and flooring take longer. Planning before the tenant leaves is what shortens it.
Do I have to repaint between tenants?
No law requires it. Touch up where needed, and plan a full repaint when the paint is worn from age. Paint worn from normal use cannot be charged to the outgoing tenant.
Should utilities be in the landlord's name during vacancy?
Yes. Keep power and water on so vendors can work, showings look right and the home is protected from heat and freezing.
General information about Texas rules, not legal advice. For a specific situation, speak to a Texas attorney.