Published on March 26th, 2025
By ButterflyMX

Apartment turnovers are an inevitable part of property management, but the process can present challenges that lead to lost revenue, increased labor costs, and delayed move-ins. Coordinating move-outs, preparing units, and onboarding new residents requires careful planning, especially when working with multiple vendors and teams.

However, technology is transforming how property managers handle turnovers. By integrating smart access control solutions and property management software, property managers can automate key steps in the turnover process, reducing downtime and streamlining operations. 

In this article, we’ll explore the challenges of traditional turnovers and how technology helps automate the process for a more seamless transition between residents.

Challenges of Traditional Apartment Turnovers

Property managers face several challenges when preparing a unit for a new resident. Even with careful planning, turnovers often involve multiple moving parts that can create delays, increase costs, and strain resources.

The most common issues include:

• Time-consuming coordination: Scheduling maintenance, cleaning, and inspections requires juggling multiple teams, often leading to delays in getting units move-in ready.
• Key management hassles: Physical keys must be collected, locks rekeyed, and new keys issued, adding unnecessary costs and security risks.
• Lack of real-time visibility: Without automated tracking, monitoring turnover progress and ensuring all tasks are completed on time is difficult.

Property managers can minimize these challenges by automating key processes with smart access technology and property management software which creates a faster, more efficient turnover process.

How Smart Access and Property Management Tech Streamline Apartment Turnovers

1.) Secure, Keyless Entry for Vendors and Staff

Managing physical keys during apartment turnovers can be a logistical challenge. Property managers must collect keys from outgoing residents, rekey locks, and ensure maintenance teams and vendors have access to the unit, all while keeping the process secure and efficient.

With smart access control solutions, property managers can eliminate these manual tasks and grant temporary digital access to maintenance teams, cleaning staff, and contractors. This simplifies unit preparation and supports seamless prospecting by ensuring leasing teams can quickly access and show available units without delay.

Smart access systems allow managers to:

• Assign time-restricted access credentials to specific vendors, ensuring they can only enter when needed.
• Track who enters and exits the unit through an integrated access log, increasing visibility and security.
• Eliminate lost keys, lock replacements, and rekeying costs between residents.

By automating access management, property managers can streamline turnovers, reduce administrative work, and improve security, allowing units to be more prepared for new residents.

2.) Real-Time Insights into Turnover Progress

Apartment turnovers involve multiple teams working on tight timelines, making real-time visibility essential for efficient operations. Without a clear way to track progress, delays can go unnoticed, causing move-in dates to slip and increasing vacancy loss.

By integrating smart access control with property management software like AppFolio, property managers gain real-time updates on unit readiness, allowing them to stay ahead of the process rather than reacting to delays.

With real-time insights, managers can:

• Receive automated notifications when maintenance and cleaning teams complete their work, reducing the need for manual follow-ups.
• Monitor unit status from a centralized dashboard, ensuring leasing teams know which apartments are move-in ready.
• Grant remote access to leasing agents and staff, enabling seamless showings and last-minute inspections without requiring in-person key exchanges.

With better visibility into turnover timelines, property managers can minimize downtime, improve coordination, and ensure a smooth transition for new residents.

3.) Frictionless Move-In Experience for New Residents

The move-in process sets the tone for a resident’s experience, but traditional methods often involve frustrating delays, in-person key handoffs, and leasing office visits. Waiting for physical keys or coordinating last-minute access can create a stressful first impression.

With smart access solutions, property managers can eliminate these inefficiencies and provide new residents with a more convenient, digital-first experience.

With automated move-ins, property managers can:

• Offer self-guided tours by providing prospective residents with temporary access codes, allowing them to explore units at their convenience.
• Enable instant move-ins by granting digital access once lease agreements are signed, eliminating the need for in-person key exchanges.
• Provide mobile credentials so residents can unlock doors using their smartphones, creating a seamless transition from leasing to move-in day.

By automating move-ins, property managers can enhance the resident experience, reduce administrative workload, and improve overall operational efficiency.

The Future of Automated Apartment Turnovers

As technology evolves, automation will play an even more significant role in property management. AI-powered scheduling, IoT-enabled devices, and deeper integrations between smart access solutions and property management software will continue to refine the apartment turnover process. These innovations will help property managers minimize inefficiencies, reduce manual workloads, and create a more seamless transition between residents.

Smart access solutions, in particular, will remain at the forefront of this transformation. By eliminating the need for physical keys, they enhance security while making turnovers faster and more cost-effective. Property managers can grant and revoke access instantly, ensuring that maintenance teams, vendors, and new residents can enter units at precisely the right time, without delays or unnecessary coordination. Meanwhile, real-time insights into turnover progress will allow teams to manage vacancies, reducing downtime and lost revenue proactively.

With a tech-driven approach, property managers can shift their focus from handling logistics to creating a better resident experience. Automating repetitive tasks and streamlining operations makes turnovers more efficient and frees up valuable time to focus on resident satisfaction and long-term retention.

Closing Thoughts

Apartment turnovers have long been labor-intensive, requiring careful coordination between multiple teams. However, with the right technology, property managers can significantly reduce inefficiencies and streamline operations. By integrating smart access control solutions with property management software, teams can automate key tasks, minimize delays, and create a seamless experience for both staff and residents.

Embracing automation improves security and operational efficiency and helps properties stay competitive in an increasingly tech-driven industry. With smarter workflows and real-time insights, property managers can turn what was once a complex, time-consuming process into a smooth, predictable transition between residents.