Landlord turnover cleanouts in Virginia Beach and Norfolk

The short answer

Most turnovers leave either a few abandoned pieces or a mixed pile of leftovers. A few pieces are priced by item: a sofa and a queen mattress are $126 + $103 = $229. A mixed pile is priced by truck fill, starting at $241 for a quarter truck and $431 for a half truck. Same-day pickup is available when you book by 4 p.m., and buildings that need a certificate of insurance get one by email within an hour.

Why turnovers are constant in the 757

Hampton Roads is a renter-heavy region. Norfolk is only about 46 percent owner-occupied, and Downtown Norfolk is about 17.5 percent. Park Place is about 32 percent, Brambleton about 39 percent, and southeast Newport News near the shipyard about 30 percent. In Virginia Beach, the Town Center ZIP is just over half owner-occupied.

Tenants move often. Navy families leave on orders, sometimes on short notice. Students at Old Dominion, Norfolk State and Hampton University leave in May and December. Shipyard and hospital staff rotate through Portsmouth and the Peninsula.

Each move-out can leave something behind: a mattress, a broken chair, a closet of bags, a dead TV. When the next tenant moves in on the first of the month, there may be only a day or two to clear it.

That window is the whole problem. City bulky pickup works on its own schedule. A turnover usually can't wait.

Why city bulky pickup rarely fits a turnover

The city programs are good for owner-occupied homes with time. They're harder for turnovers.

• Virginia Beach needs a request at least three days before the trash day, with items at the curb between 5 p.m. the night before and 7 a.m. It refuses bags, cardboard boxes, carpet, cabinets and computer towers, which is much of what tenants leave.
• Norfolk takes requests until 3 p.m. the day before, which is faster, but you still carry everything to the curb. E-waste is drop-off only.
• Chesapeake limits each address to one 4 by 4 by 10 foot pile per week, twelve times a year.
• Newport News allows six cubic yards per collection day, with appliances by appointment.

And in multi-unit buildings, there may be no curb for a single unit at all.

Flat prices for common turnover items

Park Place duplex: a mattress, a box spring and 10 bags. $103 + $92 + $132 = $327.

Brambleton unit after a student lease: a recliner and a TV. $98 + $68 = $166.

Lynnhaven single-family rental: carpet out of two rooms plus a dead fridge. $71 + $71 + $164 = $306.

For property managers with several properties

If you manage several rentals, you can set up an account covering all your properties. That keeps bookings and billing in one place, whether the unit is in Ghent, Greenbrier or Phoebus.

The same flat prices apply everywhere we serve, on both sides of the tunnel. You don't have to price a Southside unit differently from a Peninsula one. There are no volume discounts and no recurring pickup plans; each job is booked when you need it.

Buildings that require insurance paperwork are covered. We email a certificate of insurance within one hour of a request. Crews are vetted and insured.

You don't have to be on site. Send photos from your walk-through, approve the price, arrange access, and the crew arrives in the two-hour window you chose. Units on upper floors cost the same; there's no stairs fee.

Abandoned property: protect yourself

Before you clear what a tenant left, make sure it's legally yours to dispose of. Virginia has landlord-tenant rules on abandoned property, and your lease may add its own terms. If you're not sure, check with your attorney or property management association before anything leaves the unit.

Document everything. Photograph each room before the cleanout, with dates. Keep a list of what was removed. If a tenant later disputes a deduction, those photos are your record.

Watch for personal documents and valuables, especially in units vacated quickly on orders. Military papers, IDs and medals sometimes turn up. Set them aside and contact the former tenant.

Keep the receipts. A flat-price invoice for each turnover makes deposit accounting straightforward.

A fast turnover routine

1. Walk the unit the day the tenant leaves. Photograph every room, closet, the garage and outside.
2. Get the price from photos on the instant quote page.
3. Book the pickup for the same day or the next morning. Booking by 4 p.m. gets same-day.
4. Schedule cleaners and repairs after the unit is empty, so they work on clear floors.
5. Re-photograph the empty unit for your records and the new tenant's move-in inspection.

For units in buildings with elevators, reserve the elevator first. For Oceanfront and Sandbridge vacation rentals, the same routine works between bookings in the off-season.

Frequently asked questions