A unit that photographs, shows, and leases
Rental Preparation is the one-time, pre-listing workstream that gets a unit ready to be photographed, marketed, and shown at top market rent. Photography and media on one side; paint, cleaning, and small repairs on the other. We coordinate every trade and produce every asset.
The problem
What goes wrong when units are listed before they are ready
Scuffed walls and half-done cleans tank first impressions
The first 48 hours of a listing drive the majority of qualified inquiries. A unit that looks tired in photos loses those inquiries to the newer-looking unit down the block.
Phone photos cost a month of rent
A listing with amateur photos gets fewer showings, weaker applicants, and a longer vacancy - often one extra month of carrying cost versus a professionally photographed listing.
Owners juggle five trades across three weeks
Hiring a painter, a cleaner, a junk-removal crew, a landscaper, and a handyman separately means five quotes, five schedules, and a lot of weekends lost.
Deferred maintenance becomes a tenant complaint
Small issues left for the new tenant - a leaking faucet, a broken blind - start the tenancy with a service request and a bad feeling.
The MoveSmart approach
How MoveSmart delivers rental preparation
One scope, one quote, one coordinator. Photography and media are produced in-house; trades are deployed from vetted partners. You approve the scope once and we deliver a listing-ready unit.
01
Photography
Wide-angle, HDR-bracketed interior photography - typically 25-to-40 delivered images per unit, colour-corrected and retouched.
02
Virtual tours
Matterport or equivalent 3D walk-through tours published alongside photos for out-of-town applicants.
03
Floor plans
To-scale floor plans with square footage, published on the listing and in the portal.
04
Paint
Touch-ups or full repaint in a neutral scheme. Ceilings, trim, and doors as needed.
05
Cleaning
Move-in ready deep clean: appliances, grout, baseboards, windows interior, and final turnover clean before photography.
06
Junk removal
Prior-tenant leftovers, basement clean-outs, and garage disposal handled by partner crews.
07
Landscaping
Lawn cut, hedge trim, and exterior tidy-up so the curb photo matches the interior.
08
Handyman & small repairs
Drywall patches, caulking, fixture swaps, blind repairs, and similar small items. Not a substitute for major renovation.
09
Short-term financing support
For larger prep budgets, we can route owners to partner financing options so prep happens before the unit sits vacant.
How it works
The engagement
- 1
Walkthrough & punch-list
In-person or virtual walkthrough; we build a scope with photos and line-item recommendations.
- 2
Quote
Fixed-price quote delivered in the portal - you approve the line items you want.
- 3
Trade scheduling
All approved trades scheduled in a single timeline - typically three-to-ten days.
- 4
Work executed
Paint, clean, repairs, landscaping, junk removal executed by vetted partners and overseen by MoveSmart.
- 5
Media production
Photography, virtual tour, and floor plan shot after work is complete.
- 6
Listing handoff
Assets delivered to the leasing team; listing goes live within one-to-two business days of media capture.
Who it's for
A fit for every owner profile
Individual landlords
Owners listing between tenancies who do not live near the unit or do not have time to coordinate trades.
Portfolio owners
Owners with multiple turns per year who want a repeatable, priced-in prep workflow.
Developers on first-tenancy turns
Builders and developers leasing completed units who want professional media and a punch-list resolution in one pass.
Pricing
Quoted per scope - fixed price, approved line by line before any work starts. Not bundled into the leasing success fee; prep is billed separately.
See the full fee schedule →Frequently Asked
Questions about Rental Preparation
Still have questions?
Talk to a leasing advisor. No pressure, no obligation.
Related services
Explore the full engagement
Tenant Placement
From the first listing photo to the move-in inspection, MoveSmart runs the entire placement workflow for your unit.
Learn moreLeasing Services
Leasing Services is the MoveSmart umbrella engagement, nine integrated workstreams that take your unit from empty to signed, paid, and occupied.
Learn moreTenant Screening
Every applicant runs through the same documented screen - credit, income, employment, references, risk assessment, and compliance checks.
Learn moreRent Guarantee
MoveSmart coordinates partner-underwritten rent guarantee policies, tenant insurance coordination, and financial qualification validation - so a missed rent cheque does not become a missed mortgage payment.
Learn moreTenant Insurance
MoveSmart enforces the tenant insurance clause at lease signing, collects proof of coverage, and routes applicants to vetted insurance partners if they need a policy.
Learn moreTenant Guarantor
When an applicant is a good fit but does not quite meet income or credit thresholds alone, a qualified guarantor can bridge the gap.
Learn morePortal & Technology
The MoveSmart portal gives owners real-time visibility into every step of the lease.
Learn moreInstitutional Lease-Up
MoveSmart runs dedicated lease-up campaigns for builders, developers, PMCs, and purpose-built rental operators.
Learn moreReady to start with Rental Preparation?
Create a free account to walk through the process, or book a 20-minute discovery call. No upfront cost, no obligation.