The Property Manager’s Guide to Fast & Efficient Tenant Turnovers in Billings, MT

In Billings’ competitive rental market, every vacant day costs you money. With Montana’s housing shortage keeping rental vacancy rates low, efficiently turning over a unit is more critical than ever. The biggest bottleneck? The “make-ready” phase, specifically clearing out junk, trash, and abandoned belongings left by former tenants. A slow cleanout can delay painters, cleaners, and repairs, extending your vacancy period by days or even weeks.

This guide breaks down the true financial impact of tenant turnovers, the hidden costs of a DIY approach, and how partnering with a professional junk removal service can transform your process from a costly delay into a streamlined, profitable system. You’ll learn how to get your properties back on the market faster, reduce liability, and maximize your annual returns.

The True Cost of Tenant Turnover: More Than Just Lost Rent

The expense of turning over a unit goes far beyond a single month’s rent. The National Apartment Association estimates the total cost can range from a staggering $1,000 to $5,000 per unit. A slow, inefficient cleanout process directly inflates the most significant of these costs, creating a financial drain that impacts your bottom line.

Here’s a breakdown of where the money goes:

• Lost Rent (Vacancy Loss): This is the biggest and most painful financial hit. In Billings, where the median rent for a 2-bedroom apartment hovers around $1,300 per month, a two-week vacancy means a direct loss of over $650. Nationally, vacancy loss averages $1,750 per month for a typical unit, making every day count.
• Cleaning & Repairs: On average, landlords spend between $1,000 and $2,500 to get a unit rent-ready. The initial junk removal is the critical first step. If it’s delayed, all other work—from painting to plumbing—is put on hold, compounding the vacancy loss.
• Labor & Opportunity Cost: The time your staff spends hauling trash, renting a truck, and driving to the landfill is time not spent on revenue-generating tasks like showing units, screening applicants, or managing tenant relations. This “soft cost” has a very real impact on your operational efficiency.

It’s no surprise that the National Association of Realtors found that 51% of property managers identify “maintenance and repairs” as their top challenge—a category where tenant cleanouts are a primary, time-consuming task.

Estimated Cost Breakdown of a Single Tenant Turnover

Cost Category	Estimated Percentage of Total Cost	Example Cost (for a $2,500 total turnover)
Lost Rent (Vacancy)	40%	$1,000
Repairs & Maintenance	30%	$750
Cleaning & Junk Removal	15%	$375
Marketing & Leasing	10%	$250
Administrative	5%	$125

Source: Synthesized from data provided by the National Apartment Association, Zillow Group, and The Motley Fool.

DIY vs. Pro: Why ‘Saving Money’ on Cleanouts Costs You More

When a tenant leaves, they often leave more than just memories. The items left behind can create a logistical nightmare for property managers trying to handle it themselves. This is where professional apartment cleanouts become invaluable.

Commonly Abandoned Items:

• Bulky Furniture: Old sofas, dressers, and especially mattresses and box springs are difficult to move and often require special fees at landfills. Our professional furniture removal service handles these items with ease.
• Appliances: Refrigerators and AC units contain refrigerants that require certified removal per EPA regulations before they can be legally and safely disposed of.
• Electronic Waste (E-waste): TVs, computers, and monitors contain hazardous materials like lead and mercury. They cannot go to a regular landfill and require specialized electronic waste disposal.
• General Trash & Debris: Piles of bags, old food, and clutter can quickly lead to pest infestations and sanitation issues if not removed promptly.

A DIY cleanout might seem cheaper on the surface, but it carries significant hidden costs in time, physical risk, and complex logistics. Overexertion and improper lifting are leading causes of workplace injuries, creating a major liability for your business if your staff isn’t properly trained and insured for heavy-duty manual labor.

The comparison is clear: a professional approach is faster, safer, and ultimately more cost-effective.

Comparative Analysis: DIY vs. Professional Junk Removal

Factor	DIY Approach	Professional Junk Removal (e.g., Ballistic)
Time Investment	High. Multiple days, extending vacancy.	Low. Cleared in hours, allowing other contractors to start work sooner.
Labor & Physical Risk	High. Risk of injury; liability for property owner.	Low. Insured, trained professionals mitigate all liability.
Disposal Logistics	Complex. Requires a truck, multiple trips, knowledge of landfill fees and rules.	Simple. One call handles all transport, sorting, and compliant disposal.
True Cost	Deceptive. Includes fuel, dump fees, special disposal fees, and high opportunity cost.	Transparent. An upfront quote covers all labor, transport, and disposal fees.
Compliance	Risky. Improper disposal of e-waste or appliances can lead to fines.	Assured. Professionals ensure all items are disposed of according to federal and local regulations.

The Legal Tightrope: Handling Abandoned Personal Property in Montana

Beyond the physical mess, there’s a legal minefield to navigate. In Montana, you can’t simply throw away everything a tenant leaves behind. Failure to follow the state’s abandoned property laws can lead to costly lawsuits. The key statute you must follow is Montana Code Annotated 70-24-430.

Here are the critical legal steps you must take:

1. Inventory and Store: You are required to create a detailed, written list of all abandoned property and store it in a safe place.
2. Send Written Notice: A certified letter must be sent to the tenant’s last-known address, detailing the items, their storage location, and the deadline for retrieval.
3. Observe Holding Periods: You must hold the property for a specific period based on its estimated value.

This legal timeline can feel like another delay, but here’s the strategic advantage of using a professional service: Ballistic Junk Removal can move all abandoned items to a designated on-site storage area (like a garage) or an off-site unit. This simple step separates the legal timeline from your turnover timeline. You can immediately begin painting, cleaning, and repairs on the main unit while you legally wait out the notice period for the stored items.

Montana Abandoned Property Legal Workflow

1. A tenant abandons the property.
2. You inventory the items and have them moved to a secure storage location.
3. You send a certified notice to the tenant.
4. You estimate the total value of the property.
5. If the value is less than $500, you hold it for 5 days. If it’s unclaimed, you can dispose of it.
6. If the value is more than $500, you hold it for 10 days. If it’s unclaimed, you must sell it at a public auction.

From Chaos to Cash Flow: A Real-World Turnover Scenario

Let’s look at a tangible example to see the direct return on investment (ROI) of hiring a professional junk removal service in Billings.

• The Property: A 3-bedroom house that rents for $1,800/month, which breaks down to $60 per day in potential income.
• The Mess: The former tenant leaves behind old mattresses, a broken sofa, several bags of trash, and miscellaneous clutter.

The DIY Process (4-5 Days)

Your maintenance team tackles the job. They spend the first day or two bagging trash, breaking down furniture, and securing a truck. On day three, they make multiple trips to the landfill, dealing with traffic and fees.

• The Result: A minimum of 3 days are wasted before any other repair or cleaning work can even begin. This delay costs you $180 in lost rent, not to mention staff wages, fuel, and disposal fees.

The Streamlined Process with Ballistic Junk Removal (1 Day)

You make one phone call. Our crew arrives the same day and clears the entire property in just a few hours. By the next morning, the unit is completely empty and ready for painters and cleaners.

• The Result: Your turnover timeline is accelerated by 3 full days, saving you $180 in lost rent and freeing up your maintenance team to focus on more skilled tasks. The cost of the service is often completely offset by these direct savings.

Final Thoughts

In the fast-paced Billings rental market, time truly is money. Slow tenant turnovers, bogged down by abandoned junk, directly erode your profits and cause unnecessary stress. While a DIY cleanout seems frugal on the surface, the hidden costs of lost time, physical liability, logistical headaches, and legal risks far outweigh any perceived savings.

Partnering with a professional junk removal service like Ballistic Junk Removal is not an expense—it’s a strategic investment in efficiency. By outsourcing this critical first step, you shorten vacancy periods, ensure legal compliance, and get your units back to generating revenue faster. Stop letting leftover junk control your turnover timeline and start maximizing your property’s potential.

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References

1. Montana Department of Commerce. (2023). Montana’s Housing Challenge & Opportunities. https://comdev.mt.gov/
2. Zumper. (2024). Billings, MT Rent Prices. https://www.zumper.com/rent-research/billings-mt
3. The Motley Fool. (2023). Average Cost of Tenant Turnover in 2023. https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/research/average-cost-tenant-turnover/
4. Zillow Group. (2018). The Financial and Emotional Costs of Tenant Turnover. https://www.zillow.com/rental-manager/resources/tenant-turnover-costs/
5. National Apartment Association. (2020). NAA’s Survey of Operating Income & Expenses in Rental Apartment Communities. Summary findings available via publications like Units Magazine: https://www.naahq.org/news-publications/units-magazine
6. National Association of Realtors. (2023). 2023 Property Management Report. https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/research-reports/property-management-market-survey
7. Mattress Recycling Council. (n.d.). Why Recycle Mattresses? https://mattressrecyclingcouncil.org/why-recycle-mattresses/
8. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2023). Safe Disposal of Refrigerated Household Appliances: Information for Consumers. https://www.epa.gov/rad/safe-disposal-refrigerated-household-appliances-information-consumers
9. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2023). Electronics Donation and Recycling. https://www.epa.gov/recycle/electronics-donation-and-recycling
10. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2022). Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses – 2021. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/osh.pdf
11. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). (n.d.). Materials Handling and Storage: Potential Hazards. https://www.osha.gov/materials-handling-and-storage/hazards-solutions
12. Montana State Legislature. (2023). Montana Code Annotated 70-24-430: Disposition of Personal Property Abandoned by Tenant After Termination. https://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/