Before welcoming a new tenant, every landlord and property manager faces the same question: Is the property truly ready for move-in?

A make-ready checklist provides that answer. It’s a structured guide used to ensure a rental property is thoroughly cleaned, inspected, repaired, and compliant with safety standards before new tenants arrive. This checklist helps landlords protect their investment, maintain tenant satisfaction, and reduce costly turnover delays.

Investing in rental property is about more than collecting monthly rent checks. In Detroit’s rental market, competition is strong, and tenants have high expectations. The upgrades you choose can make the difference between long vacancies and reliable cash flow, between mediocre returns and strong rental ROI.

But here’s the challenge: not every upgrade adds real value. Some improvements might look nice but fail to attract higher-paying tenants or justify increased rent. Others may drain your maintenance budget without providing a measurable return. To help you make informed decisions, let’s break down the upgrades that actually boost rental value, reduce turnover, and keep your Detroit property competitive.

People who succeed with multi-family real estate agree with Sarah Beeny, who said, “There will always be people who make money because people always want homes.” Often, someone who adds multi-family real estate to their property investment portfolio is providing a solution to people who, as Ms. Beeny puts it, simply “want homes.”

It can be fulfilling to provide a cozy place to live, but there are challenges specific to multi-family units that may come up. These could include issues with the paperwork, the value of the home, and the process of maintaining a healthy ROI. If you take the right steps, however, providing for people who “want homes” can be an enjoyable—and profitable—experience.