Checklist: Preparing an Apartment for Long-Term Rental

Before you let an apartment in Slovenia on a long-term basis, the property needs to be prepared — and not just cleaned. Good preparation means fewer problems during the tenancy, fewer disputes when the tenant moves out, and a higher, steadier income. Especially if you let the property remotely.

This article is a practical checklist for preparing an apartment for long-term rental. We leave the legal side (the contract, the deposit, registration) to the estate agent (posrednik) and lawyer (advokat) — here we cover only the physical, operational preparation.

The article draws on Slovenian rental practice and on years of experience from the DomCare team in preparing apartments for letting.

Why preparation matters

An apartment let “as is” in a rush creates problems for the whole tenancy: whatever you didn’t fix before move-in, you’ll have to fix with a tenant already in place; whatever you didn’t record will become a dispute at move-out. Preparation is an investment in a calm tenancy.

Preparation checklist

Technical condition

• Check for and fix minor faults — the kind of thing that falls under Repairs & Handyman: taps, handles, sockets, hinges
• Check that all appliances work: water heater, heating, cooker, washing machine
• Check the plumbing for leaks and proper function
• Check windows and doors — closing, locks, seals
• Make sure the electrics are in order

Safety

• Replace the locks if you’re not sure who still has keys
• Check the smoke detectors
• Make sure any emergency equipment (where fitted) is working

Cleanliness and condition

• Carry out a deep clean — the apartment should be spotless for move-in
• Remove all traces of previous occupants, get rid of odours, freshen the space

Contents

• Decide whether the apartment is let furnished or unfurnished, and bring the contents into line with that
• Check that everything that stays is complete and in good condition
• Remove personal and valuable items that should not be left in a let apartment

Documenting the condition

• Take detailed photographs of every room before move-in
• Read all the meters on the handover date
• Draw up an inventory of everything handed over with the apartment (furniture, appliances)

This record is your main protection when the tenant moves out. For more on handover, see the article on long-term rental.

Practical information

• Prepare for the tenant: where the main water valve and fuse box are, how the heating works
• Contacts for emergencies
• Information about the building manager and the house rules

Handover

• Agree a date and carry out the handover of the apartment and keys
• Pass everything listed above on to the tenant and record the handover

If you’re preparing the apartment remotely

This whole checklist can be done without travelling there: the inspection and fixing of faults, the cleaning, the photo record, the handover — it’s all done by people on the ground, with reports to you. The handover to the tenant and the record of condition are carried out as a One-off Visit. The key thing is not to skip documenting the condition: that’s exactly what protects a remote owner when the tenant moves out.

How DomCare helps

At DomCare, preparing an apartment for long-term rental is covered by a combination of services: an inspection and Repairs & Handyman for the technical condition, Cleaning for cleanliness, and a One-off Visit for the handover with a photo record. Responding to problems during the tenancy is handled by Property Care or Key Holding. We don’t draw up the rental contract — that’s the estate agent and lawyer; we do the physical preparation. We work in Ljubljana, on the Slovenian Coast, in the Bled and Bohinj region, and in the Kranj region.

The easiest way to talk it through: message us through the form or on WhatsApp.

Frequently asked questions

What must you do before letting an apartment on a long-term basis? Fix any technical faults, do a deep clean, put the contents in order, and — critically — record the condition of the apartment with photographs and an inventory on the handover date.

Why photograph the apartment before the tenant moves in? So you have something to compare the condition against at move-out. A detailed photo record is the owner’s main protection in a dispute over the deposit or damage.

Is it worth changing the locks before letting? If you’re not sure who still has keys (previous occupants, contractors), changing the locks is a sensible step before handing the apartment over to a new tenant.

Can you prepare an apartment for rental without travelling there? Yes. The inspection, minor repairs, cleaning, photo record and handover are all carried out by people on the ground, with reports to the owner.

Who draws up the rental contract? The contract, deposit and registration are the work of the estate agent and lawyer. The checklist in this article is about the physical preparation of the property, not the legal side.

Preparing an apartment for long-term rental is an investment in calm years of letting. The technical condition, cleanliness, contents and — essentially — a record of condition will spare you problems during the tenancy and disputes at move-out. And all of it can be done without even travelling to Slovenia.

Preparing an apartment to let — message us.

Sources and further reading

• Long-term rental remotely: handover and return of an apartment — handover in detail
• Deep cleaning vs. regular cleaning: what’s the difference — which clean you need
• DomCare — One-off Visit — handover and return
• DomCare — About us — our experience preparing apartments for letting