Even if you leave your apartment spotless when you move out, it is very likely that the apartment owners or management company will hire an apartment turn over specialist to clean the apartment before even showing the unit to a prospective new tenant.

These vacant apartment cleaners have an opportunity to clear a pretty decent monthly net profit. So how does one go about starting this business?

I recommend first calling the larger apartment management companies in your area and asking them the requirements for being placed on their approved vendor list as a Vacant Apartment Cleaning Company.

Some of the things the company may require are a DBA or 'Doing Business As' certificate from the state in which you are doing business in, as well as a business license or business license waver.

Business Licensing

Business License Waivers are not available in every area, however you will definitely want to call the city in which you plan to work and find out if they are on offer. In most cases, the city will not offer the information, but will of course sell you the waiver if you ask. On the other side of this coin, most apartment management companies have never heard of them, but will accept them if you explain.

Basically a new business will always qualify for a waiver, as will any business that falls under the revenue requirements for your city for the previous year. The waiver then acts in place of an actual business license until you are making a decent amount of money with your new business.

In addition to the business license, or waiver, many companies will also require you to have business liability insurance, this will cover any incidents that can happen while you are cleaning the vacant apartments, such as a bleach spot on the carpet, a scrap in the paint, whatever, if you screw up, you're covered.

When looking for new business liability insurance, I use NetQuote in order to locate the least expensive option with the required deductibles without spending day wasting my time on the telephone, my time is of course, my money and more importantly, time not spent on tedious tasks like finding business insurance can be spent with my family.

Now, we have a DBA certificate, our business licesing requirements are met, we're insured, so if we happen to back a mop stick into the sliding glass door, while spilling a bottle of bleach on the brand new carpet, the world and our career will actually not come to an end.

Remember above we were calling some of those larger apartment management companies to apply to become vendors on their approved vendor list. Well what in the world is an approved vendor list?

This is a list that the larger companies compile and then distribute to their property managers. Being on this list means that you are pre-approved, have met all the requirements, and have a vendor number so that you can receive payment.

Now, that we our working on getting all of these things in order so that we can begin our applications with the bigger companies, lets get started with some of the smaller companies.

There are a few ways to let these smaller companies know that you are in business. First you might make up some flyers and either hand deliver or mail them to local apartment communities, the smaller the community the more chance that it is owner operated, and the more chance you'll be given a shot at cleaning a few apartments at least on a trial basis.

Now you came along this month, but there were dirty apartments last month too, so there's a pretty good chance they already have a preferred apartment cleaner, pay no mind to that. Hand them your flyer, smile your brightest smile, and let them know if they ever need anyone last minute or their current cleaner is on vacation or something, you would love to hear from them.

In fact, I like to be remembered, and truly believe that it's the small things that get you the big bucks in the end, so I have gone as far as putting together fun little gift baskets in which to deliver with my flyers.

If you have the budget, and want to get to several apartment managers at one time, mailing your flyers is also a very good method, be sure to look into bulk mail rates. Later on, after your making some money and want to target another complex near an account you already have, you might even include a nice gift certificate with your flyer, instructing the manager to 'have lunch on you'.

In most cases, you will be required to provide your own cleaning supplies including some or all of the following, and sometimes more.

• Strong Bathroom Tile Cleaner
• Floor Wax
• Pine Sol (or like product)
• 409 for countertops
• 1 can of oven cleaner per apartment
• Vacuum
• Mop
• Broom
• Several Rags
• Sponges
• Scrubbers
• Rubber Gloves
• Bucket
• Butter Knife

In addition, you might want to bring some smelly things along, whatever you can do to make the apartment smell like a home will bring you big brownie points with the agent charged to re-rent the property… Apple is a very popular scent in this industry, in fact leasing agents will often keep an apple pie in the oven of a vacant apartment on low all day just to allure prospective renters with the scent.

Another trick is to wipe down the stove with vegetable oil after cleaning it, you'd be amazed how shiny a cloth with a cheap gloss of vegetable oil makes a stove!

Window tracks must also be cleaned; a butter knife works very well for getting the gunk out of here as well as around the rim of a sink. Plastic butter knives work best.

Closet floors must also be cleaned and vacuumed.

Blinds are optional, in some cases you will find companies that require you to clean the blinds, which are nearly impossible for the average apartment cleaner to get clean, however in most cases, companies will just send them out to be cleaned if you communicate that you do not do blinds, windows however are your job.

There are a few viable options for invoicing, one being the popular computer application Quicken, which will generate and keep track of very professional looking invoices for you, you can also go to a store like staples and buy a cheap invoice book for a few dollars so long as they are numbered invoices.