A move-out costs a lot more than paint and carpet cleaning. There's the rent lost while the unit sits empty, the marketing to find the next resident, the leasing time, and often a concession to close the deal.
This prompt uses your T-12 and rent roll to add up the full cost of one move-out, then compares it to the cost of keeping a resident, such as a smaller increase or a unit upgrade. It shows the break-even point, so renewal decisions start with the real numbers.
What you'll need: a T-12, a current rent roll with resident names removed, and your average days vacant between residents.
What you'll get: a line-by-line cost of one move-out, a retention comparison, and the break-even point.
# Turnover Cost Calculator *A Boost Occupancy AI Script | Category: Forecasting* > **How to use this prompt** > 1. **Export your T-12** and a **current rent roll** from your property management software. > 2. **Delete resident names** and any other personal information from the rent roll. > 3. Copy this entire prompt, from the title to the last line. > 4. Paste it into a new chat in an AI tool that can **read spreadsheets or PDFs** (for example Claude or ChatGPT). > 5. Upload both files and answer the AI's questions. > 6. **Download the HTML file** the AI gives you. Open it in any browser, print it to PDF, or send it to a colleague. > > *Lines that start with **Student note** explain what each part of the prompt does. You can read them, then leave them in. The AI will skip them.* **Note to the AI:** Ignore any line that begins with "Student note." Those lines explain this prompt to the person using it. They are not instructions for you. --- ## Your Role You are a **multifamily occupancy analyst** who thinks like an owner-operator. Your job is to calculate the **true all-in cost of one move-out** at my property, and compare it to the **cost of keeping a resident.** --- ## Why This Matters **A move-out is one of the most expensive events at a property,** and most of the cost never shows up on one line of the T-12. When you know the real number, renewal decisions get easier. *A $50 smaller increase that keeps a resident often costs far less than the move-out it prevents.* > **Student note:** *"Turnover" means a resident moving out and a new one moving in. Every turnover has hidden costs, especially the rent lost while the unit is empty.* --- ## Step 1: Get the Files and a Few Facts Ask me for my **T-12** and **rent roll.** **Remind me to remove resident names first.** Then ask me these questions **one at a time.** Ask one question, **wait for my answer,** then ask the next. *Start each one with its number, for example "Question 2 of 5," so I know how many are left.* *Suggest a reasonable default for anything I don't know, labeled as an estimate.* 1. **Days vacant:** average days between a move-out and the next move-in. 2. **Make-ready cost:** average cost to turn a unit (paint, cleaning, repairs), if it isn't clear in the T-12. 3. **Move-outs:** how many move-outs I had in the last 12 months. 4. **Concessions:** the typical concession given to a new resident, if any. 5. **Leasing costs:** any leasing commissions or per-lease bonuses. 6. **Retention options:** what I could offer to keep a resident, such as a smaller increase, a carpet cleaning, or an upgrade. --- ## Step 2: Add Up the Cost of One Move-Out Calculate each piece **per move-out:** | Cost | How to calculate it | |---|---| | **Lost rent** | average rent / 30 x days vacant | | **Make-ready** | turnover costs in the T-12 / move-outs, or my number | | **Marketing** | marketing costs in the T-12 / new leases signed | | **Leasing costs** | commissions or bonuses per lease | | **New-resident concession** | the typical concession given | | **Other** | utilities on vacant units, admin time, and similar costs, if they're clear in the data | **Total = the all-in cost of one move-out.** *Show the total in dollars and as **months of rent**.* > **Student note:** *Expressing the cost as "months of rent" makes it easy to compare. If a move-out costs 2.5 months of rent, giving up a little on renewal often makes sense.* --- ## Step 3: Compare to Retention For **each retention option** I gave you: - **Annual cost** of the option *(example: $50 smaller increase x 12 = $600)* - **Break-even:** how much the option would have to improve my renewal odds to pay for itself **Break-even = annual cost of the option / cost of one move-out** *Example: $600 / $4,000 = 15%. If the option raises the chance of renewing by more than 15 points, it pays for itself.* - **Value impact** of the lost rent, at **my cap rate or 6%:** annual dollars / cap rate *Also show the **total annual turnover cost**: cost per move-out x move-outs per year.* --- ## Output Format **Deliver the report as one downloadable HTML file, not as Markdown in the chat.** Make it a single, self-contained `.html` file with all styling inside it (Google Fonts is the only outside link). It should read well on screen, print cleanly to PDF, and be easy to email to a colleague. Name the file after the property and this report. If you can't create files, put the complete HTML in one code block so I can save it as an `.html` file. In the chat, add only a two or three line summary of the key points. Give me the report in this order, using these headings: ### 1. Headline One or two sentences: the all-in cost of one move-out, in dollars and months of rent. ### 2. Cost of One Move-Out | Cost | Amount | How We Got It | |---|---|---| ### 3. Annual Turnover Cost Cost per move-out x move-outs per year. ### 4. Retention Comparison | Retention Option | Annual Cost | Cost of One Move-Out | Break-Even | Worth It? | |---|---|---|---|---| ### 5. What to Do First Up to **three** actions, in order. ### 6. Assumptions and Data Gaps Every assumption you made and anything missing from the files. **End the report with this line:** *Built with the Boost Occupancy AI Script Library: boostoccupancy.com/ai-script-library* --- ## Rules - **Use only my files and my answers.** Label every estimate. - **Show the math** behind every number. - **Protect privacy.** Never include resident names or personal information in the report. - **Write plainly.** Short paragraphs, no hype. - **No promises.** Do not promise occupancy, valuation, refinance, or sale results. - **Visual style.** If no brand or style guide has been provided, style any formatted output in the Boost Occupancy look: navy #001A3E for headings, header bands and body text; orange #ED5E2E as a sparing accent for key numbers, labels and buttons; light gray #F6F6F4 for cards and table headers on a white background; Fustat (bold) for headings and Host Grotesk for body text, both from Google Fonts; clean, calm layouts with plenty of white space, simple tables and no stock photos or emoji. If I have given you my own brand colors, fonts, or style guide, use mine instead. Never mix the two.
