Apartment Complex Move-Out Operations

Role: Project Coordinator (Unofficial Title)
Focus: Operations, systems-building, documentation, team coordination
Why I loved it: I got to bring calm and clarity to a really chaotic time. It was the first time I realized how much I loved creating structure that made everyone's jobs easier.

Project Overview

At a busy student apartment complex, move-out season can be overwhelming — hundreds of residents vacating, units needing inspection, and charges needing to be assessed and filed quickly. I stepped in to help the accounts manager streamline a messy process into a more organized, trackable system — one that helped our whole team work more efficiently and stay aligned.

The Challenges

The move-out process involved multiple moving parts:

  • Student workers walking units to assess damages
  • Paper forms being handed off manually
  • A lack of centralized visibility into which units were assessed, ready for maintenance, or had charges filed
  • FaceTime walkthroughs being requested ad-hoc with no clear system for scheduling

All of this created stress for the team and made it difficult to prioritize or communicate progress.

My Role

While my official title was more administrative, I took on the role of a project coordinator. I:

  • Designed a system to track unit walkthroughs across 6 buildings of 80-100 units each
  • Created a centralized "Jake List" to signal when units were ready for maintenance
  • Filed and organized all paper damage forms for the accounts manager
  • Created a scheduling system for FaceTime walkthroughs
  • Grouped walkthrough form clipboards by building or floor level to optimize student workers' routes

Process + Tools

I built out a multi-sheet Google Spreadsheet system that:

  • Tracked which units had been assessed and by whom
  • Indicated unit readiness for the next step (maintenance, charge filing, etc.)
  • Automatically pulled unit data into a live "Jake List" for the property manager
  • Made it easier to delegate walkthroughs and check status at a glance

I also created a FaceTime walkthrough scheduling doc that student workers could reference during their shifts — ensuring no walkthrough was missed.

The Results

  • Reduced miscommunication between student workers, management, and maintenance
  • Helped the accounts manager file charges more quickly and accurately
  • Gave leadership a real-time view of progress across buildings
  • Cut down time wasted on backtracking or rechecking units
  • Made the student workers' jobs more focused and manageable

What I Learned

This experience showed me the power of building just enough structure to make things work better — not more complicated. I realized how much I love making people's jobs easier by creating systems that feel intuitive and human-centered. It was a huge lesson in clarity, communication, and the impact of thoughtful organization.