What is your process when bringing on a new owner/property as a PM?

Question

What is your process for onboarding a new homeowner when assuming management of their property? Could you outline some of the key steps involved, such as conducting a home inspection on the rental property or personally viewing the unit, even if it is currently occupied by a tenant? We are just beginning in this field, we would greatly appreciate insights and feedback from others on best practices for integrating new owners and properties. Thank you.

Drew Sygit · Answer

OWNERSHIP ENTITY- Obtain copy of deed to confirm legal owner- If domestic LLC, confirm annual registration is current & who can legally sign- If foreign LLC, confirm registered in Michigan (where we & property are) & who can legally sign- If Trust, get paperwork showing who can legally sign- Confirm city assesssor & water dept have correct owner & mailing address

PROPERTY- Confirm we are added to insurance policy- Confirm property taxes are current- Lookup public records for property data- Confirm rental license active- Confirm no outstanding permits, assessments, etc.- TakeOver Evaluation Video & Property Data Sheet, share video with owner for possible repairs- Per owner selections on our PMA, have tax docs, water bills, etc. mailed to us.

TENANTS- Send tenant(s) Welcome Aboard Package with TakeOver Questionnaire (confirms occupants, pets, how long there, rent rate, security deposit, who owns appliances, etc.)- Review previous rent ledger for patterns to be aware of, note their lease in PMC software- Try to convert to our Lease, to make it easier on our staff (we don't tell tenants they don't have to do this)- Opportunity to renew/extend lease with increase?- Walk tenant through payment options, online portal, our maintenance request process, etc.- Obtain copies of any required tenant renters insurance

There's often something unique that would be in addition to the above.

Melanie Thomas · Answer

Great question. A solid onboarding sets the tone for the entire relationship.

If the property is vacant, we do a thorough inspection right away to document the current condition. That baseline is critical before a tenant moves in or management officially starts.

If the property is occupied, it depends on what documentation exists. We review the most recent inspection we can get our hands on, but we still schedule an inspection with the tenant once we take over. That gives us an accurate snapshot of the current condition and confirms the home is compliant with local property code and safety requirements.

From an admin and risk standpoint, we make sure all the basics are locked in:

• Verify ownership
• Proper insurance in place with us listed appropriately
• Gate codes, alarm access, utilities, warranties, HOA info
• Fully executed PMA and tax documents

Equally important is setting expectations upfront with the owner. How we advertise, how we screen tenants, approval criteria, who holds the security deposit, how and when monthly payouts go out, and how maintenance decisions are handled.

A clean, thorough onboarding protects everyone and avoids a lot of issues down the road. When it’s done right, it sets both sides up for success and a long term working relationship. Happy to share my checklists if interested. Good luck & happy investing!

Lucas Kurtz · Answer

Great question, onboarding sets the tone for the entire relationship. At Howzer Property Management, our process is built around getting eyes on the asset early, aligning expectations, and creating clean systems from day one.

High level, it looks like this:

• Discovery + goals alignment – we start by understanding the owner’s timeline, pain points, and investment goals before diving into property details.
• Property walkthrough (even if occupied) – we personally view the unit(s) to document condition, identify safety or maintenance items, and build a rent-ready plan.
• Rental analysis + strategy – we review comps, present a rent range, and outline any improvements that could boost performance.
• Full documentation – photos/videos, statement of condition, existing lease review, tenant info, and utilities all get loaded into our system.
• Tenant transition – if there’s already a tenant, we onboard them directly into our portal, introduce Howzer as the point of contact, and set expectations around rent, maintenance, and communication.
• Owner portal setup – owners get real-time access to financials, documents, work orders, and monthly reporting.
• Maintenance + leasing systems activated – vendors, reserves, inspection schedules, and (if needed) marketing are all queued up immediately.

Discovery + goals alignment – we start by understanding the owner’s timeline, pain points, and investment goals before diving into property details.

Property walkthrough (even if occupied) – we personally view the unit(s) to document condition, identify safety or maintenance items, and build a rent-ready plan.

Rental analysis + strategy – we review comps, present a rent range, and outline any improvements that could boost performance.

Full documentation – photos/videos, statement of condition, existing lease review, tenant info, and utilities all get loaded into our system.

Tenant transition – if there’s already a tenant, we onboard them directly into our portal, introduce Howzer as the point of contact, and set expectations around rent, maintenance, and communication.

Owner portal setup – owners get real-time access to financials, documents, work orders, and monthly reporting.

Maintenance + leasing systems activated – vendors, reserves, inspection schedules, and (if needed) marketing are all queued up immediately.

The biggest lessons we’ve learned managing small multifamily (2–10 units):

• Always walk the property yourself
• Document everything up front
• Set clear expectations with tenants on day one
• Build repeatable systems so nothing falls through the cracks

Always walk the property yourself

Document everything up front

Set clear expectations with tenants on day one

Build repeatable systems so nothing falls through the cracks

Happy to share more if helpful, we’ve put a lot of structure into this over time as we scaled.

Lucas- Howzer Property Management

Ashton Smith · Answer

@Chase Busick, thank you!

Chase Busick · Answer

@Ashton Smith ,Agree walking is always nice when get to that point, ask tenant if they have any issues or open maintenance requests… When bringing on new clients, you’ll need to have Management & Marketing agreements with the owners. Explain how you do things - leases, marketing for leases, general operations & structure - how y’all do inspections & if included in your fees, what you will provide on an ongoing basis (platform reports, placeholder for tenants to call & submit maintenance requests, take payments, handle communications, late payments, occasional drive by’s to check on place, handle evictions, move ins & outs, turnovers & make ready’s). Allowing owners to review sample leases is nice & ensuring that you’ll be better than others by protecting & caring for their asset like it is your own. On the more technical side, hope you’ve checked with your states laws, rules & real estate code (whether they require to be licensed & or a broker). Ensuring you & your company gets insurance is a big deal. Ensuring that you are also advising the owners in strategy, risk management/reduction, maintenance, & capex to prolong occupancy. Being proactive with maintenance during seasons. Always try to be marketing owners assets if they’re vacant to fill (providing stats & data to owners is good). Trying to prevent turnovers as much as possible will keep you in business - avoid too big rent increases, ensure places are optimized for utilities & efficiency (can be a big reason for move outs- too expensive), timely maintenance fulfillments & more! Learning from locals in area will probably be the most beneficial.

Adam Bartomeo · Answer

When possible, we prefer to walk all of the units before taking on management, but this isn't always possible. If it is vacant we always view the property, if it is occupied it will really depend on if it is A-D and what we see when we do the walk around (we always walk around the property to see if there are any concerns). We normally conduct an inspection within 30-90 days of brining a property on board.

Rob Gillespie · Answer

Hi Ashton, if you were just turning out on this business, there's probably a lot more things to think about other than just the on boarding process. Of course walking the property could be part of it and you would have some checklist. I think I would want to specifically hear exactly what you are looking to accomplish and what you want the end result to be. I apologize if I'm not answering the question directly I just want to make sure I understand what you're saying and what you're trying to do

Ashton Smith · Answer

Thank you Adam. That helps. I just want to make sure I'm starting out how I should be.

Ashton Smith · Answer

I am seeking insights into established processes or checklists that PMs follow when onboarding a new owner. I am currently in the process of shadowing a few experienced property managers in my area, though specific dates have not yet been finalized. This is a new area of responsibility for me, I would greatly appreciate a detailed explanation of your standard procedures. In particular, I am interested in understanding the key steps, questions, and considerations you prioritize when initially meeting with a prospective owner to discuss their property and evaluate the potential management relationship.

Thank you in advance for any guidance you can provide.

What is your process when bringing on a new owner/property as a PM?

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