Part II: How to Declutter Your Property Management Process

Part II: Move-in

☐ Move Coordination

Properties within an HOA should check notifications and requirements for a move-in, especially with large furniture. Documents and policies should be uploaded online, with a notification for the tenants to review.

☐ Initial Payment Received

Confirm first month's rent and the security deposit have entered your bank account, before meeting with the tenant(s) to give them the keys to the property.

☐ Hand Over Unit

When you hand over the rental unit keys, validate the tenants’ identities by verifying through their government issued ID. For efficiency purposes, it makes sense to perform the move-in inspection simultaneously.

☐ Move-in Inspection

A couple of approaches to perform the initial inspection:

(1) Tenant inspects: This process can take longer, especially if the tenant is “nit-picky,” but it allows the tenant to confirm the condition of the property. It can lead to fewer arguments and questions related to the return of the security deposit.

(2) Owner/agent inspect: You (or one of our agents) inspect the property and confirm the condition. Anything that may be slightly damaged is noted on the inspection document.

(3) Owner and tenant inspect: A combination of the above approaches.

Tip: Timestamped photos of the rental unit to compare against move-out photos.

For the complete rental lifecycle checklist, download it here.