New tenant onboarding checklist: from signed lease to move-in day
Onboarding is everything between a signed lease and the tenant's first month: required disclosures, how and when to pay, utilities, keys, the move-in condition report, and a clear welcome message. A short checklist done the same way for every tenancy prevents most early disputes and phone calls.
Before move-in day
- Confirm the signed lease and every addendum are saved, and that every adult on the lease has signed.
- Send the disclosures your state and the age of the building require. For most housing built before 1978, the EPA says renters have the right to know whether lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards are present before signing a lease.
- Confirm the move-in date, the first rent amount and any prorated amount.
- Collect the security deposit and first month in the way your lease describes, and note the date received.
- Tell the tenant which utilities to put in their name and the date to start them.
- Confirm the unit is clean, working and safe: locks, smoke alarms, hot water, heat.
Explain how rent is paid
The first payment is where confusion starts. Say in one message: the amount, the due date, the grace period if any, the late fee if any, and exactly how to pay. If you use a payment reference such as the unit and tenant name, explain it so the payment can be matched to the right account.
Example a made-up tenant moves into unit 12B on the 18th of a 30 day month, with rent of $1,500. Prorated rent for 13 days (the 18th through the 30th) is 13 divided by 30 times $1,500, which is $650. The welcome message states $650 for this month and $1,500 from the 1st.
Move-in day
- Hand over keys, fobs, garage openers and mailbox keys, and write down how many.
- Walk the unit with the tenant, or send them a condition report to fill in within a few days. Some states require a written checklist at move-in; Washington's RCW 59.18.260 is an example.
- Take dated photos of each room, and keep them with the report.
- Show where the water shutoff, breaker panel and thermostat are.
- Explain how to ask for a repair, and what counts as an emergency.
The welcome message
Send one short message on or before move-in day with the facts the tenant will otherwise ask about: how to pay, how to ask for repairs, trash and recycling days, parking rules, quiet hours, the lease end date and your contact details. One message is better than five.
Add the date you plan to talk again, such as a check-in two weeks later to ask whether anything is not working. Early repairs are cheaper than late ones.
The first thirty days
Most early problems show up in the first month: a stuck window, a slow drain, a question about trash day. Plan one check-in message about two weeks after move-in asking whether anything is not working. Fix small things quickly; a tenant whose first request is handled well tends to report problems early instead of late.
Add the tenant to your calendar for the lease end date, so a renewal conversation starts about ninety days out, not the week before. Note any promises you made, such as a repainted wall, and the date you will deliver them.
How DoorKeeping handles it
When a lease is e-signed, it is filed under the unit with its addenda. Ask Claude or ChatGPT to draft the welcome email from the lease: the rent, the first payment amount with its prorated figure, the payment reference and the lease dates. You read it and approve it before it is sent.
Each tenant gets a payment memo such as 12B SMITH and an exact amount, so payments to your own bank account are easy to match. Tenants pay $0 by bank transfer or Zelle. A tenant who pays by credit card pays a 3% card fee, where state law allows it, on credit cards only.
Rent and payments stay in your own bank accounts. DoorKeeping never holds your money and sends a payment only when you approve it.
Sources
- EPA: Real estate disclosures about potential lead hazards, read Oct 30, 2026
- RCW 59.18.260, Written checklist at move-in, Washington Legislature, read Oct 30, 2026
Questions
- What should I send a new tenant before move-in?
- The signed lease and addenda, the disclosures your state and the building's age require, the first payment amount and how to pay, the utility start dates and the move-in time.
- How do I prorate the first month of rent?
- Divide the monthly rent by the number of days in the month and multiply by the days the tenant will occupy the unit. Check that your lease says it is the method you use.
- Do I need a move-in condition report?
- Some states require one, and it protects you and the tenant in a deposit dispute everywhere. Check your state.