What If I Already Have a Resident in My Rental Home?

That’s great news — it means we can take our time and transition carefully to ensure everything is set up for long-term success. Here’s exactly what happens next.

Step 1: Notify Your Resident

Let your resident know that MoveZen Property Management will be taking over management and lease administration. They’ll need to know that all future rent payments should be made directly to us.

We’ll follow up with formal communication as well, but an early heads-up from you helps build trust and minimize confusion.

Step 2: Provide the Lease and Background

Please send us:

A copy of the current lease (this is critical for legal enforcement and planning)
A brief summary of your experience with the resident — communication style, responsiveness, any issues, etc.

Without the lease terms, our ability to manage, enforce, and plan effectively is limited.

Step 3: Share Complete Resident Contact Information

We’ll need:

All contact methods (email, phone, mailing address, etc.)
A note on which method is most reliable

This ensures a smooth handoff and helps us establish rapport quickly.

Step 4: Provide Payment & Deposit Records

If the resident is in good standing, we only need a few key details:

Current payment status
Deposit amounts and where they’re currently held
How those deposits will be transferred or handled at move-out

Most owners choose to send the deposits to us, and we’ll place them in our trust account for safekeeping.

Once received, we send the resident a formal verification notice confirming:

The deposit amount
Who currently holds it
How it will be handled moving forward

This prevents any confusion or disputes at move-out.

Step 5: Schedule the Initial Inspection

Within 30 days of takeover, your account manager will inspect the property.
This first visit isn’t a deep inspection — it’s primarily a meet and greet to:

Build rapport with the resident
Quickly assess the property’s general condition and exterior
Establish a presence of fairness, professionalism, and active engagement

If we discover any red flags or the resident reports issues, we’ll schedule a full interior inspection right away.

Step 6: Update Payment Instructions

To avoid missed or misdirected rent payments, we move quickly to:

Provide new payment instructions and portal access
Instill confidence in our process
Verify first-month payments

It’s not unusual for residents to accidentally send their first payment to the old account — we’ll help correct that immediately and ensure a seamless transfer.

Please also complete and return the direct deposit authorization form, which allows us to disburse your rental income directly to your account.

Step 7: Keys & Access

Residents are often reluctant to part with keys, so it’s best if you provide us with at least one working set immediately, and ideally three full sets for our records, contractors, and emergency access.

If we must obtain keys from the resident, we typically offer them a small $10–$15 credit as a courtesy for the inconvenience.

The Bottom Line

With your help in providing these initial details — lease, contact info, deposits, and keys — we can take over quickly, minimize disruption, and start providing your resident with a professional, trustworthy experience.

A smooth transition means happier residents, uninterrupted income, and a strong foundation for your property’s ongoing success.