How to switch property managers with tenants in place
The records to request, the order to do things in, and how to keep residents calm through the handover.
By the Ekot team · October 13, 2026 · Reviewed by Esther Jackson-Stowell, Principal Broker
Start with your agreement, not your frustration
Most management agreements end on 30 days’ written notice; some carry an early-termination fee or run to the end of a lease term. Read yours first, and ask the new firm to read it with you. A clean exit is worth more than a fast one.
The records to request
- Signed leases and any addenda for every unit
- Resident ledgers showing balances, deposits and prepaid rent
- Move-in condition reports and photographs
- Open maintenance requests and vendor warranties
- Keys, remotes, codes and utility account details
- Licensing and Good Landlord Program paperwork
Residents hear from you first
Nothing about a resident’s lease changes when the manager changes. A short joint letter from you and the new firm, sent before the handover date, prevents the most common failure: a resident paying the old manager after the switch.
Deposits move last and are reconciled
Security deposits are held in trust and must transfer in full, with a ledger that matches. We reconcile every deposit to the lease before the first statement is issued.
Our Switch to Ekot page shows the full 30-day sequence, including who does what on each day.
General information for Salt Lake Valley owners and residents, not legal, tax or lending advice. Figures are dated and sourced where given. Reviewed by Esther Jackson-Stowell, Principal Broker.
