Leasing Process Checklist

Walk the unit with the maintenance lead and capture paint, flooring, appliance, fixture, and hardware items. Confirm vendor COIs are current before scheduling — a lapsed general liability or workers comp certificate leaves the firm exposed if a vendor injures themselves on premises.

Most states require working detectors at every move-in. Replace batteries, log the test in the unit file, and keep the dated photo — this is a habitability defense if a fire or CO incident is ever raised.

Rekey or full lock change at every turnover regardless of whether the prior tenant returned all keys. Document the new key code in AppFolio (or your PMS) so the on-call tech can access the unit for legitimate work orders.

Photos taken before paint dries, with maintenance materials in frame, or with prior tenant's items still present cause showing-to-application drop-off. Shoot wide-angle, daylight, after the unit is genuinely ready.

Pull three to five comparable active and recently-leased units within a half-mile. Adjust for square footage, bed/bath count, parking, and in-unit laundry. Apply any concession (one month free, reduced deposit) as an effective-rent calculation rather than a sticker discount.

Push the listing through your PMS syndication (AppFolio, Buildium, Rent Manager) so updates flow consistently to Zillow Rentals, Apartments.com, Realtor.com Rentals, Hotpads, and Zumper. Confirm the listing reflects required disclosures for the operating jurisdiction.

Apply screening criteria uniformly — credit, income, rental history thresholds — not source of income. Source-of-income protections (Section 8, SSI, child support) are statewide in NY, MA, NJ and many CA cities; refusing on voucher status is a Fair Housing violation.

Pull credit, criminal, and eviction. Verify income at the firm's threshold (3x rent is typical) using two recent pay stubs or an offer letter for new hires. Verify rental history with the prior two landlords — owner-occupied verifications get inflated; current-landlord verifications get suspiciously glowing.

Document the decision rationale against the firm's published criteria, not against any protected characteristic. "Approved with conditions" typically means co-signer, additional deposit, or last-month-rent — confirm any additional deposit fits within the state cap (CA caps at 2x rent unfurnished, MA caps at first + last + security + lock fee).

FCRA requires the adverse action notice when denial is based wholly or partly on a credit or background report. Include the reporting agency's name, address, and phone, and the applicant's right to a free report and to dispute inaccuracies. Missing this notice is the most common FCRA claim against landlords.

Check the assessor record or the property file rather than guessing. Pre-1978 housing triggers the federal lead-based paint disclosure requirement; the unsigned form is a per-violation HUD/EPA penalty.

Use the federal EPA/HUD form verbatim — "Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home" pamphlet plus the disclosure of known hazards. Both must be signed before lease execution, not at move-in. The signed form lives in the tenant file, not the property file.

Use the state-standardized form (NAA, state apartment association, or state-bar-approved template) rather than custom wording. Bundle every required state and local disclosure — mold, bedbug for NYC, Megan's Law for CA, smoke/CO detector certification — into the same envelope.

Funds must clear before keys change hands. Confirm cleared funds in AppFolio Payments or Buildium Payments — do not rely on a screenshot of an in-flight ACH. Confirm the deposit amount sits within the state's cap and that any pet deposit is itemized separately.

Walk every room with the tenant. Photograph any pre-existing scuff, chip, or wear and have the tenant initial the inspection sheet. Without a dated and signed move-in baseline, deposit deductions at move-out are nearly indefensible — and disputed deductions become small-claims risk.

Hand over unit keys, mailbox key, amenity fobs, and any garage or gate code. Log the key inventory and codes issued in the tenant record. Deliver the welcome packet covering trash schedule, emergency contact, and the after-hours work-order line.

Verify electric, gas, and water (where tenant-paid) are scheduled to transfer effective the move-in date. Owners get billed for any gap when the tenant forgets to call the utility — a recurring owner-statement complaint.

Lease, all disclosures, signed move-in inspection, ID copy, screening reports, and any adverse action correspondence go in the tenant file. FCRA retention runs at least two years for screening reports; many state tenancy retention rules run three to seven years post-move-out.

Mark the unit occupied, record actual days vacant, and reconcile against gross potential rent. Days-vacant variance against the firm's target drives the next quarter's pricing and marketing-spend decisions.

A short call or visit at the 30-day mark surfaces small issues — door rubs, dishwasher running slow, HVAC noise — before they become work-order escalations or move-out complaints. It is also the cheapest renewal-retention touch a property manager has.