Flat Fee Landlord

Owner guide · Existing tenants

Switch property managers with a clear rent handoff.

Before the switch, review your agreement, gather the lease and account records, and agree on a cutover date. Confirm who receives rent and handles repairs, tell the tenant exactly what changes, and reconcile the first payment afterward.

By Flat Fee Landlord · Updated October 13, 2026

Already have a tenant? Start with Management Only.

Flat Fee Landlord offers Management Only for an existing tenancy on Preferred or Concierge. Services include rent collection, owner payouts, owner and tenant portals, maintenance coordination and lease enforcement under the selected agreement. Basic is not available for this service, and placement bundle guarantees do not transfer to an existing tenant.

Preferred is $179/mo and Concierge is $349/mo with annual billing; monthly billing is $199/mo and $369/mo respectively. The standard activation fee is $500. Repairs carry a 10% coordination fee on the vendor invoice; other charges depend on the plan.

Every home after your first has no activation fee: sign up your next home with the same email or phone and it comes off automatically, no code needed. Monthly and annual options are available. Annual pricing carries a term commitment, and early termination can require payment of the remaining management fees. Notice, renewal, refund and termination rules depend on the service agreement you select. Review those terms in the quote builder before signing; the monthly rate alone is not the full agreement.

Compare Management Only fees and inclusions →

A practical sequence for the switch

  1. Review the current agreement before selecting a date.

    Identify notice delivery requirements, the end date, termination charges and any fees that continue after the relationship ends. Ask for clarification where the agreement is unclear.

  2. Confirm the incoming manager can accept the property.

    Share the tenancy status, unpaid balances, open repairs and known disputes. Agree on scope, fees and a realistic start date before ending the current arrangement.

  3. Build one shared handoff inventory.

    Use the records table below. Mark what has arrived, what is missing, who is responsible and when it needs to be resolved. Transfer sensitive documents through an agreed secure channel.

  4. Agree on the rent cutover.

    Name the manager responsible for rent due before and after the effective date. Resolve pending payments, autopay, prepaid rent and tenant balances before activating conflicting payment instructions.

  5. Give the tenant one clear instruction sheet.

    Include the effective date, verified payment destination, what to do about existing autopay, repair contact and emergency contact. Confirm receipt and offer a contact for questions.

  6. Reconcile the first payment and statement.

    Check the incoming ledger against the outgoing closing statement. Confirm deposit accounting, outstanding invoices and repairs, and who follows up on any discrepancies.

The occupied-rental handoff checklist

Use this as a planning worksheet. Assign a person and a due date to every missing item; confirm legal and agreement-specific requirements for your property.

Records to gather before changing property managers
RecordWhat to confirmSuggested coordination
Management agreementNotice requirements, end date, termination charges and any continuing feesOwner and outgoing manager
Lease fileSigned lease, amendments, renewal dates and current tenant contact informationOwner or outgoing manager
Rent ledgerCharges, payments, unpaid balances, prepaid rent and pending transactionsOutgoing manager; reconcile with incoming manager
Deposit recordAmount held, current holder, deductions or disputes and transfer confirmationConfirm responsibility and transfer requirements before moving funds
Property accessKeys, remotes, access codes and any tenant access arrangementsOwner and managers; use a secure handoff
Condition and repairsMove-in report, inspection photos, open work orders, invoices and vendor contactsOutgoing manager; incoming manager confirms outstanding work
Property requirementsAssociation rules, licensing records, insurance contacts and known deadlinesOwner; confirm property-specific requirements with the incoming team
Rent cutover planEffective date, receiving account or portal, autopay instructions and first-payment checkBoth managers and owner agree before tenant communication
Download a blank worksheet with owner, due-date and status columns →

Houston rent handoff: resolve payments before changing portals

For an occupied Houston rental, agree in writing which manager receives rent before and after the cutover. Check settled payments separately from pending bank transfers. A new portal balance should reflect reconciled records, not a fresh charge for rent the tenant already paid.

Rent already paid to the outgoing manager

Match the amount, rental period and settled payment to the closing ledger. Record the tenant credit separately from any funds still owed by the outgoing manager.

Bank transfer is still pending

Record its transaction reference and settlement status. Assign someone to confirm settlement or a return before treating the amount as final.

Autopay is still scheduled

Confirm the last authorized collection and the new start date with both managers. Give the tenant explicit instructions so two systems do not collect the same rent.

Payment arrives after the cutover

Assign responsibility for tracing, transferring or returning misdirected payments under the agreements. Update both ledgers and confirm the tenant balance.

Worked example: paid rent is different from money in transit

Illustration only: a tenant owes $2,000 for the month and paid $2,000 to the outgoing manager before the switch. Once that payment is verified as settled, the tenant owes $0 for that rent charge. If the manager has not transferred the funds, track that amount in the manager-to-owner reconciliation; do not treat it as another $2,000 owed by the tenant. Keep security deposits, owner reserves, fees and open invoices separate.

Download the rent reconciliation worksheet (CSV) →

Blank planning worksheet; keep tenant identifiers and banking details in your secure management system. Agree on responsibilities and timing with the managers. This is not a promise of uninterrupted collections.

Texas sources to check with the handoff

  • Texas Property Code §92.201 addresses disclosure of the owner’s name and address and, when an off-site entity primarily manages the home, the management company’s name and street address. Check the permitted disclosure methods and applicable request deadlines.
  • TREC Rule §535.146 requires brokers to document trust-account deposits and withdrawals and provide beneficiaries an accounting at least monthly when the account has activity. Ask for the records needed to reconcile the handoff.
  • Texas Property Code §§92.105–92.106 distinguishes a change in ownership from ordinary management work and requires accurate security-deposit records. Do not assume an ownership-transfer provision supplies the procedure for a manager-only switch.

Sources checked October 13, 2026. These references do not set a universal management-contract notice period. Review your lease, management agreement and property-specific requirements before acting.

Discuss Management Only with our Houston team →

Before you send new rent instructions

Confirm these fields with the managers first. This is a communication checklist, not a termination notice or a replacement for required notices.

Effective date
When the new manager’s responsibility begins
Payment destination
Verified portal or payment instructions; never an unverified link
Existing autopay
Whether and when the tenant should change the old arrangement
Already-paid rent
Who confirms receipt and handles pending transfers
Maintenance
The new repair channel and emergency contact
Questions
A named contact and a way to confirm the notice is genuine

Questions about switching managers

Yes. Management Only is available on Preferred or Concierge for an existing tenancy. The standard activation fee is $500, plus the selected management rate and any applicable additional charges. Basic and placement bundle benefits are not included. The team reviews the property and tenancy before the handoff. Every home after your first has no activation fee: sign up your next home with the same email or phone and it comes off automatically, no code needed.

Discuss the handoff in your market

Sources and scope

Service terms: Flat Fee Landlord’s current Management Only fee reference and the agreement presented in the quote builder. The checklist is general operational planning guidance; it does not establish a legal notice period or override your lease or management agreement. Property-specific legal questions require review by qualified counsel.