How to use this checklist
Not every item applies to every home. A house with no HOA, no pool and no alarm will skip those lines. Gather what you have and tell us what you do not; a missing item is easier to solve at the start than to discover later. You can upload documents to your owner portal, and anything we receive is kept there so you can find it again.
Keys, remotes and codes
We need enough keys for a tenant set, a management set, and a spare. If the home is vacant, we will usually rekey before the first tenant anyway, since Texas requires rekeying within seven days after each tenant turnover.
- House keys for every exterior door, including the garage entry and any side or back door.
- Mailbox key and the cluster box number.
- Garage door remotes and the keypad code.
- Gate, pool and amenity fobs or cards.
- Alarm code, monitoring company name and account, and whether the system is active.
- Smart lock, smart thermostat or doorbell accounts, and how to transfer or reset them.
- Keys for sheds, electrical panels, irrigation boxes or a pool equipment gate.
HOA details
- Name of the HOA and its management company, with a contact email or portal.
- Your account number and how dues are paid today.
- The current rules and deed restrictions, especially anything on leasing, minimum lease terms, tenant registration, parking, trash cans and yards.
- Any open violation letters or fines.
- Whether the HOA needs a tenant registration form or a copy of the lease.
Warranties and service history
Warranties save money only when someone knows they exist. Give us anything still active so repairs go to the warranty company first when that is the cheaper route.
- Home warranty contract, the company's contact and your plan number.
- Roof warranty or the year the roof was replaced.
- Foundation repair warranty, which is often transferable and important on clay soil.
- HVAC install date, filter size and the company that last serviced it.
- Water heater age, and appliance purchase dates or receipts.
- Pest or termite contracts, and pool or septic service companies where they apply.
- Any vendors you trust and want us to use, with their license information.
Utilities
In San Antonio, electric and gas are usually CPS Energy and water is SAWS. Outside the city it may be New Braunfels Utilities, GVEC or a local water supply corporation; tell us who serves your home. The lease states which utilities the tenant pays. Most single-family tenants take over electric, gas and water in their name at move-in.
- List of providers for electric, gas, water, sewer, trash and internet.
- Account numbers for anything in your name.
- Whether trash or water is billed through an HOA or the city and cannot be moved to the tenant.
- For a vacant home: keep utilities on in your name until move-in so we can show, clean and repair it.
Insurance
Once a home is rented, a standard homeowner policy usually no longer fits. You need a landlord or dwelling policy that covers the structure and your liability as an owner who rents. Our guide to landlord insurance in Texas explains the differences.
- Declarations page of a current landlord or dwelling policy.
- Agent or carrier contact for claims.
- Rothrock added as an additional insured or interested party, if your agreement asks for it.
- Flood policy, if the home has one.
Money: bank details and tax forms
- Bank account and routing number for direct deposit of your monthly owner payout.
- A completed W-9, so your year-end 1099 is issued correctly.
- Your repair approval limit: the dollar amount under which we just fix it, and above which we call you first.
- Mortgage company and whether taxes and insurance are escrowed.
- Mailing address and the best way to reach you, plus a backup contact if you travel or deploy.
If a tenant already lives there
A home with a tenant in place needs the tenant's file to come with it. The lease continues; we take over collecting rent and handling repairs from the switch date.
- Signed lease, renewals and all addenda.
- Security deposit and pet deposit amounts, with the funds transferred to us.
- The photos and condition report from when the current tenant moved in.
- Rent ledger and any balance owed.
- Tenant contact information and any notices already sent.
Disclosures and known issues
Tell us about anything you already know: a slow drain, a breaker that trips, a past leak or a foundation repair. It goes into the file so we can disclose what needs disclosing, plan repairs, and answer tenant questions honestly. For homes built before 1978, the federal lead-based paint disclosure is part of every lease, so tell us the year built and any lead reports you have.
Questions
What does a property manager need from a new owner?
Keys and access codes, HOA contacts, warranties, utility details, a current landlord insurance policy, bank details and a W-9 for payouts and tax forms, and the lease and deposit records if a tenant already lives there.
Should utilities stay in my name while the rental is vacant?
Yes. Keep electric and water on in your name until the tenant moves in, so the home can be shown, cleaned and repaired. The tenant then starts service in their own name as the lease requires.
Do I need to change my insurance when my home becomes a rental?
Usually yes. A homeowner policy is written for a home you live in. Tell your agent the home is being rented and move to a landlord or dwelling policy before the tenant moves in.
How do I get paid when Rothrock manages my rental?
Rent is collected through the tenant platform, and your payout arrives by direct deposit on a set day each month. Your monthly statement and every invoice are in the owner portal.
What if I do not have the move-in photos or the lease for my current tenant?
Give us what you have. We document the home's current condition with photos and work with you and the tenant to reconstruct the records.
General information about Texas rules, not legal advice. For a specific situation, speak to a Texas attorney.