Place Tenant or Lead Into a Property | Move-In

Rentec Direct property management software has made moving in tenants and leads an effortless process.     

This article reviews steps for moving in a tenant from your Lead List, Tenant List, or hasn't been added to your software.

Tip: Click this link for quick steps to Add a Tenant From Online Application

The following steps will walk you through moving a tenant or lead into a property.

In your Rentec Direct account:

1. Click on Properties
2. Right-click on the Property and select Place New Tenant
3. Under Tenant Information
   1. Click on Enter New Tenant if the tenant is not on your Tenant or Lead list
   2. Click on Use Existing Tenant to select a tenant from your Tenant List
   3. Click on Place Lead to select from a list of matched leads 
4. Under Rental Charges
   1. Rental Frequency
      1. The default frequency is Monthly. To change frequency, click the dropdown to select from:
         1. Daily
         2. Weekly
         3. Bi-Weekly
         4. Quarterly
         5. Yearly
   2. Rental Amount (Defaults from the property) and can be manually entered or changed.
   3. Security Deposit (Defaults from the property) and can be manually entered or changed.
   4. Move-in Date - The actual date the tenant moved in even if they were not charged.

   5. Begin Charges On - Enter the date that you would like charges to begin in your Rentec Direct software

      Pro Tip: If you are transferring from another property management software or are new to Rentec Direct, this allows you to have a specific start date in the software to track financial transactions, which may be different than the move-in date

   6. Lease-end Date - This date is linked to:
      1. Lease Expire Soon alerts (based on your accounting defaults)
      2. Lease Expiration report
      3. Rent Roll report
5. Under Rental Options
   1. Pro-rate First Month
      1. Pro-rate First Month (Default)
         1. There will be a charge to the tenant ledger for the remaining days of the month
         2. Rent will resume with full month rent charges on the first of each following month
      2. First Month not prorated
         1. If the First Month is not pro-rated (uncheck the box)
         2. There will be a charge to the tenant ledger for a complete month's rent
         3. Rent will continue with full month rent charges on that day of the month (Example: If the Begin Charges is the 10th of the month, rent will be charged as if due on the 10th of each following month)
   2. Rent Charge Category - Defaults to 120 from your Accounting Defaults. If you've created a different category for Rent Charges, click the dropdown to select the category.
   3. Grace Period  - The time between when the invoice is due and when a late fee is charged. (example: If late fees begin on the 5th day, this would be 4)
      1. Defaults from Accounting Defaults and can be manually changed here
   4. Create Invoice Early - How many days before the rent is due should the rent charge post to the Tenants ledger. (example: If rent is due on first and you want the charge to show and auto notification to be sent out a week early, enter 25)
      1. Create Invoice Early defaults from Accounting Defaults and can be manually entered here
6. Under Automatic Rent Escalation - This allows you to implement automatic increases in accordance with your lease
   1. Check the Enable Automatic Rent Escalation box
   2. When should rent be increased - Enter the date of the increase
   3. How much should rent be increased - This can be entered in dollars or percent (using the dropdown)
   4. How often should rent be increased?
   5. For how long should rent be increased?
   6. Learn more about Automatic Rent Escalation
7. Click on Place TenantClicking on Place Tenant will move the tenant into the property, bringing you to the Edit Tenant screen. 
   1. If the tenant was added to the list of Tenants with their information completed prior to moving in, click on Update Tenant to save.
   2. If this is a new tenant being added at the time of move-in
      1. Complete tenant information
      2. Click on Update Tenant
   3. Save & Set up Lease to send a copy of the lease as an email or to be signed electronically to the tenant
      1. Pro Tip:  Use Automatic Email Notifications for a soft reminder to be sent to the tenant that rent is due soon

Frequently Asked Questions

Q) Why is the rent charge posted on the wrong day of the month? 

A) This is usually caused by unchecking the "Pro-Rate first month" box when moving in a tenant, and is easily corrected. Click on the following link for a quick solution: Adjust a Tenant Charge or Rent Due Date.  

Q) How does the "Pro Rate first month" option work?

A) Here's how the "Pro Rate first month" option works:

1. If a tenant's begin charge date is on the 10th of the month and the "Pro Rate first month" box is checked, the tenant will be charged the remaining 20 days of the month pro-rated. The following rent charges will be on the 1st of each month, and the "Interval day" is 1 for the first of the month.
2. If a tenant's begin charge date is on the 10th of the month and the "Pro-Rate first month" box is unchecked, the tenant will be charged for a complete month. The following rent charges will be on the 10th of each month, and the interval day is 10 for the tenth of the month.

Q) What is an Interval Day?

A) An interval day is the day of the month/billing cycle when rent is considered due (most commonly the first of the month). Auto notifications and late fees populate around this day.