We’ve all heard it—first impressions are important, especially with new tenants. How tenants feel when they move in to your rental sets the tone for the entire experience. If long-term tenancy, a positive landlord-tenant relationship, and quality tenant referrals are your goals, you’ll want to nail that first impression from day one.
Moving day is often stressful for tenants, so anything to help make the move-in process easier helps create a positive experience early on. This sets the foundation for trust, empathy, and loyalty. If the move-in process doesn't go well from the beginning, however, you may need to put extra effort into earning that trust back. Even minor issues like being unable to set up their utilities or difficulty getting into the rental on move-in day can have major setbacks.
But don’t worry; we’ve laid out a game plan for you to set the right tone starting the day they move in using TenantCloud’s tools. Here’s how:
Start with a Smooth Leasing Process
The best way to ensure you’re on the right path in making a solid first impression? Start with the lease and application process. While this is something that usually happens before the tenant’s actual move-in day, it’s an important first step for both parties.
Try these tips for a more organized, efficient experience before move-in day:
- Use a leasing platform: Property management (PM) software like TenantCloud lets tenants apply for your rental and sign the lease digitally. This tool makes organizing important information easier and getting tenants onboarded without excessive paperwork.
- Store documents digitally: Use cloud storage or PM software to store leases, addendums, and notices securely so you don’t risk losing essential details and having to request more paperwork later on.
- Keep an onboarding checklist: Create a roadmap so you and your new tenants know what to expect before move-in day.
Tip: Don’t skip the lease and application paperwork. It’s an important part of the move-in process. Organizing your digital leases helps prevent confusion later.
Help Tenants Set Up Utilities (Before they Ask)
Nothing is more frustrating than moving into a new home only to have issues setting up the internet or scrambling to find the right provider. Make a great first impression by helping tenants get connected when they need it.
The best part is, that you don’t have to wonder whether your tenant was able to set things up or not. It’s all taken care of for you.
- Simplify utility setup: With TenantCloud’s Utility Service, tenants can instantly view available providers for internet, electricity, gas, and water based on their rental address.
- Make internet connection easy: Utility Service also makes it a breeze for tenants to compare and set up their high-speed internet directly through TenantCloud.
- Track the entire process: When tenants set up their utility accounts, they can then put in their account information for each utility in TenantCloud, saving you time following up.
Tip: Take advantage of this TenantCloud feature for a 10/10 move-in process. Enable the Utility Provider feature when creating or updating a lease so tenants can easily access these services from their portal.
Related articles: Introducing Utility Services
Provide a Dedicated Tenant Portal for Easy Access
It’s safe to say that tenants appreciate convenience. Having everything in one place makes their rental experience feel organized and stress-free. One major benefit of using TenantCloud for your property management? Your tenants get access to our free tenant app, where they can enjoy all of these perks:
- Pay rent online: Tenants can use debit, credit, or ACH to take care of payments.
- View their lease details: Keep tabs on their lease agreement without a call or email.
- Make maintenance requests: If they need help with their rental, they can take care of it in-app.
- Send a message to the landlord: Late-night texts and calls can be frustrating for both landlords and tenants. With TC Messenger, you can keep an open line of communication 24/7.
Tip: Want to make tenant life easier? Remind tenants to download the TenantCloud for Tenants app to make their rental experience even more accessible.
Offer Renter’s Insurance and Credit-Building Perks
What better way to guarantee that your tenants are insured and financially prepared than by offering them insurance and rent reporting? Providing these opportunities helps show tenants you care about their security and financial future. TenantCloud makes it easy to offer these resources, with quick access to renter’s insurance and rent reporting:
- Apply for renter’s insurance: Tenants can easily find and purchase renter's insurance plans through the TenantCloud app, protecting themselves and their belongings.
- Enroll in rent reporting: TenantCloud lets tenants report their monthly rent payments to major credit bureaus, and build their credit history by simply paying rent on time.
Tip: Rent reporting can help tenants improve their credit scores, enabling them to qualify for better rates on insurance, loans, and more. Once tenants are enrolled through TenantCloud, their payments are automatically reported month after month without you having to lift a finger.
Related articles: Renter's Insurance: A Win-Win Solution for Landlords and Tenants
Landlord Insurance Cost: The 2025 Ultimate Guide
Complete the Move-In Process, Digitally
Property inspections are an essential part of the move-in process. Gone are the days when tenants need to walk around with a notepad and pencil, marking down everything that needs fixing. With TenantCloud’s Move-In/Move-Out tool, you can digitize the entire walkthrough process:
- Property Inspection feature: Make sure the property inspection process is smooth and easy. Use TenantCloud’s online inspection tool to let tenants record the condition of the rental property before they move in.
- Maintenance requests: Any repairs or necessary maintenance that tenants need help with can be logged as a maintenance request, ensuring a solid maintenance tracking record without disrupting the walkthrough.
- Connect with service providers: Find service professionals right inside TenantCloud to get a quote on a repair or maintenance need, send an invoice, and notify tenants of upcoming service appointments.
Tip: Make sure to clean the property thoroughly ahead of time. A great way to make a first impression before a property inspection on move-in day is to pay for a professional cleaning. It’s also a good idea to get any service needs out of the way beforehand.
Keep Tenants Informed with Automated Invoicing and Maintenance
A smooth move-in process goes beyond the move-in day. It’s important to keep tenants informed and in the loop at all times.
On TenantCloud, tenants don't have to guess when rent is due or worry about maintenance requests getting done. Invoicing and maintenance request tracking are automated, reducing the chances of miscommunication and frustration.
- Automatic invoicing and payments: Send invoices and reminders so tenants never miss a due date.
- Maintenance updates: Use a maintenance portal to provide real-time status updates so that tenants can check in on maintenance requests and more.
Tip: Sending a welcome email from your tenant messenger app can go a long way in making tenants feel comfortable from day one! If you want to go the extra mile as a landlord, a small gift like a blanket or plant is always a nice gesture that tenants appreciate.
Conclusion
You already know that being a property manager means having a lot of responsibilities. Among these, the most important is providing a good rental experience for your tenants. Earning that trust with tenants early on is essential, and much easier than you might think. By helping renters experience an efficient and stress-free move-in process, you can help tenants feel right at home.
Try TenantCloud for an Easier Move-In Day
Whether you’re a property manager of one rental or several, you need the right tools to get the job done. With TenantCloud’s automated tools, you can organize the entire move-in process, freeing up your time and improving tenant satisfaction, all in one place. From online payments and maintenance tracking to automatic invoicing and rent reminders, we’ve got everything you need to get more done in less time.
