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Getting a new tenant into your property involves more than handing over keys. This guide walks you through PropManager’s complete onboarding workflow — from posting a vacancy and inviting applicants to collecting the security deposit and giving your tenant access to their self-service portal. Follow these steps in order to keep everything organized and compliant from day one.
Before you invite your first applicant, head to Settings > Screening Criteria to define your minimum credit score, income requirements, and background check preferences. PropManager will flag applicants who don’t meet your thresholds automatically, saving you time on every future application.

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Onboarding Workflow

1

List the Vacancy

Navigate to Properties, find the relevant property, and click Add Vacancy. Fill in the unit details — unit number, square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms — along with the monthly rent amount and the date the unit becomes available. Save the vacancy to make it active and ready to receive applications.
2

Send a Screening Invitation

Open the vacancy you just created and click Invite Applicant. Enter the applicant’s email address and click Send Invitation. The applicant receives a link to complete their rental application entirely online, including consent for a background check, credit report pull, and rental history verification. You don’t need to collect any paperwork manually.
3

Review Screening Results

Once the applicant submits their application, PropManager pulls their credit report, background check, and rental history automatically. Go to Applications and select the applicant’s name to see a full screening summary. Review each section, then click Approve or Decline. Declined applicants receive an automated adverse action notice as required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Screening reports are provided by a third-party consumer reporting agency. PropManager stores reports securely and restricts access to authorized users on your account only.
4

Create a Lease

After approving an applicant, click Create Lease from their application page. Set the lease start and end dates, confirm the monthly rent amount, and enter the security deposit amount. You can apply a lease template from your saved templates or upload a custom lease document.
5

Send the Lease for E-Signature

With the lease ready, click Send for Signature. The tenant receives an email with a secure link to review and sign the lease electronically. You’ll be notified as soon as they complete their signature. You can then countersign directly in PropManager to finalize the agreement.
PropManager’s e-signature workflow complies with the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce (ESIGN) Act and UETA. Signed leases are archived automatically and available in the tenant’s document history.
6

Collect the Security Deposit

Once the lease is signed, go to the tenant’s profile and click Record Deposit Payment. Enter the amount received and the payment date. PropManager logs this deposit and includes it in your Security Deposit Summary report so you always know what you’re holding and for which unit.
7

Set Up Rent Collection

Navigate to the tenant’s Payment Settings and configure their rent schedule. Set the monthly due date, grace period length, and late fee type — either a flat dollar amount or a percentage of rent. You can also enable autopay at this stage; the tenant will receive a prompt to authorize recurring payments from their portal.
8

Activate Tenant Portal Access

Click Send Portal Invitation from the tenant’s profile. The tenant receives an email with instructions to set a password and activate their account. Once logged in, they can pay rent, view payment history, and submit maintenance requests — all without needing to contact you directly.

Tenant Screening

Learn how PropManager runs background checks, credit pulls, and rental history verification for every applicant.

Rent Collection

Explore autopay setup, late fee configuration, and payment tracking across your entire portfolio.