How to Switch Property Managers in Washington
A step by step guide for Washington owners, written to be useful even if you never hire us. Termination clauses, notice periods, the deposit transfer, and how to time it so your tenant barely notices.
First, be sure it is the manager and not the market
Switching costs time and creates handoff risk, so get clear on what is actually wrong first.
Fair reasons to switch: calls are not returned, statements are late or unclear, repairs are slow or overpriced, the unit sat vacant far longer than the market explains, your rent has not been reviewed in years, or your manager missed a legal requirement that exposed you.
Reasons that may not be the manager’s fault: rents softened in your area, a good tenant moved for their own reasons, or a major repair came due because the property is aging. Ask directly first. Sometimes that fixes it and you keep the continuity. If you still want to move, here is the process.
Step 1. Read your termination clause before you do anything else
Find the termination section of your management agreement. You are looking for five things:
The notice period. 30, 60 and 90 days are all common.
How notice must be delivered. Some agreements require written notice by certified mail. An email will not satisfy that clause.
Whether the term auto-renews. Many do, on the anniversary date. Missing that date can cost you another full year.
What happens to the leasing fee. Some agreements say the manager is still owed a commission if the tenant they placed stays after you leave. Read this one carefully. Send the notice exactly the way the agreement requires, and keep a copy and proof of delivery.
Red Roof does not charge a cancellation fee. Our own notice period and contract length. Owners will hold us to the same standard this page asks of others, and they should.
Step 2. Know what has to be handed over
Your outgoing manager holds money, records and property that belong to you or your tenant. Get all of it, on a written list.
Money
The tenant’s security deposit and any pet deposit, transferred in full - The last month’s rent, if any was collected - Any prepaid rent - Your owner reserve balance - A final accounting and a final owner statement
Documents
The signed lease and every amendment - The signed move-in condition checklist. Washington requires this before any deposit can be collected, and without it your ability to make deposit deductions later is badly weakened. - The tenant’s application and approval file - All inspection reports and photos - Maintenance records, warranties and invoices - Notices served on the tenant, especially any rent increase notice - The tenant’s contact information and emergency contact - Rent ledger and payment history - Copies of any tenant information packet acknowledgments required by Tacoma’s rental code - Vendor and utility account information - Your year-to-date income and expense records for taxes
Physical property
All keys, including every copy that was cut - Mailbox keys, garage remotes, gate cards and fobs - Appliance manuals, alarm codes and access codes - Any personal property of yours held at their office
Step 3. The security deposit transfer, done correctly
This is the part most likely to go wrong, and the part with the most legal exposure.
In Washington, tenant security deposits must sit in a trust account at a Washington financial institution or with a licensed escrow agent, and the tenant must have written notice of where the deposit is held. When management changes, the funds move and that notice needs updating. What you want to see:
The deposit transferred as funds, not as a credit or a paper entry
The amount matching the lease and the ledger to the dollar
A signed acknowledgment from the new holder
Written notice to the tenant of the new depository, sent promptly
The move-in condition checklist traveling with the money, because that document is what justifies any future deduction
One timing note. Washington gives the landlord 30 days after a tenancy ends to return the deposit with a full itemized statement, not the 21 days several published guides still print. If a tenancy is ending while you switch managers, put in writing which company owns that obligation. More on Washington security deposit law.
Step 4. Time the switch around the lease cycle
Your outgoing manager holds money, records and property that belong to you or your tenant. Get all of it, on a written list.
Best
Mid-lease, when the tenant is settled and no notice deadlines are pending. The handoff is quiet and there is time to fix gaps in the file.
Second best
After a tenant moves out and before the next is placed. Nothing to transfer but records and keys.
Hardest
Mid-turnover, during an eviction, or while a rent increase notice is running. Inside Tacoma that notice runs 180 days on a City form, with a second notice asked for at 120 to 90 days out. Changing hands mid-sequence is how notices get missed and restarted. Check your renewal date too. If the agreement auto-renews and requires 60 days notice, your real deadline is 60 days before the anniversary.
Step 5. What your tenant is told
Your tenant is not a party to your management agreement, but their daily life changes. Handle it well and they stay. Handle it badly and you have a vacancy. A written transition notice should go out before the change takes effect and cover:
The name of the new manager, effective on a specific date
A contact name and a phone number
Written notice of where their security deposit is now held
The new maintenance request process and the emergency number
Where and how to pay rent starting that date, with the exact first payment affected
Confirmation that their lease, their rent amount and their lease end date are unchanged
Rent payment is the piece that breaks. A tenant on autopay to an old portal keeps paying the old portal, so say it clearly, say it twice, and give a grace period on the first month. Your new manager should also confirm the tenant has everything Tacoma requires, including the City-prepared tenant information packet.
Step 6. Confirm the compliance basics on day one
Before a new manager can do anything about rent, the property has to be legally clean.
Inside Tacoma, no landlord may issue a notice to increase rent or a notice to vacate without a current Tacoma business license and a registered unit with certification of code compliance. Every Tacoma rental needs one, at any unit count, and the annual fee runs from $37 to $2,000 based on gross income.
We also check whether any rent increase notice already served meets current requirements, whether the tenant got the required information packet with a signed acknowledgment, and whether a signed move-in checklist exists. Rent cannot be raised while a habitability violation is open, and that is an affirmative eviction defense. See Tacoma rental laws.
TESTIMONIALSWhy Switch to Red Roof Rentals
Cassidy and Celina have been absolutely amazing through the whole rental/move in processes. I’ve been renting from Red Roof Rentals for almost a year now and am extremely happy with the team. Definitely check them out! You won’t regret it!
Awesome and amazing service along with great personal experience with staff especially Cassidy who was such a great free spirited person!!
I appreciate this property management on their great customer service and for helping us throughout the process when we had the ok that we were approved, Cassidy is such a great worker and helped me throughout the process she is very professional and just an awesome worker making everything easygoing.
Cassidy was very helpful! She made everything very stress free and she was very thorough with everything! :)
Cassidy was a great help!
They made setting everything up very easy, and Cassidy was a super great help!
I have had a great experience moving into my new place with Red Roof Rentals. The team is friendly, communicative, and so helpful! I am happy to be renting from them and appreciate their great service!
Great people all around! Helped us get into our home pretty fast.
I have never worked with a more pleasant property management company. Cassidy and Celina are incredibly responsive, knowledgeable, informative, and very friendly. They made the rental process go so smoothly and relieved a lot of the stress of a very stressful process. I can’t say enough great things about this team.
Thank you guys!
Everyone was super nice and friendly, I've never worked with a management company that's so hassle free. They got our move-in set up quickly and they made the process smooth and enjoyable.
My family and I recently moved into one of their apartment complex and Cassidy from the office was absolutely wonderful throughout the whole process. Her team was incredibly accommodating with our move in situation and got us in exactly when we wanted to be. I am so happy with the whole experience.
Red Roof has always been pleasant to work with! Highly recommend!
Ready to get started with Red Roof Rentals?
Not happy with your current property manager? Tell us about your rental and what is not working. Our local Tacoma team will walk you through how switching works, what it costs and what changes for you and your tenants.
- We handle the handoff. We work with your current company to move over leases, deposits, keys and records.
- Your tenants stay put. Switching managers does not end a lease. We reach out to welcome them and set up their portal.
- Clear pricing up front. You get a written fee quote before you sign anything.
- No pressure. Ask questions first. You decide if and when to switch.
Switching to Red Roof
If a tenant is already in place, our transfer fee is $250. It covers file takeover, lease and deposit verification, the compliance check, tenant setup and the transition communication. There is no setup fee and no cancellation fee. See our fee schedule.
What we do in the first two weeks:
Request the full file and the deposit transfer from your outgoing manager in writing
01
Verify the lease, the ledger, the deposit amount and the move-in checklist
02
Run the Tacoma license and registration check
03
Send the tenant a written transition notice with the new payment method and the deposit depository notice
04
Inspect the property and open work orders on anything outstanding
05
Set up your owner portal and confirm your ACH details
06
Whether the $250 transfer fee replaces or is in addition to the leasing fee when a tenant is already in place. Owners will ask.
Frequently asked questions
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Read your termination clause first, then send notice exactly the way the agreement requires, in writing, with proof of delivery. Get a written list of everything to be handed over, including the security deposit as actual funds, the signed lease, the move-in checklist and all keys. Then time the change so it does not land in the middle of a turnover or a notice period.
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It depends on your agreement. Most allow termination with notice, commonly 30 to 90 days, and some charge a cancellation fee or remaining management fees. Some allow immediate termination for cause. Read the clause before you act, and if the language is unclear, have an attorney read it. Red Roof does not charge a cancellation fee.
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It must transfer as actual funds to the new manager’s trust account, not as a paper credit. Washington requires deposits to be held in a trust account at a Washington financial institution or licensed escrow agent, with written notice to the tenant of where the deposit is held. That notice needs to be reissued after a transfer.
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Our transfer fee is $250 for a tenant-occupied property. That covers file takeover, lease and deposit verification, the Tacoma compliance check, tenant setup and the transition communication. There is no setup fee and no cancellation fee.
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Mid-lease, when the tenant is settled and no notice deadlines are running. The next best time is between tenancies. The hardest time is during a turnover, an eviction, or a live rent increase notice, which inside Tacoma runs 180 days on a City form and can require a second notice as well.
Thinking about making a change?
Bring us your current management agreement. We will read the termination clause with you, tell you what your notice period actually is, and give you a straight answer on whether switching makes sense right now. No charge, no obligation.
Call 253.222.3387 or email support@redroofrentals.com.