Tenant Onboarding租客入住流程
Learning objectives
By the end of this lesson you'll be able to:
- Run a move-in day that produces a happy tenant and a complete paper trail
- Prepare a welcome package that answers questions before they're asked
- Hand over keys, transfer utilities, and set payment habits correctly from day one
- Sequence the inspection, documents, and deposit steps so nothing gets missed
- Set communication expectations that prevent the most common early conflicts
Why onboarding matters more than it looks
The first two weeks of a tenancy set the tone for the next two years. A tenant who receives clear instructions, working keys, a clean unit, and a welcome package treats the tenancy as a professional relationship — and pays rent like one. A tenant who moves into confusion (no garbage day info, no idea how to report a leak, "I'll email you the lease copy sometime") learns that this landlord is disorganized, and standards drift from there.
Onboarding is also where your legal paper trail begins. The condition inspection report, the signed agreement copy, deposit receipts, key records — everything you may need at the RTB two years from now is created in this one week. Modules 7, 8, and 11 cover the agreement, deposits, and inspections in depth; this module wires them together into one smooth sequence.
The move-in sequence: do it in this order
- Before move-in day: confirm the unit is ready. Professionally cleaned, repairs done, smoke and CO alarms tested with fresh batteries — under RTB Policy Guideline 1, testing alarms and replacing batteries at least annually is the landlord's responsibility, so date it and diarize it. All keys/fobs cut and working, appliances functioning. A tenant's first-day impression of the unit's condition becomes their standard for how they'll return it.
- Re-key or change the locks. You don't know how many copies previous tenants made. A $40 re-key is cheap insurance, and shows the new tenant their security is taken seriously.
- Send the welcome package 10–14 days before possession (see Tools tab) — the standard professional property managers follow. It covers utilities to transfer, insurance to arrange, move-in logistics, payment setup, and contact info — so move-in day itself has no surprises.
- Meet at the unit for the condition inspection first. Complete the move-in condition inspection report (RTB-27) together, room by room, with photos, and both sign it — before the moving truck unloads. Give the tenant their signed copy within 7 days (RTA s. 23). You must offer at least two inspection opportunities between 8am and 9pm; if the tenant misses the first, serve RTB-22 (Notice of Final Opportunity) before the second — fail to run this process properly and your right to claim against the deposits is extinguished (Module 8; Module 11 covers the full inspection procedure).
- Hand over keys — and log them. List every key, fob, remote, and mailbox key with quantities on a simple key receipt the tenant signs. This is what makes "you never gave me a mailbox key" and lost-key charges resolvable later.
- Confirm the paperwork set is complete: signed agreement + addendum delivered (21-day rule from Module 7), deposit receipts issued (Module 8), tenant insurance certificate collected (Module 9), inspection report copies to both parties.
- Walk the unit's quirks. Breaker panel location, water shut-off valve, furnace/thermostat operation, garbage/recycling/organics schedule, parking stall, laundry hours, strata rules if applicable. Ten minutes here prevents twenty phone calls.
- Confirm the rent routine before you leave. Amount, due date, method (e-transfer with autodeposit is the BC standard), and what happens if payment is late. First impressions about rent discipline last (Module 13 covers collection in depth).
The one mistake that undoes everything
Letting the tenant move furniture in before the condition inspection. Once the unit is full of boxes, you can no longer document its empty condition — and photos of a loaded room prove nothing about the walls and floors behind the boxes. Inspection first, truck second. No exceptions, even for a tenant "in a hurry."
Strata properties: Form K
If the unit is in a strata, give the tenant Form K (Notice of Tenant's Responsibilities) and the current bylaws before the tenancy begins — not after — and send a copy signed by the tenant to the strata corporation within 14 days of renting (Strata Property Act s. 146). Miss either step and the tenant can end the tenancy without penalty within 90 days of learning of the failure, with you covering reasonable moving costs. Keep proof of both deliveries.
The welcome package: your 30-minute investment
A one-page (or two-page) document handed over or emailed at move-in, containing:
- Contacts: your name, phone, email; emergency-repair contact and what counts as an emergency; strata/building manager if applicable.
- Rent: amount, due date, payment method and the exact e-transfer address, late-payment consequences.
- Utilities: which are included, which the tenant must set up (BC Hydro, FortisBC, internet), and account transfer instructions.
- The unit: garbage/recycling/green bin days, parking details, laundry, thermostat/furnace notes, water shut-off location, any appliance quirks.
- Rules that matter: the addendum highlights — smoking, pets, guests policy, no short-term rentals, insurance requirement — restated in plain language.
- How to report problems: maintenance requests in writing (text or email), what response time to expect, and the after-hours emergency number.
The Tools tab has the full template. Send it in English (the record copy); walk through it verbally in whatever language the tenant is most comfortable in.
Tools available
The Tools tab above has a complete Welcome Letter / Move-In Package template and a Move-In Day Checklist. Free for registered members.
Utilities, address changes, and the small stuff
- Utilities in the tenant's name: have the tenant open their own BC Hydro / FortisBC accounts effective the tenancy start date. Utilities left in your name become your debt if the tenant doesn't pay.
- Meter readings: photograph hydro/gas meters on move-in day if any utility responsibility is shared or metered — the photo settles billing boundary disputes.
- Strata move-in: book the elevator, pay/collect any move-in fee per bylaws, and give the tenant the strata rules summary. Bylaw fines caused by a tenant's moving day land on the owner.
- Mail: remind the tenant to redirect their mail; ask them to set aside any mail for previous occupants rather than tossing it.
The first month: set the rhythm
- Day 1–3: send a short check-in message — "Everything working? Any issues from the move?" Small problems surface early instead of festering.
- First rent payment: confirm receipt with a one-line acknowledgment. It signals you track payments — which quietly discourages late ones.
- Keep everything in writing. Friendly is good; undocumented is not. Texts and emails are your future evidence; phone agreements evaporate. This habit, started now, powers Modules 12–16.
- Respect the boundary. Onboarding ends when the tenant is settled. From here, your right to enter is governed by RTA s. 29 (24-hour written notice, 8am–9pm) — dropping by to "see how things look" is not a thing. Module 12 covers access rules fully.
Key takeaways
- Inspection before furniture. Always. The move-in sequence exists to protect your evidence.
- The welcome package answers questions before they're asked — contacts, rent routine, utilities, unit quirks, rules, and how to report problems.
- Log the keys, photograph the meters, re-key the locks. Small steps that resolve big disputes.
- Complete the paperwork set in week one: agreement copy, deposit receipts, insurance certificate, inspection report.
- Set the rent and communication rhythm in month one — in writing, warmly, consistently.
学习目标
学完本单元后，您将能够：
- 把入住日办成"租客满意＋证据齐全"的双赢
- 准备一份让问题在被问之前就有答案的欢迎资料包
- 从第一天就把交钥匙、过户水电、租金习惯全部做对
- 把验房、文件、押金各环节排成不漏项的顺序
- 设定好沟通预期，避开最常见的早期矛盾
入住流程比看上去重要得多
租约头两周定下的基调，会延续到之后的两年。收到清晰指引、好用的钥匙、干净的房子和一份欢迎资料的租客，会把这份租约当作专业关系来对待——交租也专业。搬进一团混乱（不知道哪天倒垃圾、不知道漏水找谁、"合同副本回头发你"）的租客，学到的是"这位房东不讲章法"，标准从此一路下滑。
入住周也是您法律证据链的起点。验房报告、已签合同副本、押金收据、钥匙记录——两年后可能要在RTB用到的一切，都在这一周里产生。第7、8、11单元分别深讲合同、押金和验房；本单元把它们串成一条顺畅的流水线。
入住顺序：按这个次序做
- 入住日前：确认房子就绪。专业保洁、维修完毕、烟雾和一氧化碳报警器测试并换新电池——根据RTB政策指引1，每年至少测试报警器并更换电池是房东的责任，记下日期并设年度提醒。所有钥匙门禁配好可用、电器正常。租客对房子第一天的印象，就是他退房时的标准。
- 换锁芯或重新配锁。您不知道前租客配过几把钥匙。$40的换锁芯是最便宜的保险，也让新租客看到您认真对待安全。
- 入住前10–14天发出欢迎资料包（见"实用工具"）——这是专业物业经理的标准。水电过户、保险办理、搬家安排、付款设置、联系方式一次讲清——入住日当天就没有意外。
- 入住日先在房内做验房。和租客一起逐间完成入住验房报告（RTB-27）、拍照、双方签字——在搬家卡车卸货之前。签好的副本7天内交给租客（RTA第23条）。您必须提供至少两次验房机会（均在早8点至晚9点之间）；租客错过第一次，第二次前送达RTB-22《最后验房机会通知》——程序没走对，押金索赔权直接消灭（第8单元；验房完整流程见第11单元）。
- 交钥匙——并记录在案。把每把钥匙、门禁扣、遥控器、信箱钥匙连数量列在一张简单的钥匙收据上，租客签字。日后"你根本没给我信箱钥匙"和丢钥匙收费的争议，靠的就是这张纸。
- 核对文件套装是否齐全：已签合同＋附录已交付（第7单元的21天规则）、押金收据已开（第8单元）、租客保险证明已收（第9单元）、验房报告双方各执一份。
- 带租客认识房子的"脾气"。电箱位置、总水阀、暖气/温控器操作、垃圾回收厨余日程、车位、洗衣时间、物业规则（如适用）。这十分钟能省掉二十个电话。
- 离开前确认租金流程。金额、到期日、方式（BC标准是开通自动入账的e-transfer）、迟付的后果。关于交租纪律的第一印象最持久（第13单元详讲收租）。
一个错误毁掉全部
让租客先搬家具、后做验房。房子一旦堆满箱子，空房状态就再也无法记录——拍一屋子箱子的照片，证明不了箱子后面的墙和地板。先验房、后卸车。没有例外，哪怕租客"赶时间"。华人圈图省事"先搬进来慢慢弄"的做法，毁掉的正是您自己的押金索赔权。
共管物业：Form K
出租的是共管物业单元（strata），必须在租约开始之前把Form K（租客责任通知）和现行物业附例交给租客——不是之后；并在出租后14天内把租客签署的副本送交物业公司（《共管物业法》第146条）。任何一步没做，租客可在知悉后90天内无责解约，搬家合理费用还要您出。两次交付都留好凭证。
欢迎资料包：30分钟的投资
一到两页纸，入住时当面交或邮件发，包含：
- 联系方式：您的姓名、电话、邮箱；紧急维修联系人和"什么算紧急"；物业/楼宇经理（如适用）。
- 租金：金额、到期日、付款方式和准确的e-transfer地址、迟付后果。
- 水电网络：哪些包含在租金里、哪些要租客自己开户（BC Hydro、FortisBC、网络）、过户操作说明。
- 房子本身：垃圾/回收/厨余日程、车位信息、洗衣安排、温控器/暖气说明、总水阀位置、电器注意事项。
- 要紧的规则：附录重点——吸烟、宠物、访客、禁短租、保险要求——用大白话重述一遍。
- 报修方式：书面提交（短信或邮件）、预期响应时间、非工作时间紧急电话。
完整模板在"实用工具"里。正式发英文版（留档用）；口头讲解时用租客最舒服的语言——包括中文。
实用工具
上方"实用工具"标签有完整的欢迎信/入住资料包模板和入住日检查清单。注册会员免费使用。
水电、地址变更和那些小事
- 水电过户到租客名下：让租客以租约起始日为生效日自行开通BC Hydro / FortisBC账户。留在您名下的账户，租客不付就是您的债。
- 抄表拍照：凡有共担或按表计费的，入住日给电表/气表拍照——一张照片解决所有账单分界争议。
- 物业楼的搬家：预订电梯、按附例缴/收搬家费、把物业规则摘要交给租客。租客搬家造成的附例罚款，落在业主头上。
- 邮件：提醒租客办理邮件转寄；请他们把前住户的信件放到一边，不要扔掉。
第一个月：定下节奏
- 第1–3天：发条简短问候——"一切正常吗？搬家有没有发现什么问题？"小问题早暴露，不留到发酵。
- 第一笔租金：收到后回一句确认。这个动作告诉租客"我在记账"——无形中打消迟付的念头。
- 一切落在文字上。态度可以亲切，记录不能缺席。短信和邮件是您未来的证据；电话里说好的会蒸发。华人圈"都是微信上说好的"在RTB也能作证据——前提是您把聊天记录完整保存。这个习惯从现在开始养，第12–16单元全靠它。
- 守住边界。租客安顿好，入住阶段就结束了。此后进入房屋受RTA第29条约束（24小时书面通知、8am–9pm）——"顺路过来看看"不存在。第12单元详讲进入权。
要点回顾
- 先验房，后搬家。永远。整个入住顺序都是为保护您的证据而设计的。
- 欢迎资料包让问题在被问之前就有答案——联系方式、租金流程、水电、房子脾气、规则、报修方式。
- 钥匙记账、电表拍照、门锁换芯。小动作，化解大纠纷。
- 第一周配齐文件套装：合同副本、押金收据、保险证明、验房报告。
- 第一个月定下租金和沟通的节奏——书面、友善、始终如一。
Apply what you learned学以致用
Work through this checklist before your next move-in:下次租客入住前，逐项完成这份行动清单：
Frequently asked questions常见问题
Form K is the Notice of Tenant's Responsibilities under the Strata Property Act — strata units only. Give it, with the current bylaws, to the tenant before the tenancy begins, then send a tenant-signed copy to the strata corporation within 14 days of renting (SPA s. 146). Failing either step lets the tenant end the tenancy without penalty within 90 days of discovering the failure, with your covering reasonable moving costs — and without a delivered Form K you can't effectively hold the tenant to the bylaws.
Offer two opportunities, both between 8am and 9pm. If the first is missed, serve RTB-22 (Notice of Final Opportunity to Schedule a Condition Inspection) proposing the second. If they still don't attend, complete the inspection alone, sign it, and keep copies. Skip these steps and you lose the right to claim against the security or pet deposit (RTA ss. 23–24).
Only with a written agreement covering the extra day (pro-rated rent, insurance active, inspection completed first). Informal early possession creates a gap where the tenancy terms arguably aren't in force. If in doubt, keep the original date.
It's strongly recommended. You cannot know how many copies exist. If a former tenant's copy is used in a break-in, the questions about your key control will be uncomfortable. A re-key or smart-lock code change costs little.
You can't invent your own move-in fee — prohibited charges rules apply (Module 8). In strata buildings, a bylaw-authorized move-in fee charged by the strata is a different matter; the tenancy agreement should state who pays it.
Have them do it that day — BC Hydro accounts can start online with a service date. Don't leave utilities in your name "temporarily"; temporary has a way of lasting a year, and unpaid bills in your name are yours.
Ideally proof of insurance is collected before the handover appointment — say so in the welcome package. If they arrive without it, you can require it on the spot (policies can be purchased online in minutes) rather than creating a possession standoff. Document the requirement and the follow-up.
It doesn't need signatures — it's information, not contract terms (those live in the agreement and addendum). A dated email copy is sufficient record that the information was provided.
Flooding or major leaks, no heat in winter, no water, electrical hazards, broken exterior locks, gas smell (call FortisBC/911 first). Everything else — a dripping tap, a broken dishwasher — is a routine request for business hours. Print this distinction in the welcome package; it protects your evenings.
Ask them to write "moved — return to sender" and drop it in any mailbox, or hold it for you if the former tenant left a forwarding arrangement. Never let mail pile up visibly — it signals vacancy and invites both theft and fraud (Module 1).
Only by invitation or with proper RTA s. 29 notice (24 hours written, purpose stated, 8am–9pm). A friendly check-in message achieves the goal without an entry. Uninvited drop-bys — however well-intentioned — breach the tenant's right to quiet enjoyment.
Avoid it for the first handover: you'd forfeit the joint inspection (a legal requirement with real consequences — Module 8), the key receipt, and the orientation. If you genuinely can't attend, authorize an agent (friend, family member, property manager) in writing to run the process.
Form K是《共管物业法》下的《租客责任通知》——只适用于共管物业单元。租约开始前连同现行附例交给租客，出租后14天内把租客签署的副本送交物业公司（SPA第146条）。任何一步没做，租客可在知悉后90天内无责解约、搬家费由您承担——而且没有已交付的Form K，您很难有效要求租客遵守附例。
提供两次机会，均须在早8点至晚9点之间。第一次错过，就送达RTB-22《最后验房机会通知》约定第二次。仍不到场的，自行完成验房、签字、留副本。这些步骤不走，您对保证金和宠物押金的索赔权就没了（RTA第23–24条）。
只有在书面约定覆盖那一天的情况下（按天折算租金、保险已生效、先完成验房）才行。非正式的提前入住会留下一个租约条款是否生效说不清的空档。拿不准，就守住原日期。
强烈建议。您无法知道外面有几把复制钥匙。如果前租客的钥匙被用于入室，关于您钥匙管理的追问会非常难堪。换锁芯或改智能锁密码花不了几个钱。
自创的入住费不行——禁止收费规则适用（第8单元）。物业楼里由物业按附例收取的搬家费是另一回事；租约里应写明由谁承担。
让他当天就办——BC Hydro可以在线开户并指定生效日期。别"暂时"把水电留在自己名下；"暂时"往往一拖一年，而挂在您名下的欠费就是您的。
最好在交接约定之前就收到保险证明——欢迎资料包里写明这一点。真到现场没带，可以要求当场办理（网上几分钟能买好），不必制造交房僵局。把要求和后续跟进都记录下来。
不需要——它是信息，不是合同条款（条款在合同和附录里）。一封有日期的邮件副本，足以证明信息已提供。
水浸或大面积漏水、冬天没暖气、停水、电气隐患、外门锁损坏、闻到燃气味（先打FortisBC/911）。其余——滴水的龙头、坏了的洗碗机——都是工作时间的常规报修。把这个区分印在欢迎资料包里，保住您的夜晚。
请他们写上"moved — return to sender"投回任何邮筒；前租客留有转寄安排的，可代为保管。千万别让信件明显堆积——那是空置信号，招贼也招诈骗（第1单元）。
只有受邀，或按RTA第29条正式通知（提前24小时书面、说明目的、8am–9pm）才行。一条友好的问候短信同样达到目的，还不需要进门。不请自来——再好心——也侵犯租客的安静享用权。
首次交接尽量别这样：您会同时放弃共同验房（有真实法律后果的法定要求——第8单元）、钥匙收据和入住讲解。实在到不了场，就书面授权代理人（亲友或物业经理）代办整个流程。
LandlordPass provides educational content about property management in British Columbia. This course does not constitute legal advice. For official requirements on inspections, deposits, and entry, see the Residential Tenancy Branch.
LandlordPass 提供关于卑诗省（BC省）物业出租管理的教育性内容。本课程不构成法律意见。中文内容为便于理解的本地化改写，仅供参考；如与英文原文或法律条文有出入，以官方英文法规为准。验房、押金与进入权的官方要求见住宅租赁办公室（RTB）。
📬 Welcome Letter / Move-In Package Template欢迎信 / 入住资料包模板
Fill in the brackets once, save it, reuse for every tenancy. Copies the clean English version — the record copy should go to tenants in English; walk through it verbally in any language.括号内容填好一次、保存、每份租约复用。复制的是干净英文版——留档正式版发英文；口头讲解可用任何语言（包括中文）。中文注释帮您理解各部分。
Email it a few days before move-in and bring a printed copy to the handover. The dated email is your record that the information was provided.入住前几天先邮件发送，交接当天再带一份打印件。带日期的邮件就是"信息已提供"的记录。
🔑 Move-In Day Checklist入住日检查清单
Print or copy — run it top to bottom at every handover.打印或复制——每次交接从头到尾过一遍。
The order matters: inspection before furniture, keys only after the receipt is signed, everything filed the same week.顺序就是重点：先验房后搬家、收据签好才交钥匙、当周全部归档。