Doorstead offers a month-to-month or one-year Standard Lease Renewal for full-service property management. Our team is here to help make the process as smooth and easy as possible. If you're a homeowner or tenant looking to renew your property contract with Doorstead, this article will walk you through what to expect and answer some frequently asked questions. We'll also provide information on where homeowners can find important documents and contact information.

Our renewal terms vary slightly depending on your property management agreement with us. Please navigate to your specific section to learn about the process.

Renewing with Doorstead is easy - follow these simple steps!

What the renewal process looks like for owners

If you're a homeowner, we break down what you need to know about renewing with Doorstead into two sections below, depending on your contract type.

Doorstead Guarantee

Doorstead Guarantee: The Doorstead Guarantee is a property management contract that guarantees your property's monthly rent and start date upfront.

Where to find important information

All communications and contract agreements occur over email. Doorstead initiates the renewal process by sending an Owner's Renewal Notice.

Doorstead's standard process (what to expect and actions required)

You will receive an Owner's Renewal Notice (Contract Extension Notice) over email two months (90 days) before your property management agreement is set to renew with Doorstead. On your notice, we list your property address, tenant lease end rate, tenant's current monthly rent amount, and any rent adjustments for the following year.

Expected changes

After your first 12 months with Doorstead, your property management agreement renews with Doorstead. At this time, we're only offering month-to-month contract renewals for owners. 

If you choose to renew, the monthly guaranteed payment you will receive starting on the renewal date will be on the tenant's new rent amount, and the Agreement will continue on a month-to-month basis. Doorstead subtracts its management fee (8% for guaranteed contracts) from this new amount. If you'd prefer to renew your tenant lease for an entire year instead of a month-to-month term, you'd reply directly to the Owner's Renewal Notice (Contract Extension Notice). The tenant ultimately chooses their preferred lease term, but we will communicate your preference.

We will send updated market rate pricing and terms if the tenant moves out. In addition, we send updated pricing and terms to conduct a turnover and place new tenants for your property.

The renewal process is automated and will renew if you don't take further action. If you'd like to cancel your renewal, reach out to [email protected].

‍

Doorstead Flex 

Our Flex and Tenant Placement Only services are designed to help property owners find high-quality tenants quickly and efficiently, while providing the level of control and involvement they desire. Our standard tenant lease agreements last for one year. After that, you can choose to renew the tenant on a month-to-month basis or for another full year, based on your preference.

Lease renewal is now included in Flex (not as an add-on). This will occur without an additional cost. If you have additional questions about Flex renewals, please set up a call with our customer support team. 

You can also switch between Doorstead products or upgrade to a Guarantee model. 

Doorstead's standard process (what to expect and actions required)

All communications and contract agreements occur over email. Doorstead initiates the renewal process by sending an Owner Renewal Notice.

You will receive an Owner Renewal Notice over email two months (90 days) before your property management agreement with Doorstead is set to renew. Your property address, tenant lease expiration date, and tenant's current monthly rent will be listed on your notice. You can present your tenant with a one-year or month-to-month lease renewal option. We will offer a month-to-month lease renewal option by default if you don't reply.

Owner renewal FAQs

Do owners get to decide on the renewal pricing under the Guarantee?

Doorstead will determine the appropriate adjustment under the Guarantee model.

For non-renewals, how long will it take for the owners to get the keys back?

The owners will get the keys and unit back within 21 days after the tenants move out. Our process is that the Tenants Team will work with the tenants on the move-out process. After that, the Homes Team will help address any repairs that fall under the tenant's responsibility. Once completed, we'll return the keys and home to the owners and complete offboarding. 

How does Doorstead determine rent increase?

We run our pricing models, which leverage real-time market data and vacancy rates, and also review local/state rental ordinances to determine a rental increase on your unit. The renewal notice suggests a price increase depending on current market conditions.

Are there any extra charges if the owner opts to renew with Doorstead and switch models?

There are no extra charges if the owner opts to switch to a Flex or Tenant Placement Only plan with Doorstead, but they will lose the guarantee protections they currently have under the Guarantee. As a reminder, under the Guarantee Model, owners get rent, eviction, and damage protection. 

What happens if the tenants don't accept the renewal rate and decide to move out?

If the tenants don't accept the renewal rate, we will need to confirm with the owner if they want Doorstead to place new tenants. After that, we will have the Pricing Team run new pricing for the unit and work on the turnover process.

If a member of the house wants to move out and other housemates would like to remain in the home

We will need to reach out to the Prospects Team to see if the remaining tenants are income capable of staying at the unit. If they want to replace the tenants, the new tenants would need to apply so that we can confirm they qualify. We'd also need to send them a new lease once we ensure they all qualify.

Safety Evaluation

All tenants must complete a self-service safety evaluation to raise any known safety or habitability concerns at the property. If you would like Doorstead to provide an in-person Safety Evaluation conducted by one of our Field Associates, please submit a request to [email protected]. Please note that Doorstead deducts an additional fee of $100 for this service from your next payment.

What the renewal process looks like for tenants

Doorstead's standard procedure (what to expect and actions required)

All communications and contract agreements occur over email. Doorstead initiates the tenant renewal process by sending a Lease Renewal notice.

As your lease end date approaches, we will send you a Lease Renewal after confirming renewal options with the homeowner at your residence. The Lease Renewal includes the property address, the lease end rate, and the current monthly rent. In addition, we will list the new increased rental rate and potential different renewal term options (one-year renewal or month-to-month renewal.) 

Please note that the rent stated on the Lease Renewal offer only includes new rent charges and excludes additional charges like utilities or parking. Finally, we ask you to reply to the Lease Renewal extension by the set date.

If you don't respond to the Lease Renewal by the date stated, Doorstead automatically renews your lease under month-to-month terms at the new rent price. If a tenant requests a 12-month lease, we must reach out to the owner for approval. You can email [email protected] with any questions.

Standard rent increase

Rent increases due to market changes, property maintenance costs, or increased services are communicated well in advance so tenants can work out a plan to manage their budgets. Our team will work with you to ensure that our rent increases are fair and reasonable, and we'll be happy to discuss your options if you're concerned about affordability.

Once your lease is nearing its end date, our team will reach out to you to discuss your options for renewal. We'll review any new changes with you and provide all the documents you need to sign to move forward. As your lease is coming to an end, you'll get a notice to renew at an increased rate, or they can move out (no surprise there for tenants)

Safety evaluation

To ensure our tenants' safety, we require you to complete a self-service evaluation. This routine evaluation confirms that the property meets Doorstead's property standards and should take less than five minutes. The main items to look out for in the evaluation are smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, heating, leaks, mold or mildew, security, and utilities. 

If any items need to be addressed by our maintenance team, please submit a request via the Maintenance Request Form. Generally, the maintenance team's business hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm PST.

You can expect a follow-up within a few hours for a request submitted within business hours. Requests submitted after-hours will be reviewed the next business day. Please complete the Doorstead Safety Evaluation form by the deadline date listed on your Renewal Notice.

Tenant renewal FAQs

How does Doorstead determine rent increases?

We run our pricing models that leverage real-time market data and vacancy rates.

We review local and state rental ordinances and work with homeowners to determine a rental increase on your unit. Here's an article elaborating on why rent prices typically increase after the first year. The renewal notice suggests a price increase depending on current market conditions. 

The owner wants to know if the tenant will renew before deciding on renewal.

We only reach out to the tenants once we have a final decision from ownership. We want to avoid reaching out to tenants about renewal options if there is a possibility that an owner may not wish to renew their contract with Doorstead or their lease with the tenant. We want to wait until the owner has a decision so that we can present accurate information to the tenants.

Can the tenants use the security deposit to pay last month's rent?

We can't take the deposit in place of the last month's rent as the deposit is only meant to be used for deductions on repairs after the tenant has vacated.

How many days in advance must the tenant notify us if they wish to move out?

We ask for a 30 days notice.

Renewal next steps

Renewing your lease with Doorstead is a seamless transition. Our team works with you every step of the way so that you can minimize the time and energy spent on property management. Contact us today at [email protected] if you'd like to start the renewal process for your home.

‍