How to Create a Move-In Welcome Packet for Tenants (4 Essentials)

TL;DR: A thorough move-in welcome packet includes property-specific instructions, emergency contacts, maintenance procedures, and local resources. It reduces confused tenant calls by an estimated 30% and documents what you told them on day one. Deliver it digitally and on paper, and keep a signed acknowledgment in the lease file.

_Last reviewed: July 2026 · 6 min read_

Tenants who walk into an empty rental with only a key and a lease call you three times in the first week—asking where the water shutoff is, how to reset the furnace, and whether trash pickup is Tuesday or Thursday. A move-in welcome packet answers those questions before they're asked, sets maintenance expectations in writing, and gives you a reference when disputes arise later.

Okoniq Property Hub keeps digital copies of your welcome-packet PDFs alongside photos and lease dates, so you can pull them up on your phone when a tenant calls six months in claiming they were never told how to change the furnace filter.

What property-specific information belongs in a move-in packet?

Start with the details that are unique to this unit. List the property address, unit number if applicable, Wi-Fi network name and password if you provide internet, trash and recycling pickup days, and the location of the electrical panel, water main shutoff, and gas shutoff valve. Include photos of each shutoff with a red arrow pointing to the valve—tenants under pressure won't remember verbal directions.

Add appliance manuals or links to manufacturer PDFs for the furnace, water heater, dishwasher, and any other included appliances. Note filter sizes and replacement schedules—most furnace filters are 16×25×1 or 20×20×1 and should be changed every 90 days. If the property has a basement dehumidifier, include the model number and where to buy replacement filters.

List quirks: the garbage disposal reset button under the sink, the bathroom exhaust fan that's louder than normal but works fine, the front door that sticks in humid weather and needs a firm push. Documenting these prevents "broken" maintenance requests for things that are actually normal.

What maintenance instructions and responsibilities should you include?

Define what the tenant handles and what you handle. Most leases make tenants responsible for changing HVAC filters, replacing smoke-detector batteries, keeping drains clear, and reporting problems promptly. Spell out how to do those tasks—many tenants have never changed a furnace filter or don't know that pouring grease down the drain will clog it within months.

Include a one-page "How to Report Maintenance" section with your preferred method (text, email, tenant portal), your response timeline for emergencies versus non-emergencies, and examples of each. "No heat in January" is an emergency; "kitchen faucet drips slightly" is not. This distinction saves you midnight panic calls about minor issues.

Add seasonal checklists: in fall, remind tenants to disconnect garden hoses and cover AC condensers; in spring, mention gutter cleaning if they're responsible for it. If the property has a bathroom exhaust fan, explain that running it during and for 20 minutes after showers prevents mold. These small instructions head off bigger problems.

If the property has known quirks—old cast-iron drain pipes that need enzyme treatment monthly, or baseboard heaters that tick when warming up—explain them now. "Normal" to you is "broken" to a tenant who's never lived in an older building.

Who should tenants call in an emergency, and when?

Create a one-page emergency contact sheet with your phone number, your backup contact if you're unavailable, and the numbers for the gas company, electric utility, water department, police non-emergency line, and poison control. Boldface "Call 911 first" for fire, medical emergencies, or active gas leaks—some tenants will call you first out of politeness, wasting critical minutes.

Define "emergency" explicitly: no heat when outdoor temps are below 40°F, no AC when temps exceed 90°F, sewage backup, gas smell, electrical sparks, broken locks, or water gushing from a pipe. Everything else can wait until morning. Give them the water shutoff location again on this page—you already mentioned it earlier, but in a true emergency they'll flip straight to "Emergency Contacts" and won't read the rest.

Include your preferred order of operations: "If you smell gas, leave immediately and call the gas company from outside. Then call me." Or "If a pipe bursts, shut off the water main under the stairs, take a photo, then text me." Walking them through the sequence prevents chaos and gives you documentation from the start.

If you use a property management company or an after-hours answering service, list those numbers and clarify when to use each. Many landlords reserve their personal cell for true emergencies and route routine questions through email or a tenant portal during business hours.

What local resources make tenants feel welcomed and reduce trivial questions?

Add a "Welcome to the Neighborhood" page with nearby grocery stores, pharmacies, urgent care clinics, hardware stores, and the closest post office. Include trash and recycling rules—many municipalities have apps or PDF schedules that tenants can bookmark. If street parking requires a permit, explain where to get one and how much it costs.

List the nearest public library, dog parks if applicable, and the local government website for things like snow-emergency parking rules or leaf-pickup schedules. This section takes you 15 minutes to compile and saves tenants the awkward "Where's the nearest Target?" text that makes them feel like they're bothering you.

If the property is in an HOA or condo association, include a copy of the rules that affect tenants—guest parking policies, pool hours, noise restrictions. HOAs often send violation notices directly to the owner, and you don't want to be fined $100 because your tenant didn't know that grills are banned on balconies.

A short list of trusted local contractors—plumber, electrician, HVAC tech—lets tenants call someone reputable if they cause a problem they want to fix themselves before telling you. Some will; most won't, but offering the list builds goodwill.

How should you deliver the packet and get acknowledgment?

Email a PDF the day before move-in and hand them a printed copy with the keys. The digital version is searchable; the printed version stays on their counter for the first month when they need it most. Ask them to sign a one-page acknowledgment that they received the packet and agree to follow the maintenance procedures—this goes in your lease file with the signed lease.

The acknowledgment doesn't have to be legalistic. A simple "I received the move-in welcome packet for [address] on [date] and will follow the maintenance and reporting procedures outlined in it" with a signature line is enough. If a tenant later claims they were never told about the filter-change schedule or the no-grease-down-the-drain rule, you have proof.

Update the packet annually as details change—new trash pickup days, a new HVAC contractor, updated Wi-Fi password. Keep a master template so creating one for a new tenant is a 10-minute copy-paste job, not an hour of rewriting.

Okoniq Property Hub stores your template PDFs and the signed acknowledgment images in each property's file, so you can prove delivery years later if a dispute reaches small-claims court or a security-deposit hearing.

FAQ

How long should a move-in welcome packet be?

Four to six pages is ideal—one page of property-specific info and shutoff locations, one page of maintenance instructions, one page of emergency contacts, one page of local resources, and optional pages for appliance manuals or HOA rules. Longer packets don't get read; shorter packets omit critical details.

Should I include a copy of the lease in the welcome packet?

No need—the tenant already has the signed lease. Include a one-sentence reminder like "Refer to your lease for rent payment details, pet policies, and notice requirements," but don't duplicate the entire document. The welcome packet is for practical day-to-day information the lease doesn't cover.

Can I require tenants to follow maintenance instructions in the packet?

Yes, if your lease includes a clause stating that tenants agree to follow all written maintenance procedures provided by the landlord. Most standard leases have this language. The signed acknowledgment strengthens your case if a tenant's negligence—like never changing the furnace filter—causes damage you want to deduct from the deposit.

What if a tenant loses the packet?

Email them another PDF immediately. Keep a "sent" record in your email or property-management software. Some landlords post the packet on a tenant portal or shared Dropbox link so tenants can access it anytime without asking.

Do I need separate packets for single-family homes versus apartments?

The structure stays the same, but the content differs. Single-family packets include lawn care expectations, snow removal responsibilities, and exterior maintenance; apartment packets focus on building rules, shared laundry, and parking. Tailor the local-resources page to the neighborhood—walkable urban areas get transit info; suburban rentals get highway directions and the closest big-box stores.

This is educational information, not legal advice. Consult a landlord-tenant attorney in your state for guidance on lease clauses, security-deposit deductions, and required disclosures like lead paint or mold.