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By
Michael Gilbert
•
3
September 2025
If your property manager is showing three or more of these red flags, it’s time to cancel their authority and make a change. The lease with your tenant stays in place, and if the switch is handled properly your tenant will hardly notice.
You can switch property managers at any time, even mid-lease. Give written notice (usually 30 days) and line up your new agent. They will notify the tenant, collect the records, and take over without disrupting rent or your tenant.
After the switch day:
Your new agent takes over rent collection, maintenance, and all tenant communication when they have picked up all the rental documents.
This table shows the notice periods most owners will see in management agreements.
Important notes:
Find out your exact notice period and any exit fees based on your agreement.
Do I need to notify my tenant when switching agents?
No. Your new agent should do this. They’ll confirm the lease is unchanged and provide new rent payment details on the switch day.
Can I switch property managers mid-lease?
Yes. Your lease is between you and your tenant, not the agent. Switching agents does not affect the lease, even if the agent signed on your behalf.
Do I need a new lease when switching agents?
No. You don’t need a new lease.
If the lease is due for renewal, should I do it before switching?
If the fixed-term lease ends before the switch day and you don’t want it rolling to a periodic lease, ask your current agent to renew it. Otherwise, your new agent can complete the renewal once they take over.
Should I increase the rent before switching agents?
You can do it either way. If the increase is due before the switch day, ask your current agent to issue the notice so you don’t delay the increase (and leave money on the table). The notice still comes from you as the owner — the agent is just acting on your behalf — so it can take effect even after the switch day.
What happens to the tenant’s bond when I switch agents?
The bond stays lodged with the authority. Your old agent starts the transfer, and your new agent completes it so they can manage claims or refunds later when your current tenant moves out.
Will my rent payments be disrupted during the switch?
No. Your tenants will keep paying rent on the same schedule. From the switch day, they will simply pay the new agent. The only change may be how your new agent pays funds to you — some pay as soon as the tenant pays, others pay on a set cycle such as the end of the month.
How much notice do I need to give my current agent?
Most agreements require about 30 days’ notice. In some states, especially WA, contracts can lock you in for longer or automatically extend each year. The quickest way to know your exact period is to upload your Management Agreement to our checker above.
Do I need to pay any exit fees?
Most agreements do not charge cancellation fees. The only time you may need to pay extra is if your property is being advertised and the agent has already incurred marketing costs, or if your management authority is still in its fixed term. In that case, exit fees are often either a set number of months of management fees (for example two or three months) or compensation for the remaining term. Upload your Management Agreement to our checker above to find out the exit fees.
My property is advertised right now. Can I still switch?
Yes. You can switch while your property is advertised, but your current agent may charge advertising costs — especially if those fees are built into their leasing fee. Your new agent will ask the old agent to remove all marketing and then start fresh. To check if advertising costs apply, review your management agreement or upload it to our checker.
Can the old agent refuse to hand over rental documents and keys?
No. Your current agent is required to hand over all records, keys, and bond details. If they delay, your new agent will follow up with the agency principal and, if needed, escalate to the state regulator. You won’t need to get involved.
What happens to open maintenance jobs when I switch agents?
Your old agent should pass any open work orders, quotes, or invoices to your new agent. From the switch day, your new agent will take over all maintenance requests and keep jobs moving without disruption.
Will I need two EOFY statements if I switch mid-year?
Yes, you’ll get one EOFY statement from your old agent and one from your new agent. Just give both to your accountant.
What’s the best way to find a good property manager?
Property managers change on average every 11 months, so asking about their experience isn’t very helpful. Instead, ask about their systems — for example, how do you handle late rent?
That one question shows how proactive and systemised they are. Or skip the search altogether and join the waitlist for Cubbi Full Management, where rent is guaranteed and arrears are handled like clockwork. Joint waitlist
Should I change the locks when I switch agents?
No, you normally don’t need to. The only time it’s worth changing the locks is if keys are missing, you’ve had problem tenants in the past, or you have a specific concern about your old agent. Your new agent can organise this for you if needed.
Do I need to notify my insurance company?
Yes. It’s best practice to give your insurer the new agent’s details. This makes sure renewal notices go to the right place and your cover stays continuous.
Most owners wait too long to switch. Often they wait until their tenant is moving out. That is a mistake. If you give notice at that point, the question becomes: who handles the vacating tenant and who handles the new leasing?
It is difficult for a new agent to step in mid exit, and you do not want the old agent managing it either. By then, they have usually stopped paying attention, which means tenant damage and cleaning will get missed, leaving you to cover the cost.
👉 Pro tip: Switch while your tenant is still in place, before they give notice. That way your new agent manages the vacate properly and starts fresh with the next lease.
👉 Pro tip: Ask your new agent to confirm in writing that they collected all records and compliance checks from the old agent. Once the files are gone, they are very hard to get back.
This looks like a long list — and it is. The good news is, your new agent does it all. You just need to know it exists so nothing gets missed.
Small issues in a rental don’t stay small. A missed repair here, a slow follow-up there — they stack up until trust breaks and tenants decide to leave. The result? An owner who thought things were under control ends up losing almost a month’s rent in vacancy, letting fees, and disputes. The lesson is simple: resolve issues quickly, build trust from the start, and use a system like Cubbi to make sure nothing slips through the cracks.
Michael Gilbert
For homeownersMost properties rent at the advertised price. Out of 2,315 applications on the Cubbi platform (Mar 2024 – Aug 2025): 9% offered above (+$44/week on average) 8% offered below (–$108/week on average) 83% applied at the advertised rent 89% of leases were signed at the advertised rent 👉 Rent bidding makes headlines — but in practice, it’s the exception, not the rule. Maybe the problem isn’t the market. Maybe it’s the noise.
Michael Gilbert
For homeownersSwitching property managers is easier than most owners think. You can do it at any time, even mid-lease, without disrupting your tenant. This guide explains the rules, notice periods, common mistakes to avoid, and exactly what your new agent should collect on switch day. Use our free Management Agreement Checker to confirm your notice period and exit fees.
Michael Gilbert
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