Changing property managers

Thinking of switching managers?

Communication is the thing owners say their manager most needs to fix. If you are waiting days for a reply, reading statements you cannot follow, or hearing about problems from your tenant, switching is simpler than it looks. We read your current agreement, draft the notice, collect the files, deposits and keys, and introduce ourselves to your residents. Your rent does not miss a month.

Plan My Switch How the handover works

Six signs it is time

In Buildium's 2027 industry survey, 43% of rental owners named speed of communication as the top way they judge a manager, and 28% said communication is what their manager most needs to improve. These are the versions of that we hear on the phone.

Replies take days

You email on Monday and hear back on Thursday, from someone who was not copied on the first message. A manager's whole job is being reachable; everything else follows from it.

You learn things from your tenant

The furnace was out for two days, the neighbour complained, the rent was late. If your resident is your information source, you are paying for a service you are not getting.

The statement does not add up

No opening and closing balance, no reconciliation to the bank, invoices you have to ask for, and a deposit whose whereabouts you are not sure of. A statement should answer questions, not raise them.

Repairs are invoiced, not explained

A $900 line for "plumbing" with no quote, no photos and no approval. You should see the quote first, approve anything above your limit, and see the invoice at cost.

Vacancies drag

Three months empty while the listing sits with the same four photos. Time on market is a pricing and marketing decision, and it is the manager's to get right.

Nobody owns your property

A different name every time you call, and nobody who knows that the back door sticks. You should have one named manager who answers the same business day.

How the handover works

We have taken over properties from most of the managers in the region. The steps are the same every time, and we do the work.

We read your current agreementSend it to us. We find the notice period, any termination fee, and the date the agreement can end, and we tell you plainly what switching will cost before you decide anything.
We draft the termination noticeWritten in the form your agreement requires, dated to the earliest clean end date, ready for you to sign and send. You stay the client of record with your current manager until that date; we do not interfere with it.
We request the handover packageLeases, applications and resident contact details, the last month's rent deposits with their interest records, keys and fobs, inspection reports, the vendor list and warranties, open work orders, the rent roll and arrears, any notices served, Landlord and Tenant Board files, and the trust account closing statement. The full list is below.
We introduce ourselves to your residentsA tenant introduction letter with the new rent payment instructions, our after-hours number and the portal invitation, timed so the first rent due after the switch comes to us. Nothing about their lease changes.
Day oneOur response standards apply from the first morning. Open work orders are picked up where they stand, the deposit is lodged in our trust account, and we walk the property with photos within the first month.
Your first statementAt the end of the first full month: opening balance from the handover, every transaction, the deposit confirmed, open items and what is coming up. From then on it is the same every month.

What changes on day one

These are the standards your property runs on from the first morning with us. They are in the management agreement, not just on the website.

20 min

First call

A.J. Keilty calls every new owner enquiry within 20 minutes in business hours, or at 8:30 the next business day.

Same day

Owner replies

Every owner call or email is answered the same business day by the person handling your property, not an auto-reply.

1 hour

Emergencies

An emergency trade is dispatched within one hour, 24/7, and the after-hours line is answered by a person.

1 / 5 days

Routine repairs

Routine requests are acknowledged within one business day and scheduled within five, with you approving anything above your limit.

The full standards, including inspections and vendor rules, are on the maintenance services page.

What we ask your current manager for

You are entitled to all of it. We send the request on your behalf and follow it to completion.

Signed leases, applications and screening files for every resident
Resident names, phone numbers and email addresses
Last month's rent deposits, with the annual interest records
Rent roll with current rent, due dates and arrears
All keys, fobs, remotes and access codes
Move-in and annual inspection reports with photos
Open work orders and any quotes outstanding
Vendor list, service contracts and equipment warranties
Notices served to residents (N1, N4, N12 and others) with dates
Any Landlord and Tenant Board applications and orders
Utility and service accounts in the owner's name
Insurance certificates, yours and the residents'
Year-to-date financial statements and invoices
The trust account closing statement and the balance transferred

What it costs to switch

The same published fees every KEILTY owner pays, and nothing added for the handover. No switching discount either; the rate is the rate.

Houses and condos

$149 + HST / unit / month

Flat-rate Full Service. Leasing fee of one month's rent plus HST only when we place a new resident; your existing resident costs you nothing to take over. Every fee, listed.

Student houses and small buildings

7% of rent + HST

The market rate for student housing and smaller apartment buildings, with a half-month leasing fee on new tenancies. See student rentals and small multi-family.

Apartment communities

4% of rent + HST

Larger buildings and multi-building communities, with site staff recoverable at cost and no leasing fee. See apartment communities, or ask about Private Client service with A.J. Keilty's direct involvement.

Your current manager's termination fee, if there is one, is the only switching cost. We read your agreement and tell you the number before you decide.

After a switch, in their words

Public Google reviews, quoted as written. KEILTY is rated 4.8 on Google from 36 reviews.

★★★★★

"I have nothing but positive things to say after a run of negligence and management issues with the previous company. They are always available to address inquiries, with timely updates and communication with tenants."

Eyad Tamimi

Resident, three years

★★★★★

"Brandon is always quick to respond and follows through to completion on any tasks asked of him. All being handled with a positive attitude, and pleasant personality."

Dante Di Giovanni

Owner client

Read all the reviews

Get a handover plan for your property

Tell us about the property and your current agreement. A.J. Keilty calls within 20 minutes in business hours with the notice date, the handover list and a written quote.

Switch Plan

No obligation, and nothing is sent to your current manager until you say so.

A call within 20 minutes in business hours. We never contact your current manager without your written instruction.

Rather talk it through first?

Call 613-545-3322 or email ClientCare@KEILTY.com. Send your current agreement and we will tell you the notice date and the cost of switching before you decide anything.

Call 613-545-3322 Email ClientCare@KEILTY.com

Frequently asked questions

Switching managers, answered

The questions owners ask before they move their property to KEILTY, with the same answers you would get on the phone.

Will my residents have to sign a new lease?

No. The lease is between you and your residents and it continues unchanged. We send a tenant introduction letter with the new rent payment instructions, our after-hours number and the portal invitation, timed so the first rent after the switch comes to us.

What happens to the last month's rent deposit?

Your current manager transfers it, with the record of annual interest paid, into our trust account at the handover. It stays the resident's deposit, held in trust, and it appears on your first statement.

Can I switch in the middle of a tenancy?

Yes. Most switches happen mid-tenancy. Nothing about the resident's lease changes; only who collects the rent, answers the phone and reports to you.

Is there a fee to leave my current manager?

That depends on your agreement. Most require 30 to 90 days' written notice; some add a termination fee. Send us the agreement and we will tell you the earliest clean end date and the cost, in writing, before you decide.

How long does switching take?

Usually from your notice date to the first of the following month, so 30 to 60 days in most cases. We prepare everything during the notice period so the handover happens on one day, with the first rent due after it coming to us.

Can you take over an open Landlord and Tenant Board file or an unpaid-rent case?

Yes. We pick it up where it stands, review what has been served and filed, and carry it through as your agent. If a notice was served incorrectly, we tell you and serve it properly.

Will my rent be interrupted?

No. The handover is timed to a rent due date, residents are told in writing who to pay and how, and the first draw comes from us on the normal schedule.

Do you charge anything extra for taking over a tenanted property?

No. The leasing fee applies only when we place a new resident. Taking over your existing resident costs nothing beyond the published management fee and the onboarding and setup fee every property pays, listed on your property type's page.