We finally made the move to signing all leases and management contracts electronically. I was worried that something would be lost by not sitting down with the tenant and going over the lease with them.
What I realized is that they are so preoccupied with their move that they don’t really read the lease. We also had problems with all the roommates or couples being able to sign the lease at the same time. And, people kept asking us for the lease in advance so they could read it. We also have out of state residents and this is an easy way to accomodate people.
Electronic signatures is wonderful. We use Docusign, and Echosign, is another vendor. You send the contract via email, the receiver is prompted to initial or sign where indicated and then it gets emailed back to you. Now both of you have electronic copies and they can be stored in the cloud. I would still print a copy and file it. Ok, so I keep one foot in the past and one in the future but that is my comfort zone.
The advantage is that when the tenant meets you to collect keys and pay you the move in money your initial interaction is short and positive. There are no lease surprises to add to their stress. We do have the tenant sign a 1 page form stating they have read the lease and will abide by it.
Check out the vendors I mentioned above. They have some really inexpensive options and your tenants will love it and so will you.
If you are looking for property management services in Santa Cruz check us out. Our website is: www.PortolaRentals.com
Kathleen
