Portfolio Onboarding Checklist: The First 30 Days (Kent & South London)
If you’ve just inherited tenancies or you’re scaling units, a portfolio onboarding checklist for the first 30 days is the fastest way to stop cash leaks and calm the inbox. This guide shows exactly how we stabilise rent, maintenance and compliance for landlords in Kent & South London, using a repeatable framework that works for one flat or a small block.
Why a Portfolio Onboarding Checklist Beats “Figure It Out Later”
Skipping a portfolio onboarding checklist usually means missing licences, loose documents, and slow rent recovery. In the first month, your job is to build a complete picture (tenancies, safety, arrears, works) and turn it into a system: one place for files, one cadence for rent, one process for jobs, one diary for renewals.
Portfolio Onboarding Checklist — Week 1 (Data & Compliance Capture)
Centralise documents: create a clear folder tree (Tenancy, Compliance, Keys & Meters, Works, Finance).
Pull core files: ASTs, deposit certificates & scheme IDs, How to Rent, ID/Right to Rent, Gas, EICR, EPC. Note every expiry date.
Map licensing: check borough requirements (mandatory HMO, additional/selective) for each unit; log renewal dates and what evidence is still needed.
Owner setup: pay-to account, spend thresholds, emergency rules, insurance details, building contacts.
Portfolio Onboarding Checklist — Week 2 (Rent & Arrears Stabilisation)
Issue a standard rent schedule with clear due dates.
Arrears snapshot on Day 1: who, how much, how long.
Humane escalation flow: friendly reminder → firmer chaser → repayment plan template → breach/escalation if missed.
Evidence trail: save all emails, call notes, and agreements in the tenancy folder.
Portfolio Onboarding Checklist — Week 3 (Maintenance Triage & SLAs)
Log all open issues and tag them Urgent / 7-day / 30-day.
Approve within thresholds already agreed with the owner; require before/after photos and invoices.
Stop recurring tickets with simple prevention (ventilation tips, drain guards, seasonal checks).
Preferred contractors: rates, insurance, response SLAs documented.
How to Turn the Portfolio Onboarding Checklist into a System
The portfolio onboarding checklist only works if it becomes a living system. Keep a shared drive (or SharePoint), weekly rent/maintenance reviews, and a monthly owner statement. Add a licensing tracker for London boroughs plus Right to Rent and deposit compliance so audits are painless.
Portfolio Onboarding Checklist Tools You Can Copy Today
Folder template (drop it into Drive/SharePoint).
Arrears workflow with scripts and repayment form.
Maintenance board with SLA tags and photo evidence fields.
Compliance diary with expiries and borough licence notes.
Kent & South London—Where to Focus First
Start with towns/boroughs where you have most units (e.g., Maidstone, Medway, Canterbury, Sevenoaks, Bromley, Dartford). Standardise these first; the same portfolio onboarding checklist then scales to your next cluster of properties.
Portfolio Onboarding Checklist — Common Pitfalls We See
Deposits protected but prescribed information not served.
Licences needed but not applied yet (or applied incorrectly).
Right to Rent evidence in someone’s inbox, not stored centrally.
Repairs approved verbally, no invoices or photos saved.
FAQS
No. You receive a fixed monthly payment and no management fee is charged; operations (tenants, inspections, minor repairs) are included in the agreement.
Under Guaranteed Rent, we carry the void/arrears risk per the contract. Under an AST, you or your agent carry it.
Typically the landlord holds the licence. We map requirements, prepare the application and maintain the renewals diary.
We include minor repairs within thresholds. Major works are handled per the agreement and pre-approved with you.
Yes—at term end you can switch models. Some owners also mix models across units.
Sometimes. Guaranteed Rent trades some upside for certainty and time saved (and removes the typical ~8% management fee).
Usually 12–60 months. Residential head leases are typically 24–60 months.
Yes. We operate across Kent & South London and baseline local licensing and market dynamics before making an offer.
