Switching Property Managers: A Checklist for Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Owners

Last checked: November 4, 2026. This is a practical checklist, not legal or tax advice.

Changing vacation rental managers is easier than most owners expect, but a few details (future bookings, lodging taxes and your licenses) need attention so nothing falls through the cracks. Here is the checklist we walk through with owners in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Fort Morgan.

1. Read your current management agreement

• Find the term, the notice period and any termination or early-exit fee.
• Check what the agreement says about reservations already on the books after your end date.
• Note who owns the listing accounts, photos and guest data, and whether anything (furniture packages, linens, smart locks) belongs to the manager.

2. Pick your switch date around your calendar

• Ask your current manager for a list of every future reservation with dates, amounts paid and deposits held.
• Agree in writing how those reservations will be handled: honored by the old manager, or moved to the new one along with the guest payments.
• Choose a date with a gap between stays if you can, so the handover and any photo shoot happen without guests in the unit.

3. Lodging taxes: make sure someone is filing

• Lodging tax in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach city limits is 16% (4% state, 2% Baldwin County, 10% city), per the City of Gulf Shores and the City of Orange Beach.
• The City of Gulf Shores notes that if you leave a management company's rental program, you become responsible for collecting and remitting lodging taxes to the State, County and City yourself, so confirm your new manager takes this over from your switch date.
• Returns are due by the 20th for the prior month, and Gulf Shores requires a return even when no tax was collected.
• If a booking platform remits all state and local lodging taxes for its bookings, the Alabama Department of Revenue says you do not need your own lodging accounts for those transactions; direct bookings are different.

4. Keep your business licenses current

• In Orange Beach, the business license is the owner's responsibility even when a management company handles the rental (City of Orange Beach FAQ).
• Gulf Shores rental licenses expire December 31, renewals are due January 1 and become delinquent after January 31 (City of Gulf Shores). Update your local emergency contact if it was your old manager.

5. Access, keys and accounts

• Collect every key, fob, gate card and parking pass, and get the admin codes for smart locks, thermostats and Wi-Fi.
• Tell your condo association or HOA who your new manager is if they keep a contact on file.
• Move utility, internet and streaming accounts that were in the manager's name.

6. Inventory, condition and money

• Walk the property and photograph its condition on handover day.
• Agree what happens to linens, supplies and anything the old manager supplied.
• Request your final owner statement, any owner funds or reserves held, and year-end statements for tax time.
• Let your insurance agent know about the change of manager.

7. Onboarding with the new manager

At Coastal South Vacation Rentals, onboarding is four steps:

1. 15-30 minute discovery call. We review your goals, property details, and timeline.
2. Walkthrough & checklist. We create a quick punch list for maximum appeal.
3. Listing launch. Photos, copy, pricing, distribution, and go-live.
4. First month review. We make early adjustments to rates, rules, and messaging.

Most owners are live within 2-3 days, pending photos and property readiness. We can take over your existing reservations if your previous management company is willing to hand them over. Once you are with us, we handle lodging tax for your home; owners renew their city business license each year, if applicable.

Official sources (checked November 4, 2026): City of Gulf Shores - Lodging Tax; City of Gulf Shores - Rental License; City of Orange Beach - Taxes; City of Orange Beach - Revenue FAQ; Alabama Department of Revenue - third-party platform FAQ.