Begin 12 months before the agreement ends when possible. Renewal is not an administrative exercise. It is the moment to assess whether the current program still works for residents, operations, and the property’s economics.
The first five documents to pull
- The signed agreement and every amendment.
- Renewal, notice, assignment, and termination provisions.
- Current resident pricing and all rate-change notices.
- Provider performance and support history.
- Network, wiring, and equipment records.
1. Map every deadline
Identify the original term, renewal periods, required notice method, notice window, and any penalties. Put each date on the property’s legal and operating calendars. Missing a narrow notice window may change your negotiating position for years.
2. Revisit the economics—not just the payment
- What do residents pay today, and how has that changed?
- What does the property receive, how is it calculated, and does it rise with resident pricing?
- Are there fees, credits, free months, or construction commitments that change the real economics?
- Does the program still support the property’s leasing and retention strategy?
3. Audit service performance
- Review outage records, ticket trends, installation delays, and recurring resident complaints.
- Ask onsite staff what work is being pushed onto them because of the provider’s process.
- Confirm actual speeds, equipment age, Wi-Fi coverage, and whether the network is ready for planned upgrades.
- Request the provider’s service-level commitments and escalation contacts in writing.
4. Protect the property’s flexibility
Before accepting a renewal, review ownership and access to inside wiring, upgrade rights, sale/assignment provisions, cure and termination rights, and the ability to adjust services. This is also the right point to review whether compensation, marketing, or access provisions need legal review under current FCC rules. The FCC’s MTE rules address certain exclusive and graduated revenue-sharing arrangements; do not treat a checklist as a substitute for counsel. FCC compliance notice.
5. Test the market before committing
A renewal conversation is stronger when you understand which qualified providers can serve the address, the infrastructure they would need, and what a comparable structure could look like. That does not require changing providers. It gives the owner a factual basis to decide whether the incumbent’s offer is competitive.
Renewal decision record
For the ownership file, document the options considered, resident impact, economics, implementation risk, and decision rationale. It is useful for asset management today and buyer diligence later.
MDU Advisors can review a pending renewal before the notice date arrives and help you frame a market comparison.