How to leave a management company that runs AppFolio

Updated Oct 20, 2026 · checked against AppFolio's terms and portal help

AppFolio is licensed to management companies, so a board leaves AppFolio by leaving its manager and asking for the records. AppFolio's terms put the burden of retrieving data on the account holder before termination, so get the owner directory, delinquency report and general ledger delivered before the contract ends.

Kahoa makes Kahoa. The steps work for any HOA software; where they name Kahoa, they describe Kahoa's setup screens.

What should the management company hand over?

Record	From AppFolio, via the manager	Into Kahoa
Owners and homes	Owner Directory, exported as CSV	Roster import
What each home owes	Delinquency report as of cutover	Opening balances
Vendors	Vendor Directory, exported as CSV	Vendor import
Bank activity	Not needed	24 months via bank connection
Ledger and financials	General ledger, budget, final financials	Keep the files; books start from opening balances
Documents	Shared files, one at a time	Document upload
Autopay enrollments	Can't be exported	Homeowners enroll again

AppFolio's own help center is for customers only, so report names come from integration partners' guides. Ask the manager for the equivalent report if a name differs.

How do you switch, step by step?

6 steps · about 2 hours

01
Pick the cutover date
Choose the day after a dues cycle posts, so every balance in the export is final.
Time5 minutes
02
Export everything
Ask the management company, in writing, for the owner directory, delinquency report, vendor directory, general ledger and final financials, with a delivery date before the contract ends.
WhereYour management company, from AppFolio
Time30 minutes
03
Connect the bank
Link the operating and reserve accounts. Kahoa pulls 24 months of history for the treasurer to sort.
In KahoaSetup → Bank
Time15 minutes
04
Import owners and opening balances
Upload the owner directory, then the delinquency report. Check that the total owed matches the manager's report to the cent.
In KahoaSetup → Upload directory, then Enter opening balances
Time45 minutes
05
Tell homeowners
Send homeowners the new payment link and ask them to delete AppFolio scheduled payments at least 48 hours before the next draft.
Autopay offHomeowners: Payments → Scheduled Payments → Delete
Time30 minutes
06
Run one cycle, then cancel
Collect one month in the new tool, then let the management contract end. Check the records arrived before the manager closes the association in AppFolio.
TimeOne dues cycle

Before the contract ends

Demand these records

Owner directory and delinquency report at cutover
General ledger, budget and final financials
Bank reconciliations and the signer change
Vendor directory, contracts and insurance
Every document shared in the owner portal

Not the right time?

Wait to switch if

Dues are due within the next two weeks.
An audit or reserve study is in progress.
The treasurer seat is changing hands this month.

What else do boards ask about leaving AppFolio?

Can a board cancel AppFolio directly?

Usually not. AppFolio is licensed to the management company; the board ends its management contract and asks the manager for the records.

Does the board pay AppFolio's early-termination fee?

No. AppFolio's fee for ending early is in the manager's contract with AppFolio, not the HOA's. The HOA's terms come from its management contract.

How long does AppFolio keep the data?

AppFolio's terms say it may delete an account's data after a reasonable period and expect the customer to retrieve it before termination.

Does homeowner autopay move?

No. Each homeowner deletes AppFolio scheduled payments and enrolls again in the new tool.

Self-managing after AppFolio?

Run the books yourselves for $50 a month

Thirty days, no card. The bank connection fills in two years of history.

Start a 30-day trial See pricing

$50a month, flat, at any size. The 1120-H is included.