TABLE OF CONTENTS


Unit Overview & Purpose

The Unit Notebook stores all information specific to an individual unit within a multi‑unit property (apartment, duplex, mobile home park, etc.). In single‑unit properties, all information is maintained at the Property Notebook level.)


PropertyBoss separates Property‑level and Unit‑level data:

  • Shared details, amenities, and directions stored once at the Property level
  • Unit‑specific details stored in each Unit Notebook
  • Profit & Loss tracked to the parent property for financial clarity)

Navigation buttons allow moving to the next/previous unit without closing the notebook. A search tool quickly jumps to any unit by name.)


Available actions include:

  • Add New Units for this Property
  • Delete this Unit (only if no transactions exist)
  • Rename this Unit
  • Print Unit Listing
  • Convert this unit to a Single‑Unit Property
  • View Change History
  • Create Inspection
  • Wait List (if Asset Management module active


Creating, Editing, Renaming, Deleting, or Inactivating Units

PropertyBoss offers three creation methods:

  1. Manual Entry
  2. Copy from Existing Unit (same property only)
  3. Use Template (best for large communities)

Creation routes:

  • Navigator → Units & Leases → Create New Unit
  • Property Notebook → Units tab → Create New Unit
  • Unit Notebook → Actions → Add New Units


Open the Unit Notebook → Actions → Rename this Property (for Units)


A unit cannot be deleted if any lease ever had transactions tied to it, due to accounting and P&L implications. Only completely unused units can be removed.


Inactivating (Recommended method for removing units from circulation):

  • Does not count against your unit license
  • Can be reactivated anytime
  • If all units in a property become inactive → property automatically becomes inactive


Unit Tab 

The Unit Tab contains essential descriptive and operational data for the unit, including status, availability, and template assignments.)


A. Required Fields

  • Property – Which property the unit belongs to
  • Unit Name – Unique within the property
  • Status – Ready, Not Ready, Offline, Administration, etc.
  • Unit status updates automatically during the Make Ready process)


B. Address & Mapping

  • Enter unit address only if different from the property address
  • Map Address opens location in Google Maps if connected to the internet)


C. Descriptive Fields

  • Description – Multi‑line description of features; appears on reports
  • Unit Availability Comments – Notes like “Offline due to storm,” “Used as Office,” “Renovations underway”
  • Date Available – When the unit will be ready for leasing)


D. Unit Configuration

  • Unit Type – Defined in Setup Preferences → Predefined Values → Unit Types
  • Model after Template – Apply standardized settings from a unit template
  • Inspection Template – Default Move‑In / Move‑Out inspection template)


E. Publishing

  • Option to Publish on Website if Ready to display unit availability online)


F. Creating or Editing Units

  • PropertyBoss offers three creation methods (Manual Entry, Copy from Existing Unit, Use Template) and creation routes (Navigator, Property Notebook → Units, Unit Notebook → Actions → Add New Units).


G. Renaming Units

  • Open the Unit Notebook → Actions → Rename this Property (for Units).)


H. Deleting and Inactivating Units

  • Deleting - A unit cannot be deleted if any lease ever had transactions tied to it. Only completely unused units can be removed.)
  • Inactivating - Recommended method for removing units from circulation:
    • Does not count against your unit license
    • Can be reactivated anytime
    • If all units in a property become inactive → property automatically becomes inactive


Unit Details 

The Unit Details Tab is a 100% customizable area for storing detailed characteristics of a unit. PropertyBoss ships with common default fields, but you may define or restructure fields to suit your needs. This information appears in many areas of the system, including reports and web portals.


A. Single‑Unit vs Multi‑Unit Behavior

  • Single‑Unit Property: Has both Details and Unit Details tabs.
  • Multi‑Unit Property: Only Unit Details is used (since each unit has its own details).)


B. Examples of Commonly Used Detail Fields

These are typical fields seen in most setups:

  • Number of Bedrooms
  • Number of Bathrooms
  • Square Feet
  • Room Sizes
  • Pet Information
  • Average Utility Bills
  • Max Occupancy


Important Notes for Default Fields:
 Fields like Nbr of Bedrooms, Nbr of Bathrooms, and Square Feet:

  • Must be defined under Predefined Values → Define Detail Fields – Unit
  • Must use the correct field type (e.g., “Nbr of Bedrooms”)
  • Should NOT be changed, because they are used on the Prospect Web Portal and in Inspection Templates


C. Customizing the Detail Layout

Using Customize Layout, you can:

  • Add new fields
  • Rename fields
  • Reorder fields
  • Delete fields (warning: deletes ALL data stored for ALL units for that field)
  • You can create up to 10 custom Detail Tabs per notebook.)

D. Where Detail Fields Are Defined

New detail fields are created in:  Setup Preferences → Predefined Values → Define Detail Fields – Unit

 

Unit Media 

The Unit Media Tab stores photos, diagrams, floorplans, scanned documents, and other media files related to a specific unit. Media stored here can be selectively displayed on property listings and web portals. Media files appear in both the Property Notebook and the Unit Notebook.


What You Can Store

  • Unlimited images (photos, floorplans, diagrams
  • Attachments such as invoices, letters, documents
  • Files used for inspections or work orders


Fields You Can Define for Each Media File


1. Description

  • Up to 255 characters
  • Prints on A167 Property/Unit Listing Report)

2. Media Type
 Selected from administrative list of types such as:

  • Picture
  • Application
  • Invoice
  • Letter
  • Statement
  • Notification
  • Not Specified

3. Publishing Options
Media can be toggled ON/OFF for:

  • Show on Property Listings
  • Publish on Owner Web Portal
  • Publish on Prospect Web Portal
  • Publish on Resident Web Portal
  • Print on Work Order as Map - This allows Property Managers to control what visual content appears for owners, residents, prospects, or maintenance technicians.


Viewing & Managing Media

  • Double‑clicking the thumbnail opens the file full‑screen
  • Updated date/time and file dimensions are displayed


Unit Work Orders 

The Unit Work Orders Tab displays all maintenance requests, scheduled tasks, and recurring work orders associated with the unit. It is part of PropertyBoss’s full Work Order Management system.)


A. Types of Work Orders You May See
Examples include:

  • “Clean the carpets” (maintenance request)
  • “Check if interested in renewing” (reminder)
  • Process tasks (e.g., eviction workflow, lease renewal workflow)
  • Recurring maintenance (e.g., quarterly pest control

B. Viewing Work Orders

  • By default, only Open or Working work orders are shown
  • Uncheck Show Open Work Orders Only to view the entire history
  • Click any column header to sort ascending/descending)

C. Toolbar Actions

  1. Start a New Checklist - Used to launch work orders defined as part of a Make Ready or other predefined process.
  2. Filter Groups - Shows work orders for a specific Work Order Group (e.g., “Inspections”, “Maintenance”). Click Clear Filter to return to all work orders.
  3.  Repeated (Recurring) Work Orders - Managers can view recurring work orders. Users with System Setup rights can also:
    1. Create
    2. Edit
    3. Delete
    4. (These appear in the “Repeated Work Orders” pop‑up.)
  4. New WO - Create a new work order manually.
  5. Change WO - Edit or delete the selected work order. (Double‑click also opens edit view.
  6. Print WO - Print the selected work order.

D. Columns Displayed - Typical fields visible in the Work Orders grid include:

  • Date / Time
  • Work Order #
  • Description
  • Status
  • Account (property/unit/lease)
  • Requested By
  • Assigned To
  • Checklist Name
  • Group Name


Unit Assets 

The Unit Assets Tab displays all assets assigned to a unit (appliances, devices, fixtures) along with their full movement and work order history. This allows property managers to audit, replace, relocate, or track the lifecycle of unit‑level assets.)


A. Assets You Can View
Choose between:

  • Current Assets – items currently assigned to the unit
  • All Assets – includes past items no longer assigned

B. Asset Actions

  1. Move Asset(s) - Opens the Create and Apply Movements window. Use this to:
    1. Assign an asset to a new unit
    2. Return assets to storage
    3. Transfer assets between properties
  2. History - Opens full asset history, which includes:
    1. Date/time history entries (auto‑generated)
    2. User who performed the action
    3. Lease Start Date affecting the asset
    4. Reason Name (auto‑generated)
    5. Asset Type / ID / Description
    6. Related Work Orders
    7. Storage location
    8. Repair costs
    9. Estimated return dates
    10. This gives PMs a complete chain‑of‑custody record for every asset.

C. Additional History Tools

  • Include Work Order History
  • Filter by Asset Type
  • Include Non‑Individually Tracked Assets
  • Advanced Filters (column‑based filtering)

D. Vertical Divider (Layout Tool) - A gray vertical divider helps PMs control what remains visible as they scroll.

  • Can drag left or right
  • Keeps selected columns always in view


Unit Default Settings 

These defaults pre‑fill values when creating a NEW lease for the unit:

  • Def‑Terms – Base rent parameters
  • Def‑Late Fees – Standard late fee setup
  • Def‑Deposits – Required deposits (e.g., security, pet)
  • Def‑Repeating – Repeating charges (parking, lawn care)
  • Def‑Meters – Utility meters assigned to the unit)


Unit Def‑Terms Tab
The Unit Def‑Terms Tab defines the default lease terms for a unit. These values pre‑populate every time a new lease is created for the unit. This tab appears in both:

  • Property Notebook (for single‑unit properties)
  • Unit Notebook (for multi‑unit properties)
    • These defaults do not change current leases—they only apply to newly created ones.
    • Fields Configured on the Def‑Terms Tab(verbatim highlights):
      • Transaction Name (Required) – Select the transaction used for the recurring rent charge (e.g., Rent Due; HOA Fees Due)
      • Accounting Splits – Only appears if Use Rent Splits is enabled
      • Market Rent – Appears on property listings
      • Rent Frequency – Weekly/Monthly/Quarterly/Semi‑annual/Annual
      • Fiscal Year Start Month – Controls quarterly proration (Lease Anniversary vs Specific Month)
      • Minimum Lease Term – Informational only
      • Day Due – Day of month/week based on frequency
      • Comments – Optional notes

Key Notes for PMs

  • All values here are starting defaults only
  • Staff can override during lease creation
  • Existing leases remain unaffected)


Unit Def‑Deposits Tab
The Unit Def‑Deposits Tab stores the default deposit requirements for a unit (e.g., security deposit, pet deposit). When a new lease is created for that unit, these deposits are automatically added to the lease register.


Managing Deposit Definitions 

  • Create a New Deposit — New Deposit → Deposit Name → Amount → optional Return Condition
  • Delete a Deposit Definition — select → Delete Deposit → confirm
    Deleting a deposit definition does NOT affect existing leases or deposits already posted. Only future leases are affected.

PM Notes

  • Updating deposit amounts/conditions only affects new leases
  • Existing deposit transactions remain unchanged
  • Use this tab to standardize deposit practices across units


Unit Def‑Repeating Tab
The Def‑Repeating Tab stores default recurring charges that should automatically apply to every new lease created for a unit (or property, for single‑unit properties). 

  • Creating/Editing 
  • Add New Repeating Charge — Transaction Name, frequency (every X days/weeks/months; day of month), Amount, optional Pro‑Rate, Reference, Comments
  • Edit/Delete via Edit Repeating Charge Behavior
  • Defaults include both recurring debits and credits
  • Changes apply ONLY to future leases; do not change existing lease recurring charges
  • Example: Utilities – Water → $10.00 monthly


Unit Def‑Meters Tab
Appears when the Utility Billing Module is active. Defines which utility meters (electric, gas, water, etc.) are associated with a unit, and these will automatically populate on new leases. Meter Fields include Utility, Rate Schedule, Meter Type, Meter ID. Managing Meters — New Meter, Delete Meter, View Meter Reading History. Defaults are automatically applied to every new lease and used to calculate charges and meter‑based pass‑throughs.


Unit Def‑Late Fees Tab
The Def‑Late Fees Tab defines the default late fee policy for a unit. This tab appears only if Late Fees maintained at Property Level is not enabled in Processing Options. If that option IS enabled, then all late fee settings move to the Property Notebook instead. 

  • Configuration Fields: Late Fee Method, Late on Day, Minimum Past Due Balance, Late Fee Explanation Behavior (Standard/Append/Replace), Additional Parameters (Initial Fee, Daily Fee, Max Fee, Percentage Rate). 
  • Defaults Affect Leases — These settings populate new leases only; existing leases are never changed automatically; PMs can override values during lease creation.


Unit Leasing History (Leases Tab) — Verbatim

The Unit Leases Tab lists all previous, current, and future leases tied to a unit. It appears:

  • In the Property Notebook for single‑unit properties
  • In the Unit Notebook for multi‑unit properties
    • This tab provides quick access to leasing history and direct entry into the Lease Notebook.
    • Viewing Leases displays:
      • Lease Start Date
      • Lease End Date
      • Move‑Out Date (if applicable)
      • Contact Names -  PropertyBoss does not permit overlapping lease dates unless the feature is explicitly enabled in System → Global Preferences.
      • Creating a New Lease 
  • Click New Lease to begin. The system:
    • Loads default terms from Unit Def‑Tabs (Terms, Deposits, Late Fees, Repeating, Meters)
    • Opens the Deposits window showing all preset deposits
    • Allows you to check which deposits apply to this lease
    • Opens the Lease Notebook with all unit defaults prefilled
    • Special Behavior - If the lease start date is prior to the current month, PMs may:
  • Mark deposits as Paid
  • Set Rent Paid Thru
  • Set Next Rent Post Date


Editing an Existing Lease

  • Click Change Lease to open the Lease Notebook and modify:
    • Terms
    • Dates
    • Charges
    • Contacts
    • Unit transfer options


Units & Leases Navigator — Unit‑Related 

The Units & Leases Navigator is the operational hub where Property Managers access and manage all properties, units, leases, and tenants. It respects PropertyLists, showing only assets assigned to the user’s list.


How the Navigator is Structured

  • Properties with units or leases display a + expandable tree
  • Expanding shows:
    1. Property
    2. Units
    3. Leases
    4. Tenants/Contacts
    5. Selecting an item changes available actions accordingly

Organizing and Sorting
Use the “Pencil” icon to organize by:

  • Agent
  • City
  • Custom Detail Field
  • Owner Name
  • Property Name
  • Tenant Name
  • ZIP Code
  • A default view may be saved > Actions Based on Selected Level

Property or Unit selected

  • Edit Property / Unit
  • Enter Transaction
  • View Register
  • Excel export
  • Create New Property
  • Create New Unit
  • Create New Lease
  • View Reports

Lease selected

  • Edit this Lease
  • Enter Transaction
  • View Register
  • Reports (Statements, Move‑Out Reconciliation, Lease Transaction Applied)
  • Send Letter to Lease
  • Create New Lease on this Unit

Tenant selected

  • Edit tenants on lease
  • Edit tenant contact information
  • Send tenant‑level letters
  • Create new tenant
  • View Reports

Security Permissions (Navigator‑related)

  • Controlled under: Setup Preferences → Security Settings → Create Users and Assign Security/Permissions
     

Key permissions include:

  • View / Update Properties & Units
  • Update Leases
  • Create/Delete Leases
  • Delete lease rent changes or recurring charges
  • Enter/Update transactions (Property, Lease, Owner)
  • Make Properties/Units inactive
  • Access Letters Navigator or edit letter templates
  • Work Order permissions