How to Use This Guide

  • Read front to back if you are new
  • Jump to sections by problem (“Why don’t late fees post?” “Why is the owner mad?”)
  • Pay attention to Survival Warnings — they prevent accounting errors, broken data, and escalations


Properties & Units 

Properties

  • Drive reporting, portals, accounting files, inspections, leases, and renewals
  • Properties cannot be deleted once transactions exist
  • Inactive properties do not count against licensing


Renaming properties updates historical data everywhere


Always confirm Accounting File + Transaction Set before posting money


Units

  • Store availability, leasing history, assets, inspections
  • Units cannot be deleted once leased — Inactive is required
  • Defaults (Rent, Deposits, Late Fees, Repeating Charges) flow from:
    • Property Def‑Tabs (single‑unit)
    • Unit Def‑Tabs (multi‑unit)
    • Bedrooms, Bathrooms, and Square Feet must never be incorrectly customized

Leases

Leases control:

  • Rent posting
  • Late fees
  • EFT payments
  • Renewals
  • Move‑outs
  • Reporting

Lease Creation

  • From Prospects (preferred) or Units & Leases
  • Defaults load automatically — always verify against signed lease

Dates That Control Everything

  • Next Rent Post Date
  • Rent Paid Thru
  • Lease End Date
  • Renewal Due By

Incorrect dates = incorrect rent, late fees, and reports


Rent Frequencies

  • Monthly
  • Weekly
  • Quarterly / Semi‑Annual / Annual

Proration logic differs — always audit the first posting.

 

Recurring Charges vs One‑Time Charges

  1. Use Recurring Charges for fixed, predictable amounts
  2. Never use recurring charges for utilities or one‑time fees


Payments & E‑Payments 

Payment Types (Critical)

  • Tenant Payment
  • EFT Tenant Payment
  • Security Payment
  • Subsidy Payment

Payment types only apply to compatible charge types.


Subsidy Due can only be paid with Subsidy Payment


E‑Payments / EFT

  • Tenant, Owner, or Portal‑based
  • Next Draft Date cannot move backward
  • Drafts automatically stop after move‑out


AutoPost Reality

  1. Generate scheduled transactions
  2. Submit to processor
  3. EFT issues almost always trace back to dates, permissions, or AutoPost

 

Late Fees 

Where Late Fees Live

  • Property‑level (global)
  • Unit‑level
  • Lease‑level

Late fees depend on:

  • Transaction definition
  • A/R Due Date
  • Grace Days
  • Minimum Past Due Balance
  • Late Fee Method

Supported Methods (Examples)

  • Initial Only
  • Initial + Daily
  • Monthly
  • Specific Days
  • Range‑Based

Late fees cannot be deleted. System only calculates back 90 days


Transactions

Property / Unit Transactions

  • Charge to Owner
  • Maintenance Paid by Owner (with surcharge)
  • Charge to P&L
  • Owner Revenue
  • Property Revenue
  • Notes (non‑financial)

Misclassifying Owner vs Property Revenue causes incorrect statements


Lease Transactions

  • Rent Due
  • Charges & Credits
  • Deposits
  • Payments
  • Transfers

Transaction History = Source of Truth

  • Applied Tab
  • Journals Tab
  • Change Log

Used for audits, disputes, and corrections


Owners & Third‑Party Management

Owner management includes:

  • Ownership percentages
  • Rent splits
  • Distributions
  • Statements
  • Portals
  • EFT

Owner vs Property Revenue

  • Owner Revenue → Income to the Property/Invoices to the Property
  • Property Management Revenue → % of Rent, Late Fees, Surcharge

Incorrect transaction choice impacts owner reporting and tax outcomes


Setup Preferences>Define Transactions


HOA / COA Associations

Associations use the same engine with differences:

  • Association instead of Property
  • Home instead of Unit
  • Membership instead of lease
  • Assessments oe Member Dues instead of Rent Due
  • Transfers and closings instead of move‑outs

Assessments = recurring charges with proration rules


Work Orders & Assets

Work Orders

Types:

  • Maintenance
  • Reminder
  • Process
  • Recurring

Use:

  • Checklists for Make Ready, Renewals, Turnovers
  • Reports for workload and accountability

Assets (Add-on)

  • Assigned at Property (single‑unit) or Unit (multi‑unit)
  • Tracked through full lifecycle
  • Linked to work orders

Asset history is permanent and auditable.


Communications & Documentation

Includes:

  • Email
  • Texting*(add-on)
  • Letters
  • Statements
  • E‑Signatures
  • Portals

Best Practices: 

  • Verify email addresses
  • Store both contact and portal emails
  • Use Media tab for permanent records


Reports

The A‑Number Catalog is your map. Common survival reports:

  • Lease Account Status
  • Open Charges
  • Accounts Receivable
  • Profit & Loss
  • Renewals
  • Move‑Out Reconciliation

Reports catch problems before complaints or tickets


Final Survival Checklist

Before making changes:

  • Am I at the correct level (Property / Unit / Lease)?
  • Are dates correct?
  • Is the transaction defined correctly?
  • Does this impact tenants, owners, or the company?
  • Will reports reflect this accurately?