Unit Lease Records
For tenant units, Propty lets you store lease details alongside the resident-unit assignment. This is useful for tracking rental agreements, calculating rent amounts for financial records, and managing move-in and move-out dates.
- The unit and resident already added to Propty
- Lease agreement details (start date, end date, monthly rent)
- Lease document (optional but recommended)
Understanding Lease Fields
A lease record in Propty includes:
| Field | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Lease Start Date | The date the lease begins (when the tenant's agreement takes effect) |
| Lease End Date | The date the lease expires |
| Monthly Rent | The monthly rent amount the tenant pays to the owner |
| Move-In Date | The date the tenant physically moved into the unit (may differ from lease start date) |
| Move-Out Date | The date the tenant vacated (automatically set when resident is moved out) |
Entering Lease Information
1. Go to the Residents section
From your property dashboard, click Residents in the left sidebar.
2. Click on the resident
Click the resident name to open their profile.
3. Find the unit assignment
On the resident profile, scroll to the Units section. You'll see a table of units assigned to this resident.
4. Click "Edit" on the unit row
Next to the unit you want to add lease info for, click the Edit button.
5. Scroll to the Lease Info section
A form will appear. Scroll to the Lease Info section.
6. Fill in lease details
Enter the following:
- Lease Start Date — The date the lease agreement begins
- Lease End Date — The date the lease expires
- Monthly Rent — The monthly rent amount
- Move-In Date — The date the tenant physically moved in
7. Save
Click Save. The lease information is now recorded for this resident-unit assignment.
Alternative: Entering Lease Info from the Units Page
You can also enter lease information directly from the Units page:
1. Go to Units
From your property dashboard, click Units in the left sidebar.
2. Click on a unit
Click the unit name to open its detail page.
3. Click the "Residents" tab
On the unit page, find the list of current and past residents assigned to this unit.
4. Click "Edit" next to the resident
Click the Edit button next to the resident assignment.
5. Fill in lease info and save
Follow the same steps as above to enter lease start date, lease end date, monthly rent, and move-in date.
Uploading Lease Documents
You can attach the lease PDF to the unit record for easy reference.
1. Open the unit detail page
Go to Units and click on the unit.
2. Click the "Attachments" tab
On the unit page, click the Attachments tab.
3. Click "Upload Document"
Click the Upload Document button.
4. Select the lease PDF
Choose the lease PDF from your computer (typically from your file management system or scanned copy of the signed lease).
5. Label it
Optionally, add a label like "Lease 2024-2026" or "Original Lease".
6. Save
Click Save. The lease PDF is now attached to the unit and searchable.
Keeping lease PDFs in Propty ensures your team has easy access to lease terms, conditions, and renewal dates.
Ownership Share and Voting Power
For owner-occupied units, you can record the ownership percentage. This is used for weighted voting in HOA elections and financial reporting.
1. Open the resident profile
Go to Residents and click the resident name.
2. Find the Units section
Scroll to the Units section and click Edit next to the unit.
3. Enter ownership percentage
In the Ownership Share field, enter the percentage (for example, 50% for a joint owner, 100% for a sole owner).
4. Save
Click Save. The ownership share is recorded and used for voting calculations in HOA elections.
Ownership percentages are typically defined in your CC&Rs or bylaws. They determine how many votes each unit has in board elections and member meetings. Make sure these are configured accurately for legal compliance.
Marking Units as Vacant
When a tenant moves out or a unit becomes unoccupied, you can update its status.
1. Go to Units
From your property dashboard, click Units in the left sidebar.
2. Click on the unit
Click the unit name to open its detail.
3. Change the status to Vacant
Find the Status field and change it from Occupied to Vacant.
4. Save
Click Save. The unit is now marked as vacant.
What happens when you mark a unit as vacant:
- Any active resident-unit assignments are automatically moved to "Moved Out" status
- The move-out date is set to today
- The unit no longer appears in occupancy counts
- You can still see the lease history for reference
Move-In and Move-Out Dates
It's important to understand the difference:
| Date | Meaning | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Lease Start Date | The date the lease agreement takes effect | Actual lease agreement start date (may be before physical move-in) |
| Move-In Date | The date the tenant physically arrived and moved in | The date keys were handed over / tenant occupied the unit |
| Lease End Date | The date the lease expires | The last day of the lease agreement (may be after move-out) |
| Move-Out Date | The date the tenant vacated | The date they left the unit (automatically set when unit status is changed to Vacant) |
These can be different! For example:
- Lease Start: Jan 1, 2024; Move-In: Jan 5, 2024 (keys not available until Jan 5)
- Move-Out: Dec 15, 2024; Lease End: Dec 31, 2024 (tenant left early, lease didn't expire yet)
Best Practices
- Record lease info at move-in. Don't wait — enter the lease start date, end date, and rent amount as soon as you receive the executed lease.
- Keep lease PDFs attached. Store the signed lease PDF in Propty so your team doesn't have to dig through email.
- Update ownership shares accurately. If you have owner-occupied units, ensure ownership percentages are correct for voting purposes.
- Mark units vacant promptly. When a tenant moves out, update the unit status immediately so occupancy reports are accurate.
- Track move-out dates. Use the move-out date to reconcile final lease balances, damages, and security deposits.
Troubleshooting
I entered a lease end date but Propty isn't reminding me about renewal
- Lease renewal reminders are not automatic in the current version of Propty.
- Set a calendar reminder on your own, or add a task in your property management system.
I need to edit a lease end date after the lease has already ended
- You can edit lease dates at any time, even after the lease has expired.
- Go to the resident profile → Units → Edit → change the lease end date and save.
A unit has multiple residents — how do I record lease info?
- Propty records lease info per resident-unit assignment.
- If a lease is shared by multiple residents (joint tenancy), enter the same lease dates for each resident assignment.
- For the monthly rent, you can choose to split it or record the full amount — this depends on your accounting method.
A resident moved out before their lease ended — what do I do?
- Mark the unit as Vacant (this sets the move-out date to today).
- The lease end date remains unchanged (it's the contract date, not the actual move-out date).
- You can manually update the move-out date if needed.
I want to track how much the lease rent increased year-over-year
- Record the monthly rent amount each time the resident renews their lease.
- Historical lease records are maintained when you edit the resident assignment.
Can I upload a lease document for an owner-occupied unit?
- Yes! Even though owner-occupied units don't have formal leases, you can attach ownership documents, CC&Rs, or amendment agreements for reference.