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Admin Portal Guide

This comprehensive guide covers all features available in the PropManager Admin Portal.

Table of Contents

Getting Started

Accessing the Admin Portal

  1. Navigate to /admin-portal/ on your PropManager instance
  2. Log in with your admin credentials
  3. You'll be directed to the dashboard

Navigation

The admin portal uses an AWS-style launcher navigation with:

  • Top Navigation Bar - Always visible with search and quick access
  • App Launcher - Grid of all apps organized by category
  • Global Search - Search across apps, tenants, properties, and more
  • Recent Apps - Quick access to recently used features

See Navigation & Search for detailed usage.

Navigation & Search

App Launcher

Click the grid icon (☰) in the top navigation to open the app launcher:

  1. Pinned Apps - Your favorite apps (click pin icon to add)
  2. Recent Apps - Last 6 apps you've used
  3. Categories - All apps organized by function:
    • Dashboard & Analytics
    • Properties & Units
    • Tenants & Leases
    • Billing & Payments
    • Maintenance & Work Orders
    • Communications & Notifications
    • Documents & Templates
    • Settings & Configuration

Global Search

The search bar in the top navigation searches across all entities:

How to Use:

  1. Click the search bar or press Ctrl/Cmd + K
  2. Type at least 2 characters
  3. Results appear instantly, grouped by category

Search Categories (in priority order):

Category What's Searched
Apps App names, descriptions, keywords
Tenants Name, email, phone
Properties Name, address, city
Units Unit number, property name
Leases Tenant name, unit number
Documents Title, template name
Work Orders Title, description
Invoices Invoice number, tenant name

Keyboard Navigation:

  • ↓ / ↑ - Move between results
  • Enter - Open selected result
  • Escape - Close search

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut Action
Ctrl/Cmd + K Focus search bar
Ctrl/Cmd + / Open app launcher
Escape Close modal/search

Customization

Pin Apps:

  1. Open the app launcher
  2. Hover over any app tile
  3. Click the pin icon in the corner
  4. Pinned apps appear at the top of the launcher

Recent Apps:

  • Automatically tracked as you navigate
  • Shows last 8 apps used
  • Available in launcher and dropdown menu

Dashboard Overview

The dashboard provides a quick overview of your portfolio:

Key Metrics

  • Total Properties - Number of managed properties
  • Total Units - Total unit count across all properties
  • Occupancy Rate - Percentage of occupied units
  • Monthly Revenue - Current month's collected rent
  • Outstanding Balance - Total unpaid invoices
  • Open Work Orders - Pending maintenance requests

Recent Activity

  • Latest lease signings
  • Recent payments received
  • New work order submissions
  • Upcoming lease expirations

Quick Actions

  • Add new property
  • Create tenant account
  • Generate invoices
  • View overdue payments

Property Management

Adding a Property

  1. Navigate to Properties → Add Property
  2. Fill in property details:
    • Name - Property name/identifier
    • Address - Full street address
    • City, State, ZIP - Location details
    • Property Type - Residential, commercial, mixed-use
    • Year Built - Construction year
    • Total Units - Number of units
  3. Upload property photos (optional)
  4. Click Save Property

Property Settings

Each property has configurable settings:

  • General - Name, address, contact info
  • Billing - Late fees, grace periods (see Billing Configuration)
  • Rewards - Tenant reward program settings
  • Documents - Property-level document templates

Property Features

  • Amenities - Pool, gym, laundry, parking, etc.
  • Pet Policy - Allowed pets, restrictions, deposits
  • Smoking Policy - Property-wide or unit-specific
  • Parking - Available spaces, assigned parking

Unit Management

Adding Units

  1. Navigate to a property's detail page
  2. Click Add Unit
  3. Enter unit details:
    • Unit Number - Identifier (e.g., "101", "A", "Suite 200")
    • Floor - Floor level
    • Bedrooms - Number of bedrooms
    • Bathrooms - Number of bathrooms
    • Square Footage - Unit size
    • Base Rent - Default monthly rent
  4. Click Save Unit

Unit Status

Units can have the following statuses:

Status Description
Available Ready to lease
Occupied Currently leased
Maintenance Under repair/renovation
Reserved Held for upcoming lease

Unit Amenities

Track unit-specific features:

  • Appliances (dishwasher, washer/dryer, etc.)
  • Flooring type
  • HVAC system
  • Storage space
  • Balcony/patio
  • View type

Tenant Management

Creating Tenant Accounts

  1. Navigate to Tenants → Add Tenant
  2. Enter tenant information:
    • Email - Primary contact (used for login)
    • First Name / Last Name
    • Phone Number
    • Emergency Contact (optional)
  3. Click Create Tenant

The tenant will receive an email with login instructions.

Tenant Authentication

PropManager uses OTP (One-Time Password) authentication:

  1. Tenant enters email address
  2. System sends a magic link via email
  3. Tenant clicks link to log in
  4. Session is established

No passwords to remember or reset.

Tenant Profile

View and manage tenant information:

  • Contact details
  • Lease history
  • Payment history
  • Work order history
  • Documents
  • Reward points balance

Tenant Onboarding

The tenant onboarding system automates the process of bringing new tenants into PropManager.

How It Works

  1. Admin creates onboarding session for a prospective tenant
  2. System sends invitation via email/SMS with unique link
  3. Tenant completes wizard - account creation, info collection, document signing, payments
  4. System creates tenant account and links to lease

Creating an Onboarding Session

  1. Navigate to Tenants → Onboarding → New Session
  2. Select the property and unit
  3. Enter prospective tenant information:
    • Email address
    • Phone number (optional)
    • First and last name
  4. Choose an onboarding template
  5. Click Send Invitation

The tenant receives an email with a secure link to begin onboarding.

Onboarding Templates

Templates define which steps are required during onboarding:

Step Description Configurable
Account Creation OTP verification and account setup Required
Personal Info Name, DOB, contact preferences Required
Emergency Contacts Primary and secondary contacts Required
Occupants Additional household members Optional
Pets Pet registration Optional
Vehicles Vehicle registration for parking Optional
Employment Income/employer verification Optional
Renter's Insurance Policy upload or waiver Optional
Documents eSigning leases and agreements Required
Payments Move-in costs (deposit, first month, fees) Required
Welcome Property info and move-in checklist Required

Managing Templates

  1. Navigate to Settings → Onboarding Templates
  2. View existing templates or create new
  3. Configure:
    • Which steps are enabled
    • Which steps are required
    • Step order
    • Welcome message and property rules
    • Required documents (from eDocument templates)
    • Required fees (security deposit, first month, etc.)

Onboarding Presets

PropManager includes 15 pre-configured presets for common scenarios:

Standard:

  • Standard Residential
  • Pet-Friendly Property
  • Luxury/High-End

Specialized:

  • Senior Living (55+)
  • Student Housing
  • Low-Income/Section 8
  • Corporate Relocation
  • Military Housing (PCS/BAH)
  • Lease Renewal (Existing Tenant)

Session Management

Monitor onboarding progress:

  1. Navigate to Tenants → Onboarding → Sessions
  2. View all sessions with status:
    • Invited - Link sent, not yet clicked
    • Started - Tenant has begun the process
    • Completed - All steps finished
    • Expired - Link expired (can regenerate)
    • Cancelled - Admin cancelled session

Session Actions

  • View Details - See progress and collected information
  • Resend Invitation - Send reminder email/SMS
  • Regenerate Link - Create new token (extends expiration)
  • Cancel - Cancel the onboarding process

Lease Management

Creating a Lease

  1. Navigate to Leases → Create Lease
  2. Select tenant and unit
  3. Configure lease terms:
    • Lease Type - Fixed-term or month-to-month
    • Start Date - Lease commencement
    • End Date - Lease expiration (fixed-term only)
    • Monthly Rent - Base rent amount
    • Security Deposit - Required deposit
    • Rent Due Day - Day of month rent is due (1-28)

Lease Policies

Configure policies for each lease:

  • Pets - Allowed/not allowed, maximum number, pet deposit
  • Smoking - Allowed/not allowed
  • Subletting - Allowed/not allowed
  • Maximum Occupants - Occupancy limit
  • Parking Spaces - Assigned parking count
  • Renters Insurance - Required/optional, minimum coverage

Lease Terms

Add custom terms and conditions:

  1. Go to lease detail page
  2. Click Add Term
  3. Enter:
    • Title - Term heading
    • Description - Full term text
    • Is Standard - Mark as standard term for reuse

Occupants

Add additional occupants to the lease:

  1. Go to lease detail page → Occupants section
  2. Click Add Occupant
  3. Enter:
    • Name - Full name
    • Relationship - Spouse, child, roommate, etc.
    • Is on Lease - Whether they sign the lease
    • Is Cosigner - Whether they are a co-signer
    • Email - For signing notifications

Pets

Register pets on the lease:

  1. Go to lease detail page → Pets section
  2. Click Add Pet
  3. Enter:
    • Name - Pet name
    • Type - Dog, cat, bird, etc.
    • Breed - Specific breed
    • Weight - Pet weight
    • Is Service Animal - ESA or service animal designation

Fees

Add recurring or one-time fees:

  1. Go to lease detail page → Fees section
  2. Click Add Fee
  3. Enter:
    • Name - Fee description
    • Amount - Fee amount
    • Frequency - One-time, monthly, annually

E-Signatures

PropManager includes built-in electronic signature functionality:

Sending for Signatures

  1. Go to lease detail page
  2. Click Send for Signatures
  3. Review the list of required signers:
    • Primary tenant
    • Occupants marked "on lease"
    • Co-signers
  4. Click Send for Signatures

Signature Process

  1. Each signer receives an email with a unique signing link
  2. Links expire after 7 days for security
  3. Signer views the lease terms
  4. Signer draws their signature on the canvas
  5. Signer types their full name for confirmation
  6. Signature is recorded with timestamp and IP address

Signature Status

Status Description
Draft Not yet sent for signatures
Pending Sent, waiting for all signatures
Partial Some signatures collected
Executed All signatures collected

eDocuments

PropManager includes a full electronic document system for creating, sending, and signing documents.

Document Templates

Create reusable templates with dynamic content:

  1. Navigate to Documents → eDoc Templates
  2. Click Create Template
  3. Enter:
    • Name - Template identifier
    • Type - Lease, Pet Agreement, Addendum, Notice, etc.
    • Content - Markdown with variables and signature tags

Template Variables

Use variables that auto-populate with lease/tenant data:

This lease agreement is between **{{property_name}}** ("Landlord")
and **{{tenant_name}}** ("Tenant") for the unit located at:

**{{property_address}}, Unit {{unit_number}}**

**Lease Term:** {{lease_start_date}} to {{lease_end_date}}
**Monthly Rent:** ${{monthly_rent}}
**Security Deposit:** ${{security_deposit}}

Available Variables:

Variable Description
{{tenant_name}} Tenant's full name
{{tenant_email}} Tenant's email
{{property_name}} Property name
{{property_address}} Full property address
{{unit_number}} Unit identifier
{{monthly_rent}} Lease rent amount
{{security_deposit}} Security deposit
{{lease_start_date}} Lease start date
{{lease_end_date}} Lease end date
{{today}} Current date

Signature Tags

Add signature placeholders where signatures are needed:

**TENANT SIGNATURE:**
[SIGNATURE:Tenant]

**LANDLORD SIGNATURE:**
[SIGNATURE:Landlord]

Signature Roles:

  • Tenant - Primary tenant
  • Landlord - Property manager/owner
  • Cosigner - Co-signer on lease
  • Witness - Witness signature
  • Occupant - Additional occupant

Creating an eDocument

  1. Navigate to Documents → eDocuments → Create
  2. Select a template (or create from scratch)
  3. Associate with a lease (optional, auto-fills variables)
  4. Review and edit content
  5. Click Save

Sending for Signatures

  1. Open the eDocument
  2. Click Assign Signers
  3. Add signers with:
    • Name and email
    • Role (matches signature tags)
    • Signing order (sequential or parallel)
  4. Click Send for Signatures

Signing Process

  1. Signers receive email with unique signing link
  2. Links expire after 7 days (configurable)
  3. Signer views the document
  4. Draws signature on canvas
  5. Types full name for confirmation
  6. Signature recorded with timestamp and IP

Document Status

Status Description
Draft Being edited, not sent
Pending Sent, awaiting signatures
Partial Some signatures collected
Completed All signatures collected
Cancelled Document cancelled

Viewing Signed Documents

  1. Navigate to Documents → eDocuments
  2. Filter by status or search
  3. Click to view document with signatures
  4. Download as PDF with signatures embedded

Lease Status

Status Description
Draft Lease being prepared
Pending Awaiting signatures/approval
Active Current, valid lease
Expired Past end date
Terminated Ended early

Billing Configuration

Property Billing Settings

Each property has its own billing configuration:

  1. Navigate to Properties → Select property → Billing Settings
  2. Configure:
    • Late Fee Type - Flat amount or percentage
    • Late Fee Amount - Dollar amount or percentage value
    • Grace Period Days - Days after due date before late fee
    • Invoice Generation Day - Day of month to generate invoices

Late Fee Examples

Flat Fee:

  • Late Fee Type: Flat
  • Late Fee Amount: $50
  • Grace Period: 5 days

Result: $50 fee applied 5 days after due date.

Percentage Fee:

  • Late Fee Type: Percentage
  • Late Fee Amount: 5%
  • Grace Period: 5 days

Result: 5% of rent amount applied 5 days after due date.

Invoice Management

Automatic Invoice Generation

PropManager automatically generates invoices via background task:

  1. Runs daily via Django-Q2
  2. Checks for leases needing invoices
  3. Creates invoices with:
    • Base rent
    • Additional fees (pet fees, parking, etc.)
    • Any credits/adjustments
  4. Sends notification to tenant

Manual Invoice Creation

  1. Navigate to Billing → Create Invoice
  2. Select tenant and lease
  3. Add line items:
    • Description
    • Amount
    • Quantity
  4. Set due date
  5. Click Create Invoice

Invoice Status

Status Description
Draft Not yet sent
Sent Delivered to tenant
Paid Fully paid
Partial Partially paid
Overdue Past due date, unpaid
Void Cancelled invoice

Applying Late Fees

Late fees are applied automatically:

  1. Daily task checks overdue invoices
  2. Calculates late fee based on property settings
  3. Adds late fee line item to invoice
  4. Notifies tenant of additional charge

Viewing Invoice History

  • Navigate to Billing → Invoices
  • Filter by:
    • Property
    • Tenant
    • Status
    • Date range
  • Export to CSV for reporting

Payment Processing

Payment Gateway Setup

PropManager supports multiple payment gateways. Configure them in Settings → Payment Gateways.

Stripe

  1. Click Configure next to Stripe
  2. Enter:
    • API Key - Your Stripe secret key
    • Publishable Key - Your Stripe publishable key
    • Webhook Secret - For webhook verification
  3. Enable desired payment methods (cards, ACH)
  4. Click Save

PayPal

  1. Click Configure next to PayPal
  2. Enter:
    • Client ID - PayPal application client ID
    • Client Secret - PayPal application secret
    • Sandbox Mode - Toggle for testing
  3. Click Save

Square

  1. Click Configure next to Square
  2. Enter:
    • Access Token - Square access token
    • Location ID - Square location identifier
    • Application ID - Square application ID
  3. Click Save

Authorize.Net

  1. Click Configure next to Authorize.Net
  2. Enter:
    • API Login ID - Merchant API login
    • Transaction Key - Merchant transaction key
    • Sandbox Mode - Toggle for testing
  3. Click Save

Braintree

  1. Click Configure next to Braintree
  2. Enter:
    • Merchant ID - Braintree merchant ID
    • Public Key - Braintree public key
    • Private Key - Braintree private key
    • Environment - Sandbox or Production
  3. Click Save

Plaid ACH

  1. Click Configure next to Plaid
  2. Enter:
    • Client ID - Plaid client ID
    • Secret - Plaid secret key
    • Environment - Sandbox, Development, or Production
  3. Click Save

Bitcoin (BTCPay Server)

  1. Click Configure next to Bitcoin
  2. Enter:
    • BTCPay Server URL - Your BTCPay Server instance
    • Store ID - BTCPay store identifier
    • API Key - BTCPay API key
  3. Click Save

Recording Manual Payments

For payments received outside the system (checks, cash):

  1. Navigate to the invoice
  2. Click Record Payment
  3. Enter:
    • Amount - Payment amount
    • Payment Method - Check, cash, money order, etc.
    • Reference Number - Check number, receipt number
    • Date Received - Payment date
  4. Click Save

Refunds

  1. Navigate to the payment
  2. Click Issue Refund
  3. Enter refund amount (partial or full)
  4. Select reason
  5. Click Process Refund

Work Orders

Viewing Work Orders

Navigate to Work Orders to see all maintenance requests:

  • Filter by status, property, priority
  • Sort by date, priority, or property
  • Search by tenant or description

Work Order Status

Status Description
Submitted New request from tenant
Acknowledged Received and being reviewed
In Progress Work has begun
Pending Parts Waiting for materials
Completed Work finished
Cancelled Request cancelled

Work Order Priority

Priority Description
Emergency Safety issue, requires immediate attention
High Important, should be addressed within 24 hours
Normal Standard maintenance, within a week
Low Non-urgent, can be scheduled

Assigning Contractors

  1. Open work order detail
  2. Click Assign Contractor
  3. Select from contractor list or add new
  4. Contractor receives email with access token
  5. Contractor can view work order details and update status

Contractor Token Access

Contractors access work orders via secure token links:

  1. Contractor clicks link in email
  2. Views work order details (no login required)
  3. Can add notes and update status
  4. Token expires after work completion

Work Order Notes

Add notes to track progress:

  1. Open work order detail
  2. Scroll to Notes section
  3. Enter note text
  4. Click Add Note

Notes are timestamped and attributed to the user.

Attachments

Tenants and staff can attach files:

  • Photos of the issue
  • Receipts for parts
  • Completion photos
  • Documents

Rewards Program

Program Overview

The tenant rewards program incentivizes on-time payments:

  • Streak Rewards - Rewards for consecutive on-time payments
  • Prepayment Bonuses - Rewards for paying multiple months ahead

Configuring Rewards

  1. Navigate to Properties → Select property → Rewards Settings
  2. Enable the rewards program
  3. Configure streak rewards:
Milestone Default Reward
3-month streak $25 credit
6-month streak $50 credit
12-month streak $100 credit
  1. Configure prepayment bonuses:
Prepayment Default Bonus
2 months $15 credit
3 months $30 credit
6 months $75 credit
  1. Click Save

Viewing Tenant Rewards

  1. Navigate to tenant profile
  2. View Rewards section:
    • Current points balance
    • Reward history
    • Current streak count

Manual Reward Adjustments

  1. Navigate to tenant profile → Rewards
  2. Click Add Adjustment
  3. Enter:
    • Points (positive or negative)
    • Reason
  4. Click Save

Communications

Notification Groups

Create groups for targeted messaging:

  1. Navigate to Communications → Notification Groups
  2. Click Create Group
  3. Enter group name and description
  4. Add tenants to the group
  5. Click Save

Sending Messages

  1. Navigate to Communications → Send Message
  2. Select recipients:
    • Individual tenants
    • Notification groups
    • All tenants at a property
  3. Compose message:
    • Subject
    • Body (supports formatting)
  4. Select channels:
    • Email
    • SMS
    • In-App notification
  5. Click Send

Message Templates

Create reusable templates:

  1. Navigate to Communications → Templates
  2. Click Create Template
  3. Enter:
    • Template name
    • Subject
    • Body (with placeholders)
  4. Click Save

Available Placeholders:

  • {{tenant_name}} - Tenant's full name
  • {{property_name}} - Property name
  • {{unit_number}} - Unit identifier
  • {{amount_due}} - Outstanding balance
  • {{due_date}} - Payment due date

Notification History

View sent notifications:

  1. Navigate to Communications → History
  2. Filter by:
    • Date range
    • Channel (email, SMS, in-app)
    • Recipient
    • Status

Weather Notifications

Weather API Setup

  1. Navigate to Settings → Weather
  2. Enter OpenWeatherMap API key
  3. Configure alert thresholds:
    • Temperature extremes
    • Wind speed warnings
    • Precipitation alerts
  4. Click Save

Automated Weather Alerts

PropManager automatically monitors weather and sends alerts:

  1. Daily weather check runs via background task
  2. If conditions meet thresholds, notification is triggered
  3. Affected tenants receive alerts via configured channels

Weather Alert Types

  • Extreme Heat - High temperature warnings
  • Extreme Cold - Freeze warnings, pipe protection reminders
  • Severe Weather - Storm, tornado, hurricane alerts
  • Winter Weather - Snow and ice notifications
  • Flood Warnings - Heavy rain and flood alerts

Reports

Available Reports

Navigate to Reports for financial and operational reports:

Financial Reports

  • Income Summary - Revenue by property/period
  • Outstanding Balances - Unpaid invoice summary
  • Payment History - All payments with details
  • Late Fee Report - Applied late fees

Operational Reports

  • Occupancy Report - Unit occupancy rates
  • Lease Expiration - Upcoming expirations
  • Work Order Summary - Maintenance activity
  • Tenant Roster - Current tenant list

Exporting Reports

All reports support export:

  1. Generate report with desired filters
  2. Click Export
  3. Select format:
    • CSV
    • PDF
    • Excel
  4. Download file

Settings

Company Settings

Configure organization-wide settings:

  • Company Name - Displayed in portal and documents
  • Logo - Branding for portals and emails
  • Contact Information - Support email and phone
  • Address - Company address

User Management

Manage admin users:

  1. Navigate to Settings → Users
  2. Click Add User
  3. Enter:
    • Email
    • Name
    • Role (Admin, Manager, Staff)
    • Properties (for property-specific access)
  4. Click Create User

Roles and Permissions

Role Permissions
Admin Full access to all features
Manager Property management, no system settings
Staff Limited access (work orders, tenant communication)

Audit Log

View system activity:

  1. Navigate to Settings → Audit Log
  2. Filter by:
    • User
    • Action type
    • Date range
  3. View details of each action

Best Practices

Daily Tasks

  • Check dashboard for alerts
  • Review new work orders
  • Process pending payments
  • Respond to tenant messages

Weekly Tasks

  • Review overdue invoices
  • Check upcoming lease expirations
  • Review work order backlog
  • Check payment gateway status

Monthly Tasks

  • Generate financial reports
  • Review occupancy rates
  • Audit late fee applications
  • Update property information as needed

Getting Help

  • Documentation: Browse the docs folder
  • Troubleshooting: See troubleshooting.md
  • Support: Contact your system administrator