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Gallery OwnersUpdated Apr 17, 2026 Occupant Management & Billing
Automate rent collection, deposits, late fees, and utilities. Track payments and manage occupant accounts efficiently.
Adding Occupants
To add a new occupant to a space:
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Navigate to Rentals > [Space Name]
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Click Add Occupant
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Enter occupant details:
- Name: Full legal name
- Email: For payment notices and receipts
- Phone: Contact number
- Business name (if applicable): What they operate as
- Address: Move-in address (same as space or different)
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Select existing lease or create new
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Click Create
The occupant is now assigned to the space and you can start managing their billing.
Occupant Invitations
Send invitations to occupants to access their portal and pay rent online.
To send invitation:
- Open the occupant's profile
- Click Send Portal Invitation
- Email is sent with a link to:
- View their lease agreement
- Make payments
- Submit maintenance requests
- View payment history
Occupants receive a secure login without creating a password. They can act immediately.
Tip: Send the invitation as soon as the lease is signed to get them set up for autopay.
Charge Types
Billings to occupants include multiple charge types beyond monthly rent.
Monthly Rent
The base recurring charge set in the lease.
- Frequency: Auto-charged on same day each month
- Amount: From lease agreement
- Due date: Configurable (e.g., 1st of month)
Security Deposit
One-time charge collected at lease start, refunded at move-out (less damages).
- Timing: Collected upfront (before move-in)
- Amount: Typically 1 month's rent
- : After final inspection
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Refund
Late Fees
Penalty charge if rent is unpaid past due date.
- Trigger: Configurable days late (e.g., 5 days past due date)
- Amount: Fixed amount or percentage of rent
- Auto-charge: Yes (applies automatically)
Example: $500/month rent, 10% late fee, applied 5 days late = $50 late fee automatically charged.
Utility Charges
Pass through utilities if not included in rent.
- Rent includes: Water, electric, internet
- Occupant covers: Separate utility bill (handled by utility company, not you)
- Custom charges: If you bill utilities to occupant (e.g., shared water), add as custom charge
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In occupant's billing section, click Add Charge
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Select Utilities
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Enter:
- Type: Water, Electric, Internet, Gas, Trash, etc.
- Amount: Monthly or one-time
- Frequency: Monthly, quarterly, or one-time
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Charge is added to next monthly invoice
Custom Charges
Add one-time or recurring charges for services, maintenance, or fees.
- Parking fee: $50/month
- Late fee: $50 one-time
- Damage recharge: $300 one-time
- Cleaning fee: $150 monthly
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Go to occupant's billing
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Click Add Charge
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Enter:
- Description: What the charge is for
- Amount: Dollar amount
- Frequency: One-time or recurring
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Click Add
Charge appears on next bill automatically.
Autopay Setup
Enable automatic monthly payments to ensure consistent, on-time rent collection.
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Open occupant profile → Billing
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Click Enable Autopay
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Choose payment method:
- Bank account (ACH): Free, 1-2 business days
- Credit/debit card: Immediate, may have small processing fee
- Check: Manual, received/deposited by you
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For bank account: Connect via Plaid (secure, no credentials stored)
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For card: Securely store card details (PCI compliant)
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Select billing day (e.g., 1st of month)
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Click Enable
Once autopay is active, monthly charges are automatically collected.
Best Practice: Require autopay for all leases. It eliminates missed payments and reduces admin work.
Autopay Failures
If a payment fails (card declined, insufficient funds):
- System retries after 3 days
- If second attempt fails, email notice sent to occupant
- Occupant has 10 days to update payment method
- If unpaid after 10 days, late fees apply
Manage failed payments in Rentals > Payment Issues.
Payment Tracking
Monitor all occupant payments in one dashboard.
- Open occupant profile → Payment History
- See all charges and payments:
- Date charged
- Charge type (rent, late fee, utilities)
- Amount
- Status (Paid, Pending, Overdue)
- Payment date (when received)
- Charge type
- Month/date range
- Status
- Payment method
Payment Status Definitions
| Status | Meaning | Action |
|---|
| Pending | Charged but not yet paid | Awaiting payment |
| Paid | Payment received in full | Archive/close |
| Partial | Partial payment applied | Collect remaining amount |
| Overdue | Past due date, unpaid | Send reminder; apply late fee |
| Failed | Payment attempt declined | Update payment method |
Refunds & Adjustments
Handle deposits, credits, and partial refunds easily.
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Open occupant profile → Payments
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Click Issue Refund
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Enter:
- Amount: Dollar amount to refund
- Reason: Deposit return, overpayment credit, damage waiver, etc.
- Payment method: Original method (ACH, card) or check
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Click Process
Occupant receives refund within 3-5 business days.
Instead of refunding, you can apply a credit to future rent:
- Click Apply Credit
- Enter Amount and Reason
- Credit reduces next month's bill (or specified month)
Credits are transparent on invoices.
Move-Out & Final Billing
When a lease ends, manage the occupant's final account.
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Conduct final walkthrough
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Document any damages
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Calculate final charges:
- Rent through move-out date (prorated if mid-month)
- Damage assessments
- Cleaning fees (if needed)
- Utilities through final date
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Calculate refunds:
- Security deposit minus damages
- Overpaid rent credits
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Create final invoice in occupant's billing
To close the occupant account:
- Open occupant profile
- Click Close Account
- Confirm move-out date
- Process final refund (if applicable)
- Occupant removed from active list
Historical data remains for records.
Occupant Portal
Occupants receive access to view and manage their account.
Portal features (available to occupants):
- View lease agreement
- See payment history and upcoming charges
- Make one-time payments
- Update autopay payment method
- Submit maintenance requests
- Download payment receipts and tax documents
This reduces support burden and keeps occupants informed.
Best Practices
- Require autopay: Eliminates 90% of payment issues
- Set clear late policies: Communicate late fees upfront in lease
- Weekly payment checks: Monitor pending and overdue payments
- Issue deposits quickly: Refund security deposits within 30 days of move-out (state law)
- Keep records: Maintain all receipts, invoices, and correspondence
- Document damages: Take photos and get occupant signature on damage assessments
- Communicate proactively: Send payment reminders, not just past-due notices
Troubleshooting
Autopay failed — how do I collect?
- Send payment reminder email with payment link
- Accept one-time payment via card or bank transfer
- Update payment method and retry autopay
Occupant disputes a charge?
- Review lease and charge details
- If error, remove charge and reissue correct amount
- If legitimate dispute (e.g., maintenance you covered), issue credit
- Document decision for records
How do I handle prorated rent?
- Crafted Call calculates automatically
- If move-in is mid-month, rent is prorated to start date
- If move-out is mid-month, final month rent is prorated to move-out date
- Full breakdown shown on invoice
Can I change rent mid-lease?
- No, rent is locked for the lease term
- At renewal or new lease, you can propose new terms
- Changes require new lease agreement
How are deposits handled for tax purposes?
- Deposits are not income (don't report on income statement)
- Only refund the deposit minus documented damages
- Damage charges are income; refunded portion is not
