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Listings

4. Managing Listings (Properties & Units)

The Listings module is your property portfolio inventory. This is where you view, create, edit, and manage all properties and their individual units. Understanding how to work with this module is essential, as properties and units form the foundation for all bookings, financial tracking, and operations.

Listings Module Overview

4.1. Understanding the Listings Structure

Vivin organizes your portfolio in a hierarchical structure: Properties contain Units. A property represents a physical building or location (for example, "Central Apartment Building" or "Riverside Complex"), while units represent the individual rentable spaces within that property (for example, "Unit 101" or "Studio A").

When you open the Listings module, you will see a table displaying all your properties. Each row represents one property and shows key information including:

  • Property Name
  • Full Address
  • Rent Range (minimum and maximum rent across all units)
  • Next Availability Date (the earliest date when a unit becomes available)
  • Expand Arrow (click to reveal units)
  • Edit Icon (pencil icon to edit the property)

To view the units within a property, click the arrow icon on the left side of the property row. The row will expand to show all units belonging to that property. Each unit displays its unit number, type, rent, current occupancy status, and any active booking information.

Property List with Expandable Units

Clicking on an active unit row opens a Booking Sidebar on the right side of the screen, showing the current tenant's booking details, payment status, and key dates — all without leaving the Listings module:

Listing with Booking Sidebar Open

4.2. Creating a New Property

Creating a new property is one of the most important workflows in Vivin. The system guides you through a four-step wizard that captures all essential information and business rules.

To begin, click the + Create New button in the header and select Property from the Listings group.

Create New Property Button

Step 1: Property Details

The first step captures basic identification information for the property.

  • Property Name (required): The public or internal name you will use to identify this property (for example, "Central Apartment Building").
  • Address (required): The complete street address.
  • Floor (optional): Which floor the property is located on (useful for multi-story buildings).
  • Owner (required): Associate the property with a property owner who has been previously registered in the system.
Business Rule

The Owner dropdown will only display owners who have already been added through Account Settings > Users & Roles > Owners. If the owner you need is not in the list, you must navigate to that section and create the owner record first.

Property Details Step

Click Continue to proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Utility Bills ID

In this step, you enter the account identifiers for utility services associated with the property:

  • Electricity Bill ID
  • Gas Bill ID
  • Water Bill ID
  • Internet Bill ID
Business Rule

These identifiers are used by the Utilities module to automatically import and process bills for these accounts. By linking utility accounts to properties during setup, you enable automated expense tracking and tenant billing for utility overages.

Utility Bills Step

Click Continue to proceed.

Step 3: Extra Payments

This step defines additional fees and deposits that will be charged beyond the base rent. The configuration here establishes default values that can be applied to bookings for this property.

Security Deposit: Choose between two types:

  • Fixed: A set monetary amount (for example, €500)
  • Variable: Calculated based on the rent amount (Half Rent, 1 Rent, or 2 Rent)

Security Deposit Type Dropdown

Cleaning Fee: A fixed amount charged for cleaning services. Note that you can later configure when this fee is charged (see Section 4.4.4).

Admin Fee: A fixed amount for administrative and operational costs.

Bills Included: This field represents the ceiling (maximum amount) of utilities that is included in the tenant's rent.

Utility Ceiling

If you set the Bills Included amount to €50 for electricity, and the actual monthly electricity bill is €70, the system will automatically charge the tenant the €20 overage. If the bill is only €40, the tenant pays nothing extra.

Extra Payments Step

Click Continue to proceed to the final step.

Step 4: Contract Details

This is the most critical step, as it defines how and when rent will be charged. The settings here directly impact your cash flow and tenant payment schedules.

Rental Payment Frequency: Determines how rent is calculated and billed.

  • Monthly: Charges the full month's rent regardless of the check-in or check-out date.
  • Fortnightly: Divides the month into two periods (days 1-15 and days 16-end of month).
  • Daily: Calculates rent proportionally based on the number of days occupied.

Contract Type: Used for reporting and legal classification purposes (e.g., Rental, Services).

Confirmation Payments: Defines what the tenant must pay at the moment they book the unit to confirm their reservation (e.g., Deposit, First Rent, Last Rent, Deposit and First Rent).

Confirmation Payments Dropdown

Check-in Payments: Defines what the tenant must pay on the day they physically move into the property.

No Duplication

The system enforces a strict rule to prevent double-charging. If you select Deposit in Confirmation Payments, you cannot select Deposit again in Check-in Payments. The same rule applies to First Rent and Last Rent.

Contract Details Step

Finalizing the Property

You can use the Back button at any time to review and modify previous steps. Once all four steps are complete and you are satisfied with the configuration, click Submit to create the property in the system.

4.3. Creating a New Unit

Units are the individual rentable spaces within a property. To create a unit, click + Create New and select Unit from the Listings group. The system will guide you through a two-step wizard.

Create New Unit

Business Rule

A unit cannot exist without being associated with a property. You must create the property first before adding units to it.

Step 1: Unit Details

The first step captures the basic identification information for the unit.

  • Unit Name (required): The identifier for this unit (e.g., "Sala 01", "Room 2", "Studio A")
  • Property (required): Select the parent property from the dropdown
  • Property Type (required): Select the unit type from the dropdown. Available options include:
    • Full House
    • Studio
    • Room 1, Room 2, Room 3, etc. (numbered rooms)
    • Bed (for shared accommodations)

Unit Room Type Selector

Unit Details Step

Click Continue to proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Rent and Availability Details

The second step defines the financial and operational parameters for the unit.

Is the monthly rent fixed?

  • Yes, it's fixed: The rent amount remains constant for all bookings

    Fixed Rent Option

  • No, it varies: The rent can change based on season, demand, or other factors (you can configure variable pricing later in the unit's edit view)

    Variable Rent Option

Monthly Rent Value: Enter the base monthly rent amount (e.g., €500).

External Name: This is the name that will be displayed on external platforms like Airbnb or Booking.com (e.g., "Room 2").

Capacity: The maximum number of tenants allowed in this unit (e.g., 3).

Extra Charge per Tenant: If the number of tenants exceeds the base capacity, this amount will be added to the monthly rent for each additional tenant (e.g., €60).

Extra Deposit per Tenant: If the number of tenants exceeds the base capacity, this amount will be added to the security deposit for each additional tenant (e.g., €100).

Minimum Stay Period (in months): The shortest booking duration allowed for this unit. Use the slider to set a value between 0 and 12 months. For example, if you set this to 3, tenants cannot book for less than 3 months.

Maximum Stay Period (in months): The longest booking duration allowed for this unit. Use the slider to set a value between 0 and 12 months. For example, if you set this to 12, tenants cannot book for more than 12 months. Setting this to 12 typically means "no maximum limit."

Rent and Availability Step

Property Type Dropdown

Finalizing the Unit

You can use the Back button to review and modify the previous step. Once both steps are complete, click Submit to create the unit in the system.

4.4. Editing Properties

To edit an existing property, navigate to the Listings module and click the pencil icon next to the property you wish to modify. This opens a comprehensive editing interface with multiple tabs.

Edit Property Icon

4.4.1. General Information Tab

This tab allows you to update the property's basic details:

  • Property Name
  • Full Address
  • Floor
  • Owner

Any changes made here will apply to future bookings but will not retroactively affect existing reservations.

Property General Info Tab

4.4.2. Tags Tab

Tags are labels that help you organize and categorize your properties. When you add tags to a property, they automatically propagate to all units within that property.

To add a tag, click + Add Tag and select from your existing tags or create a new one. To manage your tag library, see Account Settings > Categories.

Use Case Example: You might create tags like "Pet Friendly," "Furnished," "City Center," or "Student Housing" to make filtering and reporting easier.

Property Tags Tab

4.4.3. Contract Tab

This tab allows you to preview and customize the contract template for this specific property.

If you have assigned a property-specific contract template (different from your default template), you can preview it here. The preview shows how the contract will look with all dynamic variables filled in.

You can also adjust contract-specific settings such as payment terms and rental frequency for this property.

Property Contract Tab

4.4.4. Payments Tab

This is one of the most important tabs, as it controls payment behavior for all bookings in this property.

Confirmation Payments & Check-in Payments: You can modify or completely remove the default payment requirements. For example, you can uncheck "Confirmation Payments" entirely if you want tenants to pay everything at check-in.

Due Date: You can set a specific due date for this property (e.g., "Rent is due on the 5th of every month"). If you click Clear, the system will use the default due date defined in Account Settings > Invoicing & Payments.

Cleaning Fee Collection: This is where you configure when the cleaning fee is charged:

  • Check-in: Charge the full cleaning fee amount at check-in (one-time charge)
  • Confirmation: Charge the full cleaning fee amount at booking confirmation (one-time charge)
  • Monthly (default): Charge the cleaning fee every month throughout the tenant's stay
Important

When you create a property, the cleaning fee collection method is set to "Monthly" by default and cannot be changed during creation. You must edit the property after creation to change this setting.

Property Payments Active: This is a critical toggle. When enabled, tenants can make payments through the Tenant Portal. When disabled, all payment functionality is blocked for tenants in this property.

Business Rule

If you disable "Property Payments Active," tenants will not be able to pay rent, deposits, or any other charges through the platform. Use this setting carefully, typically only when you are handling payments through an external system.

Property Payments Tab

4.4.5. Maintenances Tab

This tab allows you to automate ticket creation for check-ins and check-outs.

You can configure the system to automatically create a maintenance ticket whenever a booking in this property has a check-in or check-out. For each event type, you can define:

  • Responsible Team Member: Who should be assigned to the ticket
  • Priority: Low, Medium, High, or Critical
  • Category: The type of task (e.g., "Cleaning - Check-in," "Inspection - Check-out")
  • Description: A default message that will appear in the ticket

Use Case Example: You might configure an automatic "Cleaning" ticket to be created 1 day before every check-in, assigned to your cleaning team, with High priority.

Property Maintenances Tab

4.4.6. Access Lockers Tab

This tab manages access codes and smart lock integrations for the property.

You can define access codes for two levels:

  1. Building Access: The code to enter the building itself
  2. Property Access: The code to enter the specific property or apartment

For each level, you can choose between:

  • Manual Code: A static code that you enter manually (e.g., "1234#")
  • Nuki Integration: If you have connected Nuki smart locks in Account Settings > Integrations, you can link a Nuki device here. The system will automatically generate and send temporary access codes to tenants.

Entrance Hint: You can also add a text hint to help tenants find the entrance (e.g., "Use the side door on the left").

Business Rule

The access codes and hints you configure here will be automatically included in the check-in email sent to tenants and will also be visible in the Tenant Portal.

Property Access Lockers Tab

4.4.7. Email Customization Tab

This tab allows you to personalize the automated emails sent to tenants for this specific property.

You can customize three types of emails:

  • Onboarding Email: Sent after the booking is confirmed
  • Check-in Email: Sent before the tenant's arrival
  • Check-out Email: Sent before the tenant's departure

For each email type, you can add a custom message that will be appended to the default template. This is useful for property-specific instructions (e.g., "Please note that parking is available in the garage on the right side of the building").

To manage the default email templates, see Account Settings > Email Templates.

Property Email Customization Tab

4.5. Editing Units

To edit an existing unit, expand the property in the Listings module and click the pencil icon next to the unit you wish to modify.

Edit Unit Icon

The unit editing interface includes several tabs:

4.5.1. General Information Tab

Update the unit's basic details:

  • Unit Number — the identifier for this unit
  • Unit Type — the type of rental space (Room, Studio, Full House, Bed, etc.)
  • Monthly Rent — can be set as Fixed or Variable
  • Availability Date — the earliest date this unit can be booked from

Unit General Info Tab

The Availability Date field controls when the unit first appears as bookable. Set this to the date the unit will be ready to receive tenants:

Unit Availability Date Field

You can also set the Extra Charge per Tenant and Extra Deposit per Tenant values directly from the general tab — these define the additional amounts added when a booking exceeds the unit's base capacity:

Unit Extra Price per Tenant Field

4.5.2. Tags Tab

Add or remove tags for this specific unit. Unit tags are independent of property tags, allowing you to create more granular categorization (e.g., "Corner Unit," "Balcony," "Renovated 2024").

4.5.3. Access Lockers Tab

Similar to the property-level access codes, you can define a unit-specific access code here. This is useful when each unit has its own lock or smart lock device.

Unit Access Lockers Tab

4.5.4. Rent Value Tab

This tab allows you to configure whether the rent is fixed or variable.

  • Fixed Rent: The rent amount remains constant for all bookings.
  • Variable Rent: The rent can change based on season, demand, or other factors. You can define different rent amounts for different date ranges.

Unit Rent Value Tab

4.5.5. Channels Tab

This tab displays which external platforms (channels) this unit is connected to. For each connected channel, you will see:

  • Platform name (e.g., Airbnb, Booking.com)
  • Link to the listing on that platform
  • Sync status

You can click the link to view the unit's listing on the external platform.

Unit Channels Tab

4.6. Viewing Unit Availability and Unavailability

When you view a unit's details, you can see its availability calendar. This shows:

  • Available Dates: Dates when the unit is ready to be booked
  • Unavailable Dates: Dates when the unit is blocked

Unavailability can come from three sources:

  1. Bookings: Dates when a tenant is occupying the unit
  2. Airbnb (or other platforms): Dates blocked by external platform calendars
  3. Manual Unavailability: Dates you have manually blocked

Adding Manual Unavailability

To manually block dates (for example, during renovations or personal use), follow these steps:

Step 1: Open the unit's detail view by clicking on it in the Listings module.

Step 2: Navigate to the Availability tab.

Step 3: Click + Add Unavailability.

Step 4: Select the start and end dates for the unavailability period.

Step 5: (Optional) Add a reason or note (e.g., "Renovation," "Owner Use").

Step 6: Click Save.

The unit will now be blocked for those dates and will not appear as available in the Sales module or external platforms.

Unit Unavailability View

4.7. Key Business Rules for Listings

Summary
  1. Properties must exist before units: You cannot create a unit without first creating a property.

  2. Owners must exist before properties: You cannot assign an owner to a property unless that owner has been registered in Account Settings > Users & Roles > Owners.

  3. Tags propagate from property to units: When you add a tag to a property, all units within that property automatically inherit that tag.

  4. Cleaning fee timing cannot be set during creation: When creating a property, the cleaning fee is always set to "Monthly" by default. You must edit the property after creation to change it to "Check-in" or "Confirmation."

  5. Property Payments Active controls tenant portal payments: If this setting is disabled, tenants will not be able to make any payments through the platform for bookings in this property.

  6. Changes do not affect existing bookings: If you change the rent, payment terms, or other settings for a property or unit, those changes will only apply to new bookings created after the change. Existing bookings will continue using the values that were in effect when they were created.

  7. Access codes are sent automatically: Any access codes you configure in the Access Lockers tab will be automatically included in the check-in email and displayed in the Tenant Portal.