Help topics
Bring in your records
Import from a spreadsheet
One row per tenancy: the building, the unit, who lives there and what they pay. Excel (.xlsx) and CSV both work.
The steps
- Sign in and open Properties, then Import tenants or an M-Pesa statement, or go to /import.
- Download the template, or use your own sheet: the column names below are recognised in any order.
- Choose the file. Every row is checked, and nothing is saved yet.
- Fix any row marked in red in your sheet, and choose the file again.
- Press Import. Rows that still have a problem are skipped; fix them and upload the same file later. Rows already imported are recognised and left alone.
Columns
Heading names are matched without caring about spaces, capitals or punctuation, so Unit Code, unit_code and UNITCODE are the same column. Any of the names in the middle column work.
| Column | Also recognised as | Needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Property | Building, Estate, Property Name | Yes (created if new) |
| Unit | Door No, House, House No, Unit Label | Yes |
| Unit Code | Code, Account No, Paybill Ref, Reference | No: the unit name is used |
| Tenant Name | Tenant, Name, Full Name | Yes |
| Phone | Mobile, Phone Number, Tenant Phone | Yes |
| WhatsApp Number | No: the phone is used | |
| M-Pesa Number | Paying Number, M-Pesa Phone | No |
| Rent | Monthly Rent, Rent Amount | Yes |
| Deposit | Deposit Held, Deposit Amount | No: taken as already received |
| Start Date | Move In, Move In Date, Lease Start | No: today |
| Billing Day | Rent Due Day, Due Date | No: the 5th |
| Balance | Arrears, Opening Balance, Outstanding, Owing | No: nothing owed |
| Unit Type | Type, Room Type | No |
| ID Number | National ID | No |
Rules worth knowing
- The unit code is what tenants type into M-Pesa. Two units cannot share one. It may use letters, numbers,
/and-, up to 16 characters. - Every tenant needs a phone number. It is how they are recognised when they pay and how they are told about rent.
0712 345 678,254712345678and+254712345678all work. - Amounts can be written
15000,15,000orKES 15,000. Dates are day first:01/03/2025,1-3-25or2025-03-01. Excel dates are converted for you. - Balance is what the tenant owes today. It becomes one opening invoice, not a year of monthly ones.
- Only the first sheet of an Excel file is read. Merged cells and title rows above the headings are the usual reason a file is refused; remove them.