Rentec Direct

Rentec Direct is now taking signups for our new Free Property Management Software, Rentec 2.0! Click here to visit our main site, and get signed up today risk free.

You can now print checks right from the Rentec Direct software!  We’ve added new functionality free for all existing Pro, PM, and Rentec for Associations customers to now print checks.  To get started it’s really simple, follow these easy steps.

1. Go to Settings, Manage Bank Accounts, and be sure you have at least one bank account setup.
2. Go to Settings, Accounting Defaults and choose the type of blank check stock you are using.  Rentec Direct supports all popular check types.  While your there we recommend you select Yes to the first item ‘Show the Accounts tab‘ to make getting to your accounts easier.
3. (optional) Setup vendors if you wish to simplify your check writing experience at Settings, Manage Vendors.  PM version users can also setup owners under Settings, Manage Owners.  All existing vendors and owners will auto-populate name and address when typing in the Payee field of the property expense form.
4. Post a new expense to any property.  In the expense type dropdown select ‘Print Check‘ and if not already selected, choose the account to draw the check from.
5. After posting the expense, go to Settings, Manage Bank Accounts (or click the Accounts tab if you have that enabled via Settings, Accounting Defaults).  Next to the account it will display how many pending checks there are.  Click there to open up the check printing window.

We’ve also designed a help document available once logged in in the upper right ‘need help‘ link.  It includes more detailed instructions along with screen shots of the process.

Product Update, Rentec PM, Rentec Pro, Rentec for Associations

We’ve made some recent improvements to the Tenant ACH system which will help both tenants and landlords stay on top of transactions.

• We will now send out automated emails to both the landlord and the tenants 5 days prior to the transaction taking place.  This serves as a reminder for the tenant to ensure they have funds in their account prior to the transaction, and a reminder for the landlord to be on the lookout for the deposit into their account.  This feature will help solve NSF issues where a tenant may have forgotten a withdrawal was coming out and thereby further improve rent collection simplicity.
• We have also improved your EasyPay interface to include a “changelog” of events.  Each time you or the tenant login and make any changes, the change is recorded into the system.  You can view all the changes now by entering the EasyPay screen, and click the “xx changes” link in the upper right.  You will be presented with a historical view of every change made to the account in descending order.  Tip:  mouse-over the who entry for a few seconds to determine the IP address of the computer that made the change.

We’re always on the lookout for ways to improve the ACH process and make it simpler for both the landlords and tenants.  If you have any ideas, please send them in.

Product Update, Rentec PM, Rentec Pro, Rentec for Associations

A question comes up somewhat frequently.  Frequently enough we wanted to post it up to the Blog with a good well explained answer to help us answer the question better for all users.

Question: I posted a tenant rent payment of $1000 to the tenant to offset their rent and their account balance is now zero; however, the property account shows positive $1000, why is that?

Answer: The tenant was charged $1000 rent which made their account -$1000.  When the $1000 is posted it accurately sets the tenant balance to $0.  The property itself on the other hand was not charged rent, it therefore only receives the income from rent during this transaction.  This is functioning as intended.

Now to answer this in a bit more detail, because it can become  bit complicated.

One of the easiest ways to think about the Property “account” is to think of it as your own personal bank account just for that individual property (or unit).  Even if you don’t maintain separate bank accounts per property, this ledger is the equivalent of that.  Now we don’t charge the property itself rent, so if the only transactions entered into Rentec Direct are rent charges and payments this property account will do nothing but receive income and the balance will grow consistently.  In this instance, the property account ledger will have little use to you and can probably safely just be ignored.

If you use Rentec Direct to also keep track of your expenses for the property, these expenses will offset some of the income.  For instance, $1000 rent income minus a $800 mortgage and $100 maintenance/utilities will then only be $100 per month positive growth on the account.  If you then link the property (Properties, Edit Property) to an actual bank account (Settings, Setup Bank Accounts), all these transactions will also post into the bank account, and net out to a $100 positive increase in the bank account.

Support

The iPad has become a popular device in just a few short weeks since it’s launch.  Rentec Direct staff has confirmed compatibility with our application and the iPad.  Yes, Rentec Direct can be used on the iPad (or virtually any other mobile platform) for access to your tenant information anywhere! You are no longer limited by the bounds of your desktop.

As with any new device the iPad has it’s exciting new features and drawbacks.  There are some bugs Apple still has to work out on the iPad, and once they do it will make using the iPad work better for not only Rentec Direct’s online property management software, but websites across the web.

Here are the items which we’ve noticed affect Rentec Direct users.

1. Apple removed scrollbars from their browser for in-browser divisions.   I believe because iPad users use their finger rather than a mouse, Apple unanimously decided for all their users that they are better off without scrollbars within web pages.   A search on Google finds over 1.5million results of the term “ipad scrollbars“.  At the top of the list are many complaints about Apple changing this common-sense browser functionality, and various suggested workarounds.

   Workaround: Within the scrollable frame, place two fingers on the screen and drag.  This will scroll the window within Rentec Direct.  If two fingers does not work, try three fingers.

2. No Flash Support.  Apple and Adobe (the creators of Flash) currently have bad blood, and as a result Apple chose to exclude Flash support from the iPad.  Apple is unlikely to overturn this decision anytime soon despite nearly 80% of the web currently using Flash.  It means very little however for Rentec Direct users.  The only flash component of the site is the file upload status bar.  Generally file uploads are going to come from your desktop machine anyways which does contain full Flash support, so this will affect very few.   File downloads should still work fine within the iPad.

We anticipate Apple will address both of these issues (and other bugs still part of the iPad platform); however, in the meantime we’re publishing these workarounds to assist you in using Rentec Direct with the iPad.  If you have any questions or comments about mobile access to Rentec Direct, please let us know.

External Resources, Off Topic

Many tenants have questions when it comes to automatic deductions from their bank accounts.  We’ve accumulated the top questions received from tenants thus far and included them in a single page FAQ (frequently asked questions) document.  We’ve uploaded a document that you can feel free to share with tenants interested in automatic ACH rent payments.  The file is located at http://www.rentecdirect.com/files/easypay_tenant_faq.pdf

If you receive frequent questions from your tenants that are not included, please submit them to our support staff at support@rentecdirect.com.

Here’s what is included in the document.

How does EasyPay work?
EasyPay uses the same system that utility companies and banks use to automatically pay your recurring bills.  You provide an authorization form with a voided check and our system will either automatically, or as specified by you or your landlord withdraw a specified amount without the need to write a check.  The system is paperless and entirely electronic.

Is EasyPay safe?
EasyPay is very safe, in fact it’s very likely safer than writing a check.  One of the leading forms of identity and bank theft are from papers just like checks or bank slips.  You provide an authorization form only one time and never have to write another check, thereby saving your check supply as well as being more secure.  Rentec EasyPay uses the latest and most effective security safeguards to protect and encrypt your data once it has been received by our office.  It’s the electronic equivalent of a 10 foot thick solid steel vault that only you and your landlord have keys to.

Can I manually make payments instead of them being automatic?
Yes.  If you prefer the system to not automatically pay your rent for you, you can select to manually make the payments instead.  It is simple; you just login to your account at Rentec Direct, click the EasyPay tab, and schedule your payment each month.   You must have internet access.

What if I have insufficient funds?
ACH works very much the same as a paper check.  If the transaction submits and your account does not have the funds available, your bank may either reject the transaction and/or charge you an overdraft fee.  Contact your bank for more information on their fees.  Again, it works the same way as if you write a check and there is insufficient funds to cover the check.

What if I forget about the recurring transaction?
This question comes up a lot; however, it rarely happens. You can choose the date the funds are withdrawn, and generally rent is one of the largest monthly expenses many people have so it is not easily forgotten. If your email is in the system we will also send you an email reminder a few days prior to the transaction. If you are concerned about funds availability in your account on a certain day of the month, you can instead select to manually handle your payments instead of doing them automatically each month.

If I change my mind, can I cancel the service?
Yes, you can cancel the service any time via any of these methods.  Login to your tenant portal at https://secure.rentecdirect.com/tenants, choose the EasyPay tab, and disable both the MultiPay and SinglePay checkboxes and choose Save Changes.  Alternatively, you can email us at easypay@rentecdirect.com with your contact information and we can cancel it for you, or you can call our office at 541-690-8667 to cancel.  Cancelling EasyPay does not require your landlord’s approval.

Rentec PM, Rentec Pro, Rentec for Associations

We have updated our tenant screening portolio to include the following reports:

Bankruptcies, Liens & Judgments: The Bankruptcies, Liens and Judgments Search is a comprehensive nationwide search that provides case information on any filed bankruptcies, outstanding liens, and judgments. Results may include name, address, attorney, docket number, county, filing state, filing type, filing number, civil filings, bankruptcy filings, bankruptcy type, judgments, dismissal date, release date, tax lien type, asset amount and amount. Records are generally updated weekly.  This new reports has INSTANT results.  Many landlords rely on this report because it gives a great idea of the prospective tenant’s history.  Most evictions which are not satisfied turn into a judgment which would show up on this report.

Evictions: The Evictions Search provides information on past eviction filings. Results may include court, case number, judgment date, judgment amount, satisfied date, initial filing date, defendant information, and plaintiff name.  Eviction data is now also returned instantly.

These two new reports replace the following reports:
Evictions, Liens Judgments (1-3 business days).
Bankruptcy Search (1-3 business days)

With the introduction of these newer reports, you can get more of the necessary data to screen a tenant instantly.

Product Update, Rentec Basic, Rentec PM, Rentec Pro, Rentec for Associations

Here at Rentec Direct we’re always testing out the capabilities of web browsers.  Our application makes use of some of the latest web technologies so it is important that browsers perform to make sure users’ experience is not just good, but great!

For a very long time the best combination of performance and security has come from Firefox.  Firefox is an open source application which has the most community support behind it for a web browser.  Because of the ample community support, and excellent programmers, Firefox leads the way still in performance and security.

Google Chrome just yesterday released version 5 of their new browser.  We’ve been using and testing with Chrome since version 3 and it has come a long way.  Chrome takes the cake in performance, even over Firefox.  Google Chrome 5 can rightfully claim the title as the fastest browser in the world, at least for now.  In our testing, Chrome 5 is noticeably faster all around the web.  It has native Flash support to give you the full web without installing any plugins and works very well with all websites we’ve tested it with, including Rentec’s BackOffice which makes use of many new web technologies.  Of note, with Chrome version 5, they now support plugins including some one of our “must have” favorites: Xmarks.

Other popular browsers include Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (IE) and Apple’s Safari browsers.  Neither has the performance and security that Firefox and Chrome have and while Rentec Direct is fully compatible with both, we recommend using one of the above.

If you are looking to speed up your web experience, try out the new Chrome, or if you are currently using IE try them both and see which fits your style best.  You will find your internet experience will improve significantly when you release that old slow browser.

External Resources, Off Topic

We’ve improved the report interface!  When viewing a report, statement, invoice, or receipt you now have the option in the upper right to download any report in PDF (right red pdf icon, see screenshot below).  Lately we’ve been asked a lot of  questions like these.

How can I email a copy of a ledger to my accountant?
How do I send this report to an owner?
How can I save reports?

The answer is, print to PDF.  PDF is a universally recognized document which stands for Portable Document Format.  There are many readers available for PDF and chances are your computer already has one installed.  If not, Adobe Acrobat is the most popular and it is free.  Once the document is saved, you can easily attach it to an email, or save it onto your computer or flash drive.

This update does not require you to purchase the full version of Adobe Acrobat.  We create the PDF files on the server and you download them and view them in the FREE PDF reader.  Customers of other property management software solutions who want to do the same may need to pay the $300/annual license to create PDFs; however, with Rentec Direct we’ve done this for you and included it in all of our professional releases at no additional cost.

Product Update, Rentec PM, Rentec Pro, Rentec for Associations

We have published the first release of the Owner Portal!  This new tool allows an owner to login and quickly view their property performance, accounting, and notices on pending or past move-ins and move-outs.  Basically the important details for an owner are available with the click of their mouse.

Click the image to the right to see an expanded example of what an owner will see when they first login.

Using this tool is simple for PM edition holders.  Follow these steps:

1. Be sure you’ve defined an owner at Settings, Setup Owners.
2. When configuring the owner, add an email address and password for them, and select the Portal checkbox to enable their portal.  Save Changes.
3. Go to the Properties tab, and right-click to Edit the properties this owner owns.  In the owner dropdown, select the owner you just setup.

The portal shows the owner only information pertinent to their properties and items an owner typically may ask for.   To view exactly what the owner will see, you can login to Rentec Direct with their email address and the password you have defined. Simply make note of those items, log out of your account, and log in with theirs at the same login screen.  You will then see what they have access to.

The owner portal is available to Rentec PM users at no additional charge.  Rentec Basic or Pro users can access this feature by visiting Settings, My Account & Subscription, and modify your subscription to Rentec PM.

This owner portal is version 1.  We do intend to expand it’s capabilities based on your input.  Please let us know what you would like to see displayed or made available within the owner portal as we will be making more improvements to the owner portal over 2010 based on your feedback.

Product Update, Rentec PM

With the popularity of our EasyPay program where you can automatically deduct rent from a tenant’s (or owner’s in the case of associations) account we have extended the capabilities.  Based on popular request, we’ve added a second application available for download at Settings, EasyPay Setup.  The new application allows for the tenant to pay the transaction cost.

One application is the original where you, the landlord or property manager, pays the transaction cost.  The second application has the tenant agree to the cost, and simply adds it to their payment(s) at the time of processing.  The cost is the same either way, you just now have the option of who pays it.

If you are not already setup for EasyPay, it is simple to get setup.  Login to your Rentec Direct account and select Settings, Setup EasyPay.  The application to get started is available there.  We can simplify your rent collection process right away.

Product Update, Rentec PM, Rentec Pro, Rentec for Associations