Review Your Property Setup

This is one of the most important steps before beginning billing. Properly structuring your property ensures water costs are allocated accurately and helps prevent billing disputes later.

Before creating your first bill, take a moment to review how your property is configured in the Web App.

Property Structure Best Practices

Every property is slightly different, but most setups fall into one of two categories:

1. One Property Bill

Use a single property when the entire property receives one utility water bill.

This is the most common setup and works well when:

• All units share the same utility bill
• The property is relatively simple (single building or small complex)
• All units and common areas are included on the same utility bill

2. Multiple Building Bills

Some properties receive multiple utility bills, often separated by building.

In these cases, it may be better to create separate properties for each building.

This helps ensure that tenants are only paying for water used within their building.

Transparency vs. Fairness

There is often a balance between transparency and fairness when deciding how to structure billing.

Transparency means tenants clearly understand how their bill is calculated.

Fairness means tenants only pay for the water usage associated with their building or area.

For example:

• Using one property is simpler and easier to explain.
   
• Using multiple properties can be more accurate but may require more setup.

The best choice depends on how the property receives its utility bills and how water usage is distributed across the property. Refer back to the How to Set Up Multi-Building Properties in SimpleSUB article for more information on when to use one property or multiple properties.

Non-Billable Units

Non-billable units are areas within the property that use water but should not be billed to tenants.

These must be configured early so the system properly allocates usage and costs.

Examples of Non-Billable Units

Common examples include:

• Irrigation
• Pools
• Common bathrooms
• Mechanical rooms
• Maintenance closets
• Shared laundry rooms
• Section 8 housing
• Other common utility spaces

These units still need meters in many cases, but their usage is not assigned to tenants.

Properly configuring non-billable units ensures that tenant charges remain accurate and fair.