Welcome to
PropertyDesk
Your complete guide to managing landlords, buildings, units, contracts and cheques — all in one place, built for the UAE property market.
📋 Contents
Use the Quick Actions buttons on the Dashboard to add new records, or use the navigation menu at the top of the page.
Add your Landlords first
Click Add Landlord from the Dashboard Quick Actions or from the Landlords page. Enter the landlord's full name, phone number, and email address. The email is required for automatic notifications to work.
Add Buildings
Click Add Building. Link the building to its landlord using the owner field. Add the building name and location details.
Add Units
Click Add Unit. Link each unit to its building and assign the owner (landlord). Add the unit number and type. Note that your plan includes a maximum number of units.
Add Tenants
Click Add Tenant. Enter the tenant's full details including their email address. This email is used to send them automatic payment reminders and contract notices.
Create a Contract
Click Add Contract. Link it to a unit and a tenant. Set the contract number, start and end dates, and annual rent amount. The end date is used to trigger expiry alerts.
Add Cheques
Click Add Cheque. Link the cheque to its contract. Enter the cheque number, amount, due date, and bank name. Set the initial status to Received.
Full name, email address, and phone number. The email address is essential — without it, the landlord will not receive any automatic notifications from the system.
Every landlord has a dedicated portfolio report page showing all their buildings, units, active contracts, and cheques — with KPI summary cards at the top.
Use the Landlords section in the top navigation to search, filter, and browse all landlords. Click any landlord name to open their full profile and portfolio.
Landlords automatically receive emails when a cheque is due tomorrow, a cheque bounces, or a contract is expiring in 7 days — as long as their email is saved.
Each building belongs to a landlord and groups your units together. Navigate to Buildings from the top menu to see the full list with unit counts.
Units are the individual rentable spaces inside buildings. Each unit has a number, type, and is linked to both a building and an owner (landlord).
Your subscription plan includes a maximum number of units. When the limit is reached, the system will display a warning and prevent new units from being added until your plan is upgraded.
A unit is considered occupied when it has an active contract linked to it. The Dashboard tracks occupancy rate automatically across your entire portfolio.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Contract No. | Unique reference number for this contract (e.g. C-1302) |
| Unit | The unit this contract covers — links to the unit record |
| Tenant | The tenant linked to this contract — must be added first |
| Start Date | The date the tenancy begins |
| End Date | The contract expiry date — used to trigger the 7-day expiry alert |
| Annual Rent | Total yearly rent in AED — used in portfolio KPI calculations |
Renewing a contract
When a contract is renewed, create a new contract record with the new dates and rent amount. Keep the old contract as a historical record — do not delete it.
Vacating a tenant
When a tenant vacates, mark the contract as unpublished to remove it from active views. The unit will then show as vacant in occupancy reports.
| Status | Meaning | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| Received | Cheque collected from tenant, not yet deposited | Deposit at bank on or before the due date |
| Deposited | Cheque submitted to the bank | Wait for clearance confirmation |
| Cleared | Payment successfully processed | No action needed — complete |
| Bounced | Cheque returned by the bank | Office contacts tenant to arrange a replacement |
| Replaced | A replacement cheque has been issued | Add the new cheque as a separate record |
Recording a bounced cheque
Open the cheque from the Cheques page or by clicking it in the notification bell. Change its status to Bounced and save. Emails are sent automatically.
When the tenant provides a replacement
Change the original bounced cheque status to Replaced. Then click Add Cheque to create a new cheque record for the replacement with the new due date and amount.
Confirming clearance
Once the bank confirms a cheque has cleared, open the record and update the status to Cleared. This removes it from all active alert views and dashboards.
The Dashboard is your home page. It shows live KPI cards, quick action buttons, and recent activity across your portfolio — all updated in real time.
Total number of units in the system across all buildings, regardless of whether they are occupied or vacant.
The number of currently active tenancy contracts. This is the basis for the occupancy rate calculation.
The combined annual rent value of all active contracts. Represents your total portfolio revenue for the year.
Percentage of units with an active contract. Calculated automatically as: active contracts ÷ total units × 100.
Cheques with today's date as their due date. These should be deposited at the bank today.
Currently bounced cheques that haven't been resolved. The office should follow up with the tenant to arrange a replacement.
Always visible in the top header
The bell icon shows a red badge with the number of active alerts. Click it on any page to see a grouped list of what needs your attention right now.
🔴 Bounced Cheques
Cheques marked as bounced within the last 30 days. Shown first — highest urgency. Click to open the cheque directly.
🟠 Due Today
Cheques with today's due date. These need to be deposited at the bank today.
🟡 Due Tomorrow
Cheques due the next day. Advance notice to prepare for collection or bank deposit.
🔵 Contracts Expiring
Contracts expiring within the next 7 days. Contact the tenant to arrange renewal or confirm vacating date.
Clicking a notification
Each item in the bell is a link. Clicking it opens the relevant cheque or contract page directly so you can take action immediately.
Dismiss All
Click Dismiss all inside the panel to hide all alerts for the current session. They will reappear the next time you log in or the following day.
PropertyDesk monitors your portfolio every day and sends emails automatically. You don't need to do anything — as long as email addresses are saved on each landlord and tenant record.
| Event | Who receives it | Purpose | When it's sent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheque due tomorrow | Landlord | Kept informed — the office handles collection | 8am daily |
| Cheque due tomorrow | Tenant | Reminder to ensure sufficient funds are available | 8am daily |
| Contract expiring in 7 days | Landlord | Kept informed — the office will arrange renewal | 8am daily |
| Contract expiring in 7 days | Tenant | Notice to contact the office about renewal or vacating | 8am daily |
| Cheque bounced | Landlord | Kept informed — the office will contact the tenant | Immediately on status change |
| Cheque bounced | Tenant | Alert to contact the office immediately | Immediately on status change |
Here is an example of what a bounced cheque alert looks like:
A cheque has been returned as bounced:
Cheque No.: #10014 | Amount: AED 7,500.00 | Due Date: 22/04/2026
Bank: Gulf Horizon Bank | Unit: 301 | Contract: C-1302
Our office will be in touch with the tenant shortly to resolve this matter.
Best regards,
Property Desk
Always fill in email addresses
The email field on landlord and tenant records is not visually marked as required, but it is essential for the notification system. Without it, that person receives no automatic alerts.
Update cheque statuses in real time
The system works best when statuses are updated promptly. Mark cheques as Deposited when you submit them to the bank, and Cleared once the bank confirms. This keeps all dashboards accurate.
Check the notification bell every morning
Make it a habit to click the bell when you log in. It shows everything that needs attention that day — bounced cheques, due payments, and expiring contracts — all in one place without searching.
Use the Landlord Report for client meetings
Before meeting a landlord, open their portfolio page. It shows all their properties, active contracts, cheque statuses, and financial KPIs in one view — perfect for a quick briefing.
Don't delete old contracts
Keeping historical contracts preserves your cheque payment history. When a contract ends, mark it as inactive rather than deleting it. This keeps the data safe for future reference.
Use consistent contract numbers
Use a simple format like C-1001, C-1002 for your contract reference numbers. This makes searching and cross-referencing much easier, especially when a landlord has multiple properties.