Arrears

Open and read the arrears report

1

Open the report

From the left sidebar, open the Tenancies menu and click Arrears Report. This article covers Keyhook's current arrears report; if your agency hasn't been switched to it yet, your report may look different.

2

Choose how arrears are counted

At the top, switch between the By Period and By Day tabs. By Period counts from the rent period's due date (the RTA convention), and By Day counts from the day after the rent-paid-through date (the Tenancy Tribunal convention). The same tenancy can show a different number of days overdue under each, so pick the view that matches how you will act on it.

3

Read a row

Each row shows the days overdue, the amount owing and how many notices have been sent. Click the Notices count to open that tenancy's notice history.

4

Open a tenancy

Click a property address to slide open the tenancy's overview, where you can see its rent ledger and details.

Search and filter the list

1

Search for a tenancy

Use the search box to find a tenancy by property address or tenant name.

2

Narrow the list

Click Filters and set any of Priority, Suburb, City and a Min / Max arrears range.

3

Include debtors or noticed tenancies

In the same panel, turn on Show debtors to include tenants carrying debt from a past tenancy, or Notice sent to show only those already noticed.

4

Hide the barely-overdue (By Day only)

On the By Day tab, set Min days over to drop anyone only a few days behind.

Add a note to a tenancy

1

Open the note

On the tenancy's row, click the speech-bubble Add note icon on the right. (This icon only shows while a tenancy has no note yet.)

2

Write it

Type your note (for example a payment arrangement the tenant has agreed to) in the Add arrears note popover that opens.

3

Save

Click Save. The note then shows in a footer under the tenancy's row; use Edit or Remove there to change or clear it later.

Send an arrears notice

1

Start the notice

On the tenancy's row, click Send Notice.

2

Choose the notice type

Pick the notice that fits the situation, Friendly Reminder, 14 Days Notice, Overdue Rent Notice, Second Overdue Rent Notice or Tribunal Notice. Keyhook loads the matching template. They escalate in that order, from Friendly Reminder up to Tribunal Notice, so send the one that matches how overdue the rent is.

3

Review the notice

Check the Subject and Body and edit them if needed. Yellow placeholders mark details that fill in automatically.

4

Confirm your signature

Make sure your Signature appears at the foot of the notice. A signature must be saved to your account first, or the notice cannot send.

5

Send

Click Send, then confirm. The notice is emailed to the tenant and added to the tenancy's notice history. (For notices that end a tenancy, see Ending a Tenancy.)

Send notices in bulk

1

Select the tenancies

Tick the checkbox on each tenancy you want to notice.

2

Open the bulk send

Click Send arrears notices (it shows the number selected) at the top right of the table.

3

Choose the type and send

Select the notice type, click Send Selected Notice, then confirm. The notices are queued and may take a few minutes to go out. Every selected tenancy gets the same notice type, so send tenancies at different stages of arrears in separate batches.

Mark a tenancy as a debtor

1

Open Set Up Tenancy

From the left sidebar, open Properties, select the property, then click Set Up Tenancy in its left-hand menu. (You can also get there from the Tenancies tab on the property and selecting the active tenancy.)

2

Go to Rent & Bond

In the numbered steps on the left, click Rent & Bond (step 2).

3

Toggle debtor status

Turn on Debtor - mark this tenancy as a debtor, just below Initial arrears. For an existing tenancy this saves immediately; for a tenancy you are still creating, it saves along with the rest of the form when you click Save or Save and continue.

4

Or flag several at once

To mark or clear debtor status for a group of tenancies in one go instead, go to Tenancies → Arrears Report, tick their checkboxes, then click Mark as debtor at the top right of the table (it reads Remove debtor instead if every tenancy you have selected is already a debtor).

Note: Marking a tenancy as a debtor does not change, wipe or write off the arrears balance. It only removes the tenancy from the arrears list and stats, which is useful for a long-standing debt you are not actively chasing, for example a legacy amount being paid off slowly under a court-ordered payment plan, rather than for clearing or forgiving current arrears.

Set your agency's default arrears view

1

Open Trust Accounting Settings

In the sidebar, open Agency, then on the agency page click Trust Accounting Settings. (This is only available to Principal users.)

2

Find the setting

In the Accounting settings section, find Default arrears view.

3

Choose the view

Pick Due date or Rent paid through. This sets which view the report opens on across your agency. Anyone can still switch between By Period and By Day on the report itself; this only sets the starting view.

4

Save

Click Save.