Properties & rooms · Troubleshooting
Properties & rooms: troubleshooting
Fixes for common problems with properties and rooms, and what the error messages mean. For how it all works, see Properties & rooms; for step-by-step instructions, see Properties & rooms: how-to.
Some of my properties are missing from the Properties panel
Section titled “Some of my properties are missing from the Properties panel”Why it happens:
- Actions only is on, so only properties with outstanding Actions show. COHO remembers this setting in your browser.
- You have more than 9 properties, so COHO is showing one town or area at a time.
- The property is in a building, so it’s inside that building’s section.
- The property is deactivated, so it only shows under Inactive.
- A tag is chosen in Limit to tags….
How to fix it: turn off Actions only, clear the tags and search, and turn on Show all. Open any building sections. If it’s still missing, turn on Inactive. If it isn’t there either, it may have been deleted.
I can’t open a deactivated property to see its records
Section titled “I can’t open a deactivated property to see its records”Why it happens: a deactivated property’s card can’t be opened; it only offers Activate and delete. Its tenancies, rent, contracts and documents are kept, but you can only see them while it’s active.
How to fix it: turn on Inactive, click Activate, and get what you need. Then deactivate it again with Deactivate property. While it’s active it counts towards your billed units.
Deactivating a property seems to have wiped its tenancies or arrears
Section titled “Deactivating a property seems to have wiped its tenancies or arrears”Why it happens: deactivating hides the property’s tenancies, rent, onboardings and maintenance issues from your lists. It doesn’t delete them. Rent records for deactivated properties don’t show in Rent Collection or in Transactions matching, so arrears can look as if they’ve gone.
How to fix it: reactivate the property to see everything again. If you still need to chase arrears or record payments, keep the property active until that’s done.
I marked rooms as unavailable but I’m still being charged for them
Section titled “I marked rooms as unavailable but I’m still being charged for them”Why it happens: Unavailable only takes a room off the market. The room is still active, so it still counts towards your billed units.
How to fix it: to stop a room counting, deactivate it with Deactivate room on its details panel. To stop a whole property counting, use Deactivate property. Deactivating every room in an HMO still leaves the property as one unit.
I deactivated a property but tenants can still see things, or tenancies are still there
Section titled “I deactivated a property but tenants can still see things, or tenancies are still there”Why it happens: deactivating doesn’t end tenancies, cancel onboardings, viewings or maintenance jobs, or cancel GoCardless mandates. They’re hidden from your lists, and the tenant no longer sees the property as their home in COHO.
How to fix it: before deactivating, end tenancies with Set tenancy end and cancel anything that won’t go ahead. If you’ve already deactivated, reactivate the property, tidy up, and deactivate it again. See Tenancies and Maintenance.
Compliance reminders or Actions are still coming for a property I’ve stopped managing
Section titled “Compliance reminders or Actions are still coming for a property I’ve stopped managing”Why it happens: the property is still active. COHO stops Action notifications, including compliance reminders, only for deactivated properties and rooms.
How to fix it: deactivate the property with Deactivate property. See Compliance.
I can’t add separate certificates for each flat in my block
Section titled “I can’t add separate certificates for each flat in my block”Why it happens: compliance certificates are recorded against a property or a building, not against the units in a block.
How to fix it: add each flat as its own Single Let property, then create a building and add the flats to it. Put communal certificates on the building and each flat’s own certificates on the flat. See Create a building.
I can’t change a property to a single let or short-term let
Section titled “I can’t change a property to a single let or short-term let”Why it happens: a single let must have exactly one active room (or none), and a short-term let must have no active rooms (unless it’s currently a single let). The form shows a hint, for example “To change to a single-let the property must first have exactly 1 room/unit inside it.”
How to fix it: deactivate the extra rooms or units first, then change the rental type. If the property really is several separate lets, keep it as an HMO or block.
My room names changed after I changed the rental type
Section titled “My room names changed after I changed the rental type”Why it happens: changing to HMO renames every active room Room 1, Room 2 and so on; changing to Block renames them Unit 1, Unit 2 and so on; changing to Single Let renames the room Property.
How to fix it: open each room and click Edit room to rename it.
I can’t find Block when adding a property
Section titled “I can’t find Block when adding a property”Why it happens: the New Property form offers HMO, Single Let and Short-term Let only.
How to fix it: add the property as an HMO, then click Edit property and change Rental type? to Block. Rooms become units (renamed Unit 1, Unit 2 and so on).
My new property, room or unit is greyed out straight after adding it
Section titled “My new property, room or unit is greyed out straight after adding it”Why it happens: adding it took you over the units you pay for, and your account needs a payment method or your agreement to the extra charge. Until then COHO keeps it deactivated.
How to fix it: follow the payment details screen: add a payment method or choose Yes to accept the charge. If you left the screen, activate the property or room from its greyed-out card and COHO will ask again.
I can’t activate a room
Section titled “I can’t activate a room”Why it happens: the room’s property is deactivated, so Activate on the room’s card is greyed out.
How to fix it: activate the property first, then the room.
My room shows as available but it’s let (or the other way round)
Section titled “My room shows as available but it’s let (or the other way round)”Why it happens: COHO only changes availability when you ask it to, for example by ticking Set room as unavailable when you start an onboarding or add a tenancy, or by answering Mark the room as available? when you end a tenancy. It doesn’t change it just because a tenancy starts or ends.
How to fix it: click Change availability on the room’s Availabilities panel and set it. See Viewings.
A room’s rent change didn’t change the tenant’s rent
Section titled “A room’s rent change didn’t change the tenant’s rent”Why it happens: a room’s rent is the advertised rent and the starting point for new onboardings and tenancies. Existing tenancies keep their own rent.
How to fix it: change the rent on the tenancy instead. See Tenancies and Rent Schedules & Rent Collection.
I deleted a property or room by mistake
Section titled “I deleted a property or room by mistake”Why it happens: deleting is permanent in COHO; there’s no undo.
How to fix it: you can’t restore it yourself. Add the property or room again. In future, deactivate instead, which keeps everything.
Error messages
Section titled “Error messages”| Message | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| “We could not find map coordinates for this address. Check the address and try again.” | COHO couldn’t place the address on a map | Choose the address from the search results, or check the postcode and street |
| “Failed to set property address” | Saving the address failed | Try again. If it keeps happening, contact COHO support with the address |
| “Property address needs a city/town” | The address has no town | Choose an address that includes a town |
| “Area names cannot contain numbers.” / “Area names can only contain letters, spaces, hyphens, apostrophes and full stops.” | The area name isn’t allowed | Use a neighbourhood name, such as “Southsea” |
| “The area cannot be the same as the town ([town]).” | You typed the town into the area box | Leave the area blank or use a neighbourhood |
| “The property address has to be set before an area can be added.” | The property has no address yet | Set the address first |
| “That room is not on this property. Close the editor and open it again before saving.” | The edit form was left open from another property | Close the editor, reopen it and save again |
| “Property needs to be disabled before it can be deleted” | You tried to delete an active property | Deactivate it first |
| “Property is already disabled” / “Property is not disabled, so it cannot be enabled.” | The property was already deactivated or active, often in another tab | Refresh the page |
| “Cannot link a property that is already linked to another building. First unlink the property” | A property can only be in one building | Remove it from the other building first |
| “Building name (or public name) too short. Please enter a longer name” | Building names need at least 3 characters | Use a longer name |
| “You do not have permission to manage properties for this organisation” | Your role can’t edit properties | Ask an admin for edit permission for Properties |
| “You do not have permission to manage tenancies for this organisation” / “…tenants…” | You added a room as Occupied without tenancy or tenant permission | Add it as Available, or ask an admin for permission |
| “To change to a single-let the property must first have exactly 1 room/unit inside it.” | Too many active rooms for a single let | Deactivate the extra rooms first |
| “To change to a short-let the property must first have no rooms/units inside it.” | Active rooms or units are in the way | Deactivate them first |