Tenancies & tenants: how-to

Step-by-step instructions for every tenancy and tenant task. For what each option means, see Tenancies & tenants; for problems, see Tenancies & tenants: troubleshooting.

Find your task

If you’re here because…	Go to
A tenant has given notice, or you’ve served notice	Set the move-out date
A tenant is leaving on a different date, or is staying after all	Change or cancel a move-out date
A new tenant pulled out before moving in	Cancel a future tenancy
You cancelled a tenancy by mistake	Restore a cancelled tenancy
A tenancy is a duplicate or was added in error	Delete a tenancy
Dates, type, rent or deposit are wrong	Edit a tenancy
A fixed term is ending and the tenant is staying	Let a fixed term become periodic, or renew it
You’re moving existing tenants into COHO	Add a current tenancy and Record a past tenancy
Someone is joining a joint tenancy	Add a joint tenant
Someone is leaving a joint tenancy	Remove a tenant from a joint tenancy
One joint tenant is being swapped for another	Replace a tenant on a joint tenancy
A tenant’s name, phone or email has changed	Update a tenant’s details
A tenant can’t get into COHO or see their tenancy	Invite a tenant to COHO or Change the email of a tenant who has joined
An Action says “Invite [name] to COHO” or “Remind [name] to join COHO”	Invite a tenant to COHO
You want every tenant on COHO at once	Invite all tenants
A tenant shouldn’t see the tenancy, or message you, any more	Revoke access or restrict messaging
A tenancy was put in the wrong room	Fix a tenancy added to the wrong room
A tenant is moving to another room	Move a tenant to another room
You need to find an old or cancelled tenancy	Find a past or cancelled tenancy
You need a list of tenancies	Export tenancy lists

Set the move-out date (end a tenancy)

Do this when a tenant gives notice, you serve notice, or you agree an end date.

Before you start: you need edit permission for Tenancies; to update the rent schedule, also edit permission for Rent Collection. If the tenant paid rent in advance, decide how you’ll use it.

1. Open the room page (from Occupancy or the property), and make sure you’re on the right tenancy.
2. In Tenancy summary, click Set tenancy end.
3. Enter the Move-out date: the tenant’s last day.
4. Choose a Reason (for example Tenant served notice) and add Notes if useful.
5. At Mark the room as available?, choose Yes and check the Available from date, or No and pick an Unavailable reason.
6. Leave Update rent schedule (modify rent due items) ticked so rent stops at the move-out date. Leave Adjust last month for pro-rata ticked to charge only part of the last month, and choose how it’s worked out.
7. Tick Mark unpaid rent charges as bad debt only if you’re writing off unpaid rent.
8. Optionally, add a workflow, or tick Notify property owner and write the message.
9. Click Set tenancy end.

What happens next: the tenancy stays Active until the move-out date, then becomes Past and moves to Previous Tenancies. On Occupancy it shows under Ending and Moving Out. The tenant isn’t told by COHO, so let them know yourself. Close the deposit in Deposits when it’s settled.

Caution

A move-out date in the past ends the tenancy straight away.

Tip

If a tenant must give two months’ notice but you want to advertise sooner, keep the real move-out date and set an earlier Available from date.

Change or cancel a move-out date

1. Open the tenancy. If it has already ended, open it from Previous Tenancies > View; only Cancel move-out is available then.
2. To change the date, click Adjust move-out, change the Move-out date, check the rent options, and click Update move-out date.
3. To remove the date because the tenant is staying, click Cancel move-out, then confirm.

What happens next: with Cancel move-out, the tenancy goes back to fixed term or periodic, becomes Active again if it had ended, and the rent schedule is updated. The room is marked as unavailable. If the rent is paid Per term, check the rent schedule yourself.

Cancel a future tenancy (Cancel move-in)

Do this when a confirmed tenant pulls out before their move-in date.

Before you start: if a holding deposit was paid, keep or return it first. See Onboarding.

1. Open the room and switch to the future tenancy.
2. In Tenancy summary, click Cancel move-in, then confirm.

What happens next: the tenancy is Cancelled. Any onboarding still in progress is cancelled, and unpaid rent charges are removed. The room is marked as unavailable, so set its availability again in Availabilities if you’re re-letting it.

Note

To keep the tenancy but give it an end date, use Set tenancy end instead. For a tenancy still in onboarding (prospective), cancel the onboarding.

Restore a cancelled tenancy

1. Find the tenancy (see Find a past or cancelled tenancy) and open it.
2. In Tenancy summary, click Restore tenancy, then confirm.

What happens next: the tenancy goes back to the status it had (future, active or past, depending on today’s date), and its onboarding is restored. Removed rent charges aren’t added back; regenerate the rent schedule in Rent Collection.

Delete a tenancy

Do this for a duplicate, or a tenancy added by mistake.

Before you start: download anything you need from it. Deleting can’t be undone in COHO.

1. Open the tenancy and click Set tenancy end.
2. Choose the reason Delete Tenancy.
3. Click Delete Tenancy.

For a cancelled tenancy you can instead click Delete tenancy in Tenancy summary and confirm.

What happens next: the tenancy disappears from the room. Any onboarding in progress is cancelled.

Edit a tenancy

1. Open the tenancy and click Edit in Tenancy summary.
2. Change what you need: Tenancy number (click Change), grouping (click Change), Tenancy type and dates, rent, Tenant money held, bills, guarantor, or Hide Tenant Rent.
3. If you changed the move-in date and COHO offers Update now or Update later, choose one. With Update now, check the rent schedule preview. Otherwise, if you changed dates, tick the box confirming you’ll regenerate the rent schedule.
4. Click Save.

What happens next: the tenancy is updated, and its status changes if the dates mean it should (for example a new move-in date in the future makes it Future). If you chose Update now, the rent schedule is updated at the same time. If you changed dates and didn’t choose Update now, regenerate the rent schedule in Rent Collection. A signed contract isn’t changed; replace it in the Contract panel if it needs to match.

Caution

Changing Tenant money held or the deposit amount also updates the tenancy’s deposit record.

Let a fixed term become periodic, or renew it

• To let it roll on: do nothing. The day after Fixed term ends the tenancy is periodic. If rent is tracked in COHO, check Rent IS automatically generated in Rent Collection so rent keeps being added.
• To renew on a new contract: issue the renewal from the Contract panel (see the Tenancy agreements guide). Track it on Occupancy under renewal. When it starts, COHO updates the tenancy from it.
• To change the end date only: click Edit and change Fixed term ends.

Caution

If the tenancy has a move-out date and the tenant is staying on, click Cancel move-out before that date, or the tenancy will end.

Add a current tenancy (New tenancy)

Use this for tenants already living in a room, or confirmed ones you aren’t onboarding through COHO.

Before you start: you need edit permission for Tenancies and Tenants. The room must have no active tenancy, or the active one must have a move-out date.

1. Open the room page and click New tenancy.
2. Choose the Tenancy type, Move-in date and second date. Tick Set room as unavailable if needed.
3. Fill in the rent, Tenant money held, bills and whether rent is tracked in COHO.
4. Enter the lead tenant, or click Select existing. Email and mobile number are optional unless you invite them.
5. Choose whether to invite the tenant to COHO.
6. Optionally include a workflow, then click Add tenancy.

What happens next: the tenancy is Active if the move-in date has passed, otherwise Future. A deposit record is created for protected, replacement, lodger or “other” deposits. If rent is tracked in COHO, set up the rent schedule in Rent Collection. Add joint tenants with Add tenant.

Record a past tenancy (Historic tenancy)

1. Open the room page and click Historic tenancy.
2. Enter the move-in and move-out dates (both in the past), rent and tenant.
3. Click Add tenancy.

What happens next: the tenancy appears in Previous Tenancies. No invite is sent.

Add a joint tenant

Before you start: you need edit permission for Tenants.

1. Open the tenancy. In Tenant Information, click Add tenant.
2. Enter their details, or click Select existing.
3. Choose whether to invite them to COHO.
4. Click Add joint tenant.

What happens next: they’re added to the tenancy and can see its documents and history once they join COHO. If they already have a COHO account they get a “New Tenancy” message. If an onboarding is in progress, they’re given the application form. The rent, deposit and contract don’t change; if they need to sign, issue a new contract or addendum.

Remove a tenant from a joint tenancy

1. Open the tenancy. In Tenant Information, click View details on the tenant.
2. Click Delete, then confirm.

What happens next: they’re removed from the tenancy, along with their application forms. COHO also removes them straight away from that property’s maintenance conversations and group conversations with housemates. One-to-one conversations with you stay. You can’t delete the only tenant. Consider Revoke user access first if they’ve joined COHO.

Replace a tenant on a joint tenancy

1. Add the new tenant.
2. Remove the outgoing tenant.
3. If the contract needs everyone’s signature, replace it in the Contract panel.

Note

If each person has their own room in a grouped tenancy, end the outgoing person’s tenancy instead, and onboard the new person for that room. A tenancy still in onboarding can only join a group of tenancies with the same status, so it can’t join a group of active tenancies until it’s confirmed.

Update a tenant’s details

1. Open the tenancy. In Tenant Information, click View details.
2. Click Edit beside the detail, change it, and click Save.

What happens next: the change is saved on the tenancy. For a tenant who has joined COHO, it doesn’t change the account they log in with.

Invite a tenant to COHO

Do this so the tenant can see their tenancy, documents and rent, message you and report repairs.

1. Open the tenancy. In Tenant Information, click Invite to COHO (or View details, then Invite tenant or Resend invite).
2. Check the Email and Mobile number; both are required.
3. Click Send.

What happens next: the tenant gets an email and a WhatsApp message or SMS with their invite link, and the panel says they’ve been invited but haven’t joined. If they don’t join within four days, an optional reminder Action appears; click Resend invite to send it again.

Tip

Tenants who already have a COHO account should use the invite link and choose to log in rather than register.

Change the email of a tenant who has joined

1. Open the tenancy. In Tenant Information, click View details.
2. Click Revoke user access, then Revoke.
3. Edit the Email and Save.
4. Click Invite tenant, check the details, and click Send.

What happens next: the tenant gets a new invite at the new address and connects their account again.

Invite all tenants

1. Open Menu > Occupancy.
2. Click Invite ALL tenants, then confirm.

What happens next: every tenant not invited before, with an email or mobile number, gets an invite.

Caution

This goes to every tenant record in your organisation that hasn’t been invited, so check contact details first.

Revoke access or restrict messaging

1. Open the tenancy. In Tenant Information, click View details.
2. Click Revoke user access to disconnect their account from this tenancy, or Restrict messaging to make their messages read-only. Confirm.

What happens next: after revoking, they can’t see the tenancy, start conversations or report repairs. With messaging restricted, they can read conversations and still report repairs. Restore messaging undoes it.

Fix a tenancy added to the wrong room

1. Open the tenancy and click Change room.
2. Choose the room under Associate to new room. Only rooms in the same property that are free for the tenancy’s dates are listed.
3. Set the old room’s availability date.
4. Tick the confirmation, then click Change room association.

What happens next: the tenancy, its history and files, and its Actions move to the new room. Inventories sent, conversations and financial items stay with the old room.

Move a tenant to another room

Use this when a tenant is really moving rooms or properties.

1. Set the move-out date on their current tenancy.
2. Start a new onboarding for the new room, or add a New tenancy, and use Select existing to pick the tenant.

Find a past or cancelled tenancy

• Past: open the room and scroll to Previous Tenancies, then View. Tenancies that ended in the last 45 days also appear under Switch.
• Cancelled: search for the tenant’s name, or use Cancelled Tenancies (CSV) on Occupancy to find it.

Export tenancy lists

1. Open Menu > Occupancy. Choose properties with the property filter if you want.
2. Click Export Tenancies (CSV), Past Tenancies (CSV), Cancelled Tenancies (CSV) or Tenancy revenue report (CSV).