How do I set up online rent collection when I create a lease?
ForLandlordsProperty managers
Who can do this
Landlord, Organization admin. Organization members with Create Leases can answer it once the organization's wallet is set up.
Where to find it
Add lease → Collect rent online through Kera?
Steps
- Make sure at least one tenant with an email is invited on Who's on the lease?.
- Choose Yes, online ("Card or bank transfer, paid out to your wallet"). No, outside Kera means cash, cheque or e-transfer.
- In Who pays?, pick the tenant who pays ("Only invited tenants with an email").
- Under How can they pay?, tick Accept credit card, Accept direct deposit, or both. The fee line reads "Card 2.9% + $0.30 · bank transfer up to 5 business days, $5 fee".
- In Who will pay for the transaction fee?, choose The tenant or Me.
- Optionally change First bill goes out. It can't be before the next billing period or after the lease end.
- Read After the term, which explains what happens to billing when the term ends in this province.
- Click Continue. The summary reads, for example, "Yes · Sam Lee pays by card or bank transfer · first bill <date>".
What happens next
Nothing is charged at save time. When every invited tenant accepts, Kera sets up monthly billing and the paying tenant is asked to Set up payments in their portal. How many months go on the first bill? appears as the next billing step.
Good to know
- After the term by province: Ontario says the lease continues month to month unless terminated; Manitoba says to offer a renewal at least 3 months before the end; Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia say the lease ends (or continues only with your consent) unless you record a renewal.
- If Me pays the fee, the summary's Transaction fee box reads "Paid by you".
Limits
Online collection needs an invited tenant with an email. If invitations are off, the step is a muted card reading "Needs tenants invited to the lease" with an Invite tenants button that turns invitations back on. With no tenant yet it reads "Add a tenant with an email and invite them to offer online payments"; with tenants but no emails, "Add an email for a tenant and invite them to offer online payments".
Troubleshooting
- "Please select either payment method": tick at least one of card or direct deposit.
- "Primary tenant required" / "Choose a primary tenant with a valid email to enable online payments." at save: pick the payer in Who pays?.
- "Missing tenant email" / "Online payments require an email for every tenant on the lease." at save: add the missing email or remove that tenant.