What is the difference between a record-only lease and an invited lease?
ForLandlordsProperty managers
Who can do this
Landlord, Organization admin, Organization members with Create Leases.
Where to find it
The Invite tenants to the lease switch at the top of the Who's on the lease? step in Add lease.
Steps
- Invited lease. Leave Invite tenants to the lease on. When you save, every tenant with a valid email who has their row switch on gets an invitation email (or, if they already have a Kera account, a request to review the lease). The lease starts as Awaiting acceptance and becomes Active when every invited tenant accepts. Only invited leases can collect rent online through Kera.
- Record-only lease. Turn Invite tenants to the lease off ("Off keeps it as a record only."). Nobody is emailed, the lease is saved as Record only, and you manage it entirely yourself: rent schedule, recorded payments, deposits, documents and notices all work. Use this for existing paper leases, tenants who won't use Kera, or history you are recording.
What happens next
A record-only lease can be turned into an invited lease at any time from the lease page (Invite to Kera on a tenant row, or the Invite tenants to Kera card). The lease moves to Awaiting acceptance and follows the invited path from there.
Good to know
- A record-only lease can still send a document for signature: with a document attached, Send guest links to sign this lease is on by default and emails each signer a secure guest link. Turn it off if you want nobody contacted. So "record only" means "no portal invitation", not always "no email at all".
- A tenant with no email can only be on a record-only lease until you add an email for them.
- Tenants don't see a record-only lease in their tenant portal. Owners do see it in the owner portal for their property.
Limits
Online rent collection, the Kera deposit invoice and Turn on online payments need an invited tenant who has accepted. A record-only lease collects rent outside Kera only.
Did this answer your question?