Step by step: how to set up your property owner dashboard

Renting out property in Poland is serious business these days. I’m not talking about a single flat inherited from your grandmother – though even then the paperwork gets messy. I’m talking about the situation where you have several units, several tenants, and suddenly it turns out that Excel can no longer keep up. The owner dashboard solves that problem – it brings finances, agreements, communication with tenants and deadlines together in one place. I’ve tested a few tools like this, and I’ll admit the difference between “managing by hand” and “having a system” is enormous. Below I’ll walk you through the setup step by step – from your first unit to automated notifications.

What is the owner dashboard and what features does it offer

The owner dashboard is a web application for people renting out residential or office units. A few integrated modules that handle properties, documents, utility billing and contact with tenants. You generate tenancy agreements, addenda, handover protocols and invoices without ever leaving the platform. No Word files, no separate invoicing programs. A neat touch is the integration with KSeF (Poland’s National e-Invoicing System) and the option to sign documents remotely – because who has the time to drive around collecting signatures.

• Unit register – adding properties with full technical documentation and photos
• Utility billing – assigning meters, automatic consumption calculations
• Document generator – creating tenancy agreements, addenda, protocols and invoices in a few clicks
• Communication – an internal messaging channel with tenants and a history of correspondence
• KSeF integration – issuing e-invoices compliant with current legal requirements
• Financial reports – summaries of income, arrears and operating costs

First step – adding properties and units to the system

Start with the address details. The form is simple – street, building number, postcode, city. Then the technical parameters of the unit: floor area, number of rooms, which storey. After that you assign each unit a type – flat, office, room or commercial unit. Why? Because with ten units, without categorisation your filters and reports become useless. I found that out the hard way.

Add photos of the rooms. Seriously, don’t skip this step. They’ll come in handy for handover protocols and they document the condition of the unit before the tenant gets the keys. So when someone later claims “that scratch was always there” – you have proof. The system also accepts scans of technical documents, gas and electrical inspection reports, and so on.

Tip: Since 28 April 2023, the landlord is required to provide the tenant with an energy performance certificate (EPC) before the agreement is signed. Failing to provide this document risks a fine of up to 5000 zł – add a scan of the certificate at the unit setup stage, so you always have it to hand.

Setting up billing and utilities

The billing section. You set the rent for each unit, choose the billing period (monthly, quarterly, or your own), and the payment due date. The system generates the accounting documents itself and keeps an eye on incoming payments. And then there are the meters – electricity, gas, water, heating. You assign them to units, enter the readings, and the platform calculates consumption. No calculator, no Excel, no “so how much was the water this month”.

The “per unit” pricing model pays off up to around 5 flats. At 10 or more units, the costs approach the premium packages of competing solutions. Prices start at 9.84 PLN per unit per month in the basic package, through 14.76 PLN in the advanced one, up to 25.83 PLN in the professional one.

Tip: With high tenant turnover – especially when renting rooms to students – ask your utility providers to shorten the billing periods. Alternatively, set up a monthly flat-rate in the dashboard, or billing based on meter readings at the end of each month.

Managing tenants and agreements

You create a tenant profile: first name, surname, phone, email, PESEL (national ID number). The contact details feed into automated notifications, the identifiers go into the documents. Then you choose the type of agreement. A traditional tenancy? It works in most cases. An occasional lease? It gives the landlord better protection (I’d recommend it if you have concerns about the tenant). An institutional lease? That’s the option for businesses.

But be careful – the handover protocol. Don’t rush here. You describe the condition of the rooms, the furnishings, and attach the photos you uploaded to the system earlier. This protocol is your insurance policy in the event of disputes when the unit is returned. Without it, it’s hard to prove that something was damaged beyond normal wear and tear.

1. Security deposit – set the amount and the terms of its return in the agreement
2. Tenant’s liability insurance – protects against damage caused to third parties
3. Proof of income – a certificate of employment or a bank statement
4. Energy performance certificate – mandatory to provide before signing the agreement
5. Handover protocol – a detailed description of the unit’s condition with photographic documentation

Notification and automation settings

The notifications module is something that genuinely saves your nerves. You set up payment deadline reminders – the system sends an email or text both to you and to the tenant. How many days before the due date? You decide. And you no longer have to call asking “so when’s the transfer coming?”. Automated reminders do it for you. It sounds trivial, but with five tenants it’s a real time-saver.

The second thing worth sorting out right away is notifications about agreements coming to an end. 60 days before expiry? 90? Up to you. The point is to give yourself time either to negotiate a renewal or to look for a new tenant. Because an empty unit means an empty wallet. Simple as that.

Tip: Turn on the automated monthly reports feature. The system will prepare a summary of income, arrears and upcoming deadlines for your entire property portfolio, which you’ll receive by email on the first day of each month. It’s a simple way to keep tabs on profitability without logging into the dashboard.

The most common mistakes when setting up the dashboard

Number one – an incomplete handover protocol. I’ve seen it time and again. Someone’s in a hurry, skips the photos, describes the rooms in a single sentence. And then the tenant returns the flat with holes in the walls and what happens? Nothing – because there’s no documentation. Every room has to be described and photographed BEFORE you hand over the keys. There are no shortcuts.

Number two – unclear rules for utility billing. How do you read the meters? Who pays for the common areas? On what basis does the flat-rate work? If you don’t spell this out in the dashboard (and at the same time in the agreement), then I guarantee you – there will be grievances. Both parties have to know what’s what.

And the third issue – failing to update after legal changes. The obligation to provide an energy performance certificate, the rollout of KSeF, changes to the flat-rate rental tax – these change more often than you’d think. Don’t review your system settings regularly? You’re risking fines and formal problems that could have been avoided.

Summary

Setting up the dashboard comes down to five steps: properties with documentation, billing and meters, tenant profiles with agreements, notifications, and legal compliance. Each of them reduces legal risk and makes day-to-day management easier. There’s no need to overcomplicate it.

A well-implemented system eliminates manual calculations, sends messages on its own and keeps your paperwork in order. Even with a single flat you’ll feel the difference – and with a larger portfolio the time saved is simply enormous. Take advantage of the free trial period and check out all the features live – two months of free access is enough to judge whether this is the tool for you.