Frequently Asked Questions

Click "Start Free Trial" and create an account with your email and password. You'll then connect your Stripe account to receive payments.

Yes. We offer a 30-day free trial with full access to all features.

The free trial lasts 30 days from the day you sign up.

No credit card is required for the free trial. You'll only be asked for payment information when your trial ends.

Most landlords are up and running in under 15 minutes. Just create your account, connect Stripe, add your properties and units, and invite tenants.

Currently, data must be entered manually. We recommend starting with active leases and adding historical data as needed. Bulk import features are planned for a future release.

You'll be prompted to enter payment information to continue using ValleyUnit. If you choose not to subscribe, your account is converted to read-only -- you can still log in and export your data, but you can't create new charges or invite tenants until you reactivate a paid plan.

Tenants log in to their portal, see what they owe, and pay with a credit/debit card or bank account (ACH) directly inside the app. Payments are processed by Stripe.

Credit cards, debit cards, and ACH bank transfers are all supported through Stripe.

Payments go directly to your connected Stripe account. Stripe then transfers funds to your bank account according to their payout schedule.

Payouts typically arrive in 2-3 business days after a payment is made. The exact timing depends on your bank and Stripe's payout schedule.

Stripe charges 2.9% + 30 cents per card transaction, or 0.8% (capped at $5) per ACH bank transfer. ValleyUnit adds a flat $2.50 platform fee per tenant payment on top of Stripe's processing fee. See the pricing page for the full breakdown.

Yes. Tenants can always pay their landlord directly with cash, check, or money order if the landlord accepts it. Online payment through ValleyUnit is optional, not required. When the landlord receives an offline payment, they record it from the Charges page in their dashboard and the tenant's balance updates immediately. Offline payments do not include any platform processing fee.

Yes. Tenants can enable autopay for rent and save a card or bank account on file. Each month the system automatically charges the saved payment method on the rent due date. Tenants can disable autopay at any time from their settings, and non-rent charges (late fees, utilities, etc.) still need to be paid manually.

Yes. All payments are processed by Stripe, a payment processor trusted by thousands of businesses. ValleyUnit never stores card details.

You receive an email notification as soon as Stripe records the dispute, and the dispute appears in your ValleyUnit dashboard with the linked payment and tenant. Stripe is the system of record for the response -- submit your evidence through your Stripe dashboard, and ValleyUnit tracks the lifecycle status (warning, needs response, under review, won, lost) so you have a clear paper trail.

Yes. Rent charges are automatically generated each month based on your lease settings. You configure the rent amount and due day when creating the lease, and the system handles the rest.

Late fees are automatically generated after a configurable grace period. You can set fees as a flat amount or percentage of rent. The system tracks the grace period per lease and applies fees only when appropriate.

Yes. Configure automatic payment reminders (dunning) to be sent before the due date, on the due date, or after the due date for overdue balances. Customize the timing and frequency in your settings. Auto-reminders are available on Starter and above.

Yes. Tenants can request payment plans to pay balances in installments. You can approve, deny, or counter-propose with different terms. Both parties can negotiate until an agreement is reached or the request expires after 48 hours.

Yes. A complete ledger tracks all charges and payments with running balances. Filter by lease, date range, or charge type. Export to CSV or generate PDF statements for tenants or your records.

Yes. Add multiple tenants (roommates) to a single lease with one designated as the primary tenant. Each tenant gets their own login and can view the lease, make payments, and submit maintenance requests.

Send email invitations directly from the lease page. Tenants receive a secure link to create their account and accept the invitation. You can resend invitations if needed and track their status.

Tenants submit a formal notice to vacate through their portal, specifying their intended move-out date and reason. You receive an immediate notification and the notice is recorded for your records. A 30-day minimum notice period is enforced.

Complete the move-out workflow to record the actual move-out date, document any deductions from the security deposit, and calculate the return amount. All details are tracked for compliance and record-keeping.

Create charges for rent, utilities, late fees, security deposits, pet rent, parking, prorated rent, and other custom fees. Each charge type is tracked separately for accurate reporting and accounting.

Report availability depends on your plan. All plans include basic ledger views and expense tracking. Starter adds Profit & Loss reports. Pro unlocks Balance Sheet, AR Aging, Schedule E mapping, Form 4562 export, and the full tax-prep suite. All reports can be filtered by property, date range, or portfolio and exported to PDF or CSV.

Yes. Generate Form 1099-NEC for vendors who meet the IRS reporting threshold. Track vendor tax information (W-9), generate PDF copies for recipients, and export CSV files for e-filing with third-party services. Available on the Pro plan.

Yes, on the Pro plan. Track depreciable assets with IRS MACRS calculations for residential rental properties (27.5-year schedule). Record cost basis, land value, placed-in-service dates, and generate depreciation schedules for Form 4562. See our depreciation guide for a full walkthrough.

Yes. Reconcile your bank statements monthly with a complete workflow. Track reconciling items like outstanding checks, deposits in transit, and bank fees. Generate PDF reconciliation reports for your records. Available on the Pro plan.

Basic expense tracking is available on all plans. Vendor management with W-9 tracking and year-end payment summaries is available on Starter and above.

Yes, on the Pro plan. Record capital improvements separately from regular expenses. Track the improvement date, cost, vendor, and attach receipts. Capital improvements are linked to depreciation for proper tax treatment. See our tax deductions checklist for more on what qualifies.

Yes. All data is encrypted in transit with TLS 1.2+ and at rest in our database. We follow industry best practices for application security and tenant data isolation, and every release is reviewed against our internal security checklist before it ships.

Yes. Two-factor authentication is available with multiple options: authenticator apps (Google Authenticator, Authy), email verification codes, SMS codes, or a PIN. Choose the method that works best for you.

You'll receive email alerts for critical security events: password changes, MFA setup or changes, payout bank account changes on your Stripe Connect account, and dispute notifications. Tenants receive payment receipts and payment-plan status changes by email as well.

We send immediate email alerts when your Stripe payout settings change. You can verify changes in your Stripe dashboard and contact support immediately if unauthorized.

Only you and your invited tenants can access your data. ValleyUnit staff cannot access your data without explicit permission, except for system maintenance and support requests.

Yes. All critical actions (logins, payments, charge modifications, lease changes, payout setting changes) are written to an append-only audit log with a timestamp, the user, the IP address, and the affected entity. The log is retained for 7 years and is visible to admins for compliance and support.

ValleyUnit offers three tiers: Free for 1 unit, Starter ($19/mo) for up to 3 units, and Pro ($59/mo) for up to 10 units. Every tenant payment (rent, late fees, utilities, and other charges) includes a flat $2.50 platform fee (bundled into Stripe's normal processing line) regardless of tier. See our pricing page for details.

No per-unit fees on the subscription itself. The tier you pick is based on how many units you manage (Free for 1 unit, Starter for up to 3, Pro for up to 10), and the price is flat at that tier. Advanced accounting reports (Property Performance, AR Aging, Outstanding Items, Balance Sheet, Depreciation Schedule, Bank Reconciliation, Form 4562, Taxes) are gated to the Pro tier; everything else is included on every paid plan.

Starter and Pro plans include rent collection (card + ACH), automatic rent charges, late fees, the tenant portal, payment plans and autopay, maintenance tracking, in-app messaging, lease lifecycle (invite, sign, renew, move-out), expense tracking, vendor management, the Profit & Loss report, and full data export. The Pro tier additionally unlocks the tax-prep accounting suite: Property Performance, AR Aging, Outstanding Items, Balance Sheet, Depreciation Schedule, Bank Reconciliation, Form 4562, and Taxes reports.

Yes. You can cancel anytime from your account settings. You'll retain access until the end of your billing period.

Yes. Annual billing saves you 20% compared to monthly billing. See our pricing page for details.

No. There are no setup fees, onboarding fees, or hidden charges.

Yes. You can export all your data anytime from your account settings. No platform lock-in.

Data is exported as both CSV (for spreadsheets) and JSON (for technical integrations) in a ZIP archive.

Active data is retained indefinitely. Event logs are kept for 90 days, aggregates for 2 years, and audit logs for 7 years to meet compliance requirements.

Your account is converted to read-only -- you can still log in and export your data anytime. We will not delete your data without a written request from you. If you decide to come back, reactivating a paid plan restores full write access on the same account.

No. We never sell your data. Your data is yours and is only used to provide the service.

You do. You retain full ownership of all your data. ValleyUnit has a license to process and store it to provide the service.