How Base Rent Differs from Lease Rent

The most common financial question new Landager users ask is: "I raised the rent price on Unit 4B, why is the tenant's ledger still expecting the old price?"

The answer lies in understanding the strict data separation between Unit Base Rent and Lease Rent.

The Unit Base Rent (The Potential)

Attached to the physical Unit record is the Base Rent.

• What it represents: The current, theoretical market value of the physical space today.
• What it does: It acts only as a time-saving template. When you create a brand new lease and select this unit, the system pre-fills the lease form with this number so you don't have to type it manually.
• Who it affects: Nobody. It is a theoretical number used purely for your internal organization and template building.

The Lease Rent (The Reality)

Attached to the Lease record is the Lease Rent.

• What it represents: The legally binding, contractual agreement signed by a specific human being for a specific period of time.
• What it does: It dictates the actual, real-world math of your business. This number drives the Dashboard Revenue Snapshot, populates the expected rent progress bar, and defines what a tenant actually owes on their ledger.
• Who it affects: The Tenant and your actual cash flow.

The Scenario: Mid-Lease Rent Increases

Imagine a scenario where "Unit 4B" has a Base Rent of $1,000. Sarah signs a Lease for $1,000. Six months into her one-year lease, the neighborhood gentrifies and market rents jump to $1,400.

If you go to the Unit settings and change the Base Rent to $1,400:

1. Sarah's Lease Rent remains $1,000. The system knows Sarah signed a legal contract locking her price. It will not suddenly alter her active ledger.
2. Six months later, when Sarah moves out, you create a new lease for the next tenant. The system pulls the new Base Rent, and auto-fills the new contract form with $1,400.

How to Actually Raise Rent on an Active Tenant

If a tenant is on a month-to-month lease and you want to legally raise their rent next month, changing the Unit Base Rent achieves nothing.

You must modify the actual contract the system relies on by Modifying an Existing Lease or creating a brand new lease record with the new financial terms.