What is a Property vs. a Unit?

To use Landager effectively, it is critical to understand the difference between a Property and a Unit. These two terms form the foundation of your entire rental database.

The Simple Definition

• A Property is the physical building or parcel of real estate (the address).
• A Unit is the specific, rentable space inside or attached to that Property.

You collect rent on Units, but those Units must sit inside a Property.

Examples of the Hierarchy

Here is how different real estate scenarios look when structured in Landager:

Scenario 1: The Apartment Building

• Property: "Sunset Towers" (located at 100 Main St)
• Units: Apt 101, Apt 102, Apt 201, Apt 202

Scenario 2: The Duplex

• Property: "The Elm Street Duplex" (located at 500 Elm St)
• Units: Unit A, Unit B

Scenario 3: The Commercial Strip Mall

• Property: "Northside Retail Center"
• Units: Suite 100 (Coffee Shop), Suite 110 (Dry Cleaner), Suite 120 (Accountant)

The "Single-Family Home" Exception

The most common point of confusion arises when landlords manage Single-Family Homes. Because a house is just one rentable space, the "Property" and the "Unit" feel identical in the real world.

In Landager, the rule remains the same: A Single-Family Home must have both a Property and a Unit.

When adding a house to your portfolio:

1. First, create the Property (e.g., "123 Oak St").
2. Second, define the Unit. You can simply name the unit "House", "Main Route", or use the address again.

Why do we enforce this? Because the entire financial automation engine (Leases, Rent Payments, and Maintenance) is tied specifically to Units. If you only had a Property, the system wouldn't know where to attach the financial ledger.

Practical Implications

When you navigate the dashboard, keep this hierarchy in mind:

• What gets attached to Properties? Global tracking items. The physical address, the total unit count, and high-level expense reports (like a new roof that benefits the whole building).
• What gets attached to Units? Tenant-specific items. Leases, monthly rent payments, security deposits, and specific maintenance requests (like a broken sink in Apt 4B).

Now that you understand the structure, you're ready to Add a New Property and then start Adding Units to those properties.