Most Commonly Asked Questions
Q: How do I get set up with an account?
If you do not have an ActiveBuilding account, another staff member will need to send you an invitation and follow these steps:
1. Open the welcome email and select ‘Click Here to Get Started’.
2. If you are a new user, select ‘I am a New User’.
3. If you already have an existing staff account with the same email, select ‘I have an Existing Account’ and enter your email/password.
Q: My resident is claiming they didn’t get an email, what should I do?
1. Please have them check their spam folder and add [emailprotected] to their email contact list.
2. If this doesn’t fix the problem, make sure the email is correct and re-send if it was incorrect.
Note: You can view messages in your ActiveBuilding inbox.
3. If it is the correct email, please contact [emailprotected] to unblock.
Q: Where can I change my name, email, and password or set an out of office notification? Where can I change my notification settings; including setting text or voice notifications? Where can I change my privacy settings?
To edit your settings, select ‘Account’ in the upper right of your ActiveBuilding home page.
- To change your name, email, and password or set an out of office notification, select ‘Account’.
- To edit notifications, including the ability to receive text notifications (or voice notifications for residents) select ‘Notifications’.
- To edit your privacy settings, select ‘Privacy’.
Q: A new resident moved in last week and I don’t see them in the portal yet. How do I add them? I have another resident who upgraded units – how do I transfer them? There is a resident in the portal that already moved out, how do I remove them?
Other Users:
1. To add a new resident, go to My Dashboard > Resident Management > Resident Action drop down menu > Add a New Resident > fill in name, unit, email and select invite by email or print invitation. Or you import multiple residents at once by selecting ‘Import Residents’ from the drop down menu. If a resident requests access to join, access requests from residents will appear under My Dashboard > Access Requests to approve or deny.
2. To move a resident out or transfer to a new unit, go to My Dashboard > Resident Management > select resident or a unit. Next, select ‘Move out Residents’ or ‘Transfer residents to a new unit’ > select all applicable residents.
OneSite Users:
1. ActiveBuilding syncs with OneSite every morning to update move-ins, transfers and move-outs from the previous day. Current residents will receive an email invite during this sync.
2. To send an email invite to a resident the day they are added in OneSite, go to the ‘New user? Get started now’ workflow on right side of login page i.e., .activebuilding.com. Next, fill in unit, name and email exactly as it appears on leasing documents. If there is a match they will receive an email invite shortly.
Q: What do I do if a resident receives an error message when trying to make a payment or submit a service request or renewal (OneSite Users)?
If a resident receives an error message, please check for the following settings in OneSite:
· Residents must have an email listed in OneSite.
· It could be because the resident is disabled in OneSite under their resident profile tab. The online rent payment and service request boxes need to be checked.
· In order for residents to make a payment, submit a service request, or online renewal they must have a resmID listed in ActiveBuilding. First, to find the resmID for the resident you will need to look in OneSite for a report named Contact Level Details. Once you have the resmID for the resident you will need to add it in ActiveBuilding under My Dashboard > Resident Management > select Resident whose resmID is missing > Under Basic Information add Corporate ID.
· For payments, residents cannot be flagged for eviction, collections or do not allow check payment.
Q: How do I add my new team members to the portal? How do I remove team members from the portal? How do I edit their profile?
To invite staff, you must go to My Dashboard > Staff Management > Invite Staff User. To remove or edit staff select a staff user. Next, select ‘Edit Manager’ or ‘Delete This Manager’.
Q: Do residents need to register to receive updates from the property?
Yes and no.
· Yes: Only registered residents can receive daily activity digest emails with community activity updates from both staff and residents for the day. Also, only registered residents can choose to receive text or voice notifications.
· No: As long as residents have a valid email and phone number in ActiveBuilding they will receive mass messages and new package notifications from staff.
Q: How do I tell if a resident is unregistered? How do I re-invite residents to register? What is my Registration Rate? How do I export all resident data?
· Unregistered residents: Unregistered residents will have a question mark in a silhouette next to their name. To view, go to My Dashboard > Resident Management > User Lookup.
· Re-invite a single resident: Under User Lookup, search for unregistered resident and click into their name > select Re-Send Invite > Invite or change email > Invite.
· Re-invite all unregistered residents: From Resident Management, select the Resident Action drop down menu > Re-invite residents > Re-invite.
· Registration Rate: To see how many residents have registered, go to Resident Management > select the colorful bar graph icon to the right of User Lookup.
· Export Data: To export resident data, go to Resident Management > select the Resident Action drop down menu > Export All Resident Data
Q: What do I do if I forgot my password?
1. Go to property login page i.e., .activebuilding.com.
2. Select the ‘Forgot’ button, located in the right side of the Password box.
3. Select submit and check your inbox to confirm your account and set a new password.
Q: Where do I go to login?
Users will want to bookmark the URL for future logins at <propertyname>.activebuilding.com and enter your email and password. Users can also login at login.activebuilding.
Q: If a resident has an ActiveBuilding question, who should they contact?
Unlike staff, residents do not have a support tab or help link. All ActiveBuilding questions should go directly to the leasing office
Q: If I have an ActiveBuilding question, who should I contact?
If you are unable to find your answer in this user manual, knowledge base, or starter guide. Please contact [emailprotected] or select the support tab on the left hand side of your ActiveBuilding portal.
Resident Management, Staff Management and Staff Center
Q: Can I use the same email for multiple accounts?
Yes and no. Only one email per account is the general rule.
· Staff users can use the same email to create accounts at different properties. However, they will not be able to use the same email for a resident or enterprise account.
· Residents can only use one email per account. This means if they have an existing ActiveBuilding account at a previous property they will not be able to register until that account is removed.
Q: What are the different levels of staff user? There are three different staff user access levels: Admin, Standard and Limited. To edit staff user access go to My Dashboard > Staff Management and select User Access from the drop down list.
· Admin User: Unlimited access including Application Settings, Staff Management and ability to delete activity posts.
· Standard User: No access to Application Settings, Staff Management and unable to delete activity posts.
· Limited User: Ability to access operational features (such as Package Tracking) and to view resident contact information.
Q: How do residents create an account (OneSite and other users)?
The easiest way for residents to create an account is to follow the ‘Click Here to Get Started’ link in their invitation email. If they don’t have access to their email you can also:
Other Users:
1. Print an invite for the resident; they will need to register with the pin # on invite and go to the login page i.e.,<propertyname>.activebuilding.com > select ‘New user? Get started now’ and enter pin # to register.
OneSite Users:
1. To receive an email invite the day you are added in OneSite, go to the ‘New user? Get started now’ workflow on right side of login page i.e., .activebuilding.com. 2. Next, fill in unit, name and email exactly as it appears on leasing documents. If there is a match you will receive an email invite shortly.
Q: What is Staff Center for?
Staff Center is a tool only for the staff to use. In this section, staff will find reminders, staff events, staff center wall (including tasks) and a quick resident lookup.
Q: What variables do current residents need to be marked as in OneSite to be added in ActiveBuilding?
Current residents must have an email, be marked as an occupant, cannot be a cosigner or guarantor and their age must be greater or equal to 18 or left blank in OneSite to be added in ActiveBuilding.
Application Settings
Q: How can I make our portal look more like our website or marketing collateral? Where can I change the background of my portal?
· Adding a Banner: You can make your portal look more like your website or marketing collateral by going to My Dashboard > Application Settings > Look & Feel > Upload Community Banner and Link to URL (optional).
· Change Background: You can do this by going to My Dashboard > Application Settings > Look & Feel > select new background > save changes
Q: I noticed a unit is missing in the portal, how do I add a unit to the portal?
To add a new unit in the Community Portal, access the Application Settings under My Dashboard. Access the Unit Configuration tab and select ‘Add Unit’. Fill out the pop-up form with the correct unit number, floor number, and building name/number, and click ‘Add Unit’. For OneSite and other users set up on a resident CSV integration, please make sure the Corporate Unit ID is also filled out.
Q: How do I change the property name?
You can edit the way your property name appears at the top of your portal. To change the name of your property with the preferred wording, access the Application Settings under the ‘General’ tab. If you want to change your property name within the URL itself, go to the ‘Primary Domain’ section of the ‘General’ tab and select ‘change primary domain’.
Q: How do I customize the look and feel of notifications that are sent out from ActiveBuilding?
If you’d like to customize the look of the notifications that come from ActiveBuilding you can do so! You will need to provide us with hex codes for the main background color, header background color and header text color. Additionally, you will need to provide a header image (JPG or PNG, ideally no larger than 240 pixels wide) and footer image (JPG or PNG, must be 580 pixels wide).
Q: How do I manage content on the activity wall?
You can manage content under My Dashboard > Application Settings > Modules and Features > Filter Content for Profanity and Content Approval. Note: The best practice is to turn on Filter Content for Profanity and keep Content Approval off. If you must turn on Content Approval, it is best to turn on for specific units versus the entire community.
Q: How do I integrate Facebook or Twitter with ActiveBuilding?
You can have updates post to ActiveBuilding and Facebook and/or Twitter by checking the social media box before posting. Setup these integrations by going to My Dashboard > Application Settings > Social Media.
General
Q: What is the community activity wall?
It is a wall of updates from residents and staff; including events, marketplace items, recommendations and polls.
Q: How do I post a picture?
To post a picture to the community activity wall, select ‘Attach a File’, and select a file that is stored on your computer or a shared drive you have access to.
Q: How do I know the portal is ready to invite residents?
We recommend you add content to give an overview of what is going on in your community, including the following:
· Starter post
· Add an announcement
· Set up a featured/public links
· Add general info, such as office hours and contact info
Q: I invited my residents, now what?
· Add ActiveBuilding to your move-in and out process.
· In the beginning, re-invite unregistered residents monthly to increase registration.
· Post updates weekly to the portal and send messages.
· Stay current with what is going on in the portal by logging in daily or opting in to receive all notifications.
· Use operational features daily as needed.
Q: Can I add documents to the portal for my residents to see?
Yes. Staff can add documents and even organize in folders! Go to My Community > General Info > Add document.
Q: Is there a place for residents to shop for utilities?
Yes. Residents can find Internet, TV, and electric providers in their area, they can compare local providers and prices and sign up for multiple services all in one place. Once activated in your application settings, MyUtilityConnections can be found under My Community > General Info.
Q: Are there surveys?
Yes. There is a Resident Satisfaction Survey that is based on a net promoter score survey. It asks one simple question, ‘would you recommend to a friend?’ They are used to help gauge what is going on in the community and keep resident feedback even more internal. Once activated in your application settings, the Resident Satisfaction Survey will appear for staff only under My Dashboard.
Q: What web browsers work best with ActiveBuilding?
· Internet Explorer 9, 10 or 11
· Chrome – latest version
· Firefox – latest version
· Safari on a Mac
Q: Can I chat with other users who are online at the same time?
Yes. To chat, simply click into the grey chat box in the lower right hand corner of the screen and select someone’s name.
Q: How is ‘Connect with Facebook’ used?
Users can now sign in with Facebook to access their ActiveBuilding portal. The only requirement is that the user's Facebook email is the same as their ActiveBuilding email.
Q: What are interests groups used for?
Groups are interest groups that you have joined. Instead of posting to the entire community, users can select a group that they have joined to post to.
Q: What is the Community Leaderboard?
The leaderboard will showcase the top ten most engaged residents in the portal on your community’s home page. Residents can earn points by being more engaged and earning trophies.
Q: Will ActiveBuilding redirect from my marketing website?
If your property purchased the LeaseStar product through RealPage, ActiveBuilding will automatically redirect from your marketing website. Want to place an ActiveBuilding login from your own website? We can help you with that too!
Q: How do I sync a resident that is in OneSite but not in ActiveBuilding?
Resident sync occurs daily in the morning. ActiveBuilding will be updated the following day that a resident is updated in OneSite. To sync a resident anytime, go to ‘New user? Get started now’ on the right side of login page i.e., < propertyname>.activebuilding.com and enter the residents information exactly as it appears on their leasing documents. If there is a match an email invite will be sent out.
Messaging and Notifications
Q: How do I send a message?
To send a message, select ‘Send a Message’ under your Quick Links. You can select a group to send the message to under ‘Add Groups’ or type the user’s name, unit, or group in the ‘To’ box. Additionally, staff users can use ‘Advanced Delivery Options’ by selecting the link below the message box, including text and voice notifications.
Q: Is there a reply all function?
Currently, there is not. You can only reply to the sender.
Q: If I send a message to all residents or just a certain group of residents, can they see who else I sent it to?
No. All messages are sent in blind copy.
Payments, Online Renewals and Service Requests
Q: How do I manage payments, service requests and online renewals (OneSite Users)?
Please visit OneSite to manage payments, service requests and online renewals for your community.
Q: Where can residents make payments and submit service requests and online renewals (OneSite Users)?
Registered residents can manage these features from ActiveBuilding under their Quick Links on the left or under My Dashboard.
Q: Can residents make payments and submit service requests and online renewals from their phones?
Yes. Residents can make payments and submit service requests on our mobile website. We are also building fully functional iOS and Android apps for residents this year.
Q: Can approved applicants and former residents make payments through ActiveBuilding (OneSite Users)?
Yes. Both users will only have access to payments.
Former registered residents can make a payment for up to 90 days after move out by logging in with their email and password at .activebuilding.com. However, in OneSite if the box is unchecked in the ‘Resident profile’ tab for ‘this resident has access to the secure resident portal and following features’ they will not be able to make payments as a former resident.
Approved applicants that have been assigned a unit number can make a payment through the ‘New user? Get started now?’ workflow on the right side of the login page listed previously.
Q: How can I notify residents every time they get a renewal offer?
We are having a problem with residents not getting an actual notification about their renewal (OneSite Users). Currently, ActiveBuilding does not provide residents with a fully automated notification that they have a renewal offer ready for them. Instead, we recommend creating a Message Template in ActiveBuilding’s messaging feature to notify residents when a renewal offer is available – this will be sent to residents via email and will pop up automatically when they log into the portal, and can include a link, https://.activebuilding.com/portal/lease-renewal directly to the online renewals page. Or they can simply log in and click 'Manage My Lease' to begin the process.
Q: How do I manage service requests (Other Users and OneSite Users with Integration)?
To view all service requests, you will manage in ActiveBuilding under My Dashboard > Service Requests. When a resident adds a service request you will receive a notification. When you update the status of a request the resident will be notified.
Q: Is there an app for service requests (Other Users and OneSite Users with Integration)?
Yes. There is an iOS app, ActiveDesk.
Front Desk Instructions
Q: How do Front Desk Instructions work?
Front Desk Instructions allow residents and staff to add authorized guests. Clients on the concierge package can also log a visitor and release a key using this feature.
Q: Is there a staff app for authorized guests?
Yes. There is an iOS app, ActiveDesk to keep track of authorized guests.
Q: Can I export all authorized guest information?
Yes. Got to My Dashboard > Resident Management > Resident Action drop down list and select Export Authorized Guest Data
Parking and Storage Spaces
Q: Is there a place to keep track of parking and storage spaces?
Yes, there is a parking and storage space log.
Enterprise Users
Q: What is an enterprise account?
Enterprise accounts are typically for corporate level employees who want an overview of what is going on at multiple properties; this includes community activity, usage stats (up to three months) and registration rates. Additionally, enterprise users are able to log in to any property as an admin user that they are allowed access to.
Q: What are the limitations of an enterprise account?
Enterprise users are able to send and receive messages; however they do not have an inbox or sent mail folder like staff users. Additionally, enterprise users will not be able to use any ActiveBuilding apps with their enterprise username and password.
Lobby Display Screen
Q: How do I change the theme of my lobby display screen?
You can change your theme by going to My Dashboard > Lobby Display Screen and select a theme: Energized, Traditional, Black Tie and Legacy.
Q: What is a custom slide and how do I add one for my lobby display screen?
A custom slide is a bigger, more visual way to display announcements to your community. You can customize these by adding a custom slide. To do this go to My Dashboard > Lobby Display Screen > Custom Slides and add a new slide. You can remove custom slides at any time, or choose a start and end date for the slide.
Q: Is there a way to hide a unit from the lobby display screen?
If you have a resident who wishes to receive email or text notifications when you log a package for them, but does not want their unit number displayed on your lobby display screen you can do this under My Dashboard > Lobby Display Screen > here you will see a box that says ‘Privacy Settings; Hidden Units on Lobby Display Screen’.
Q: Which features in ActiveBuilding show up on the Lobby Display Screen?
Packages, custom slides, events, announcements and Local Offers currently show up on the LDS website.
ActiveBuilding Concierge Customers
Package Tracking
Q: How does package tracking work?
When you add a package residents will receive a new package notification (even unregistered residents). Once a package is picked up, residents will sign out for the package. Once a package is signed out it will appear under the archive tab – only the desktop will have an archive tab.
Q: What equipment do I need to scan and release packages?
There are two options to scan and release packages. Either through a USB connected scanner and signature pad, or from an iPad using our ActiveDesk iOS app.
Q: What information is required for adding a package?
You must select the package carrier type, unit number or residents name and the tracking number.
Q: Is there a way to see all packages that have ever been logged?
Yes. For liability reasons, there is an archive tab to keep track of all packages that were picked up. You can also use the ‘Search Package’ option to search for a custom range, i.e., last 30 days and you can export this information.
Amenities
Q: How does the amenity feature work?
Residents and staff can reserve an amenity. When a resident reserves they will receive an automated response letting them know that their request was received and that it will be reviewed. You will also receive a notification letting you know that a resident reserved an amenity. When you approve, deny or cancel an amenity reservation the resident will be notified.
Q: Is there a feature that lets us view reservations over a period of time and by who, with options to see any of the text fields that a resident fills out as part of the reservation?
Yes. You can view all upcoming reservations including all the details, under My Dashboard > Reservations. You can also view past reservations for up to two months in this same section by selecting the ‘Past Reservations’ option from the ‘Upcoming Reservations’ drop down list. Additionally, there is a calendar view under the Amenities tab that will show details by hovering over the reservation.
Parking Passes
Q: How does the parking pass feature work?
You can issue printable parking passes to guests and even allow residents to issue a pass themselves.
Entry, Key and Inventory Log
Q: How do I use the key and entry logs?
Front Desk Instructions allow residents and staff to add authorized guests. Clients on the concierge package can also log a visitor and release a key using this feature.
Q: Is there a way to keep track of inventory?
Yes. There is an inventory log that you can use to keep track of which residents have checked out inventory and view the history. Some items you can use this for include: movies, DVDs, carts, tools, etc.
