Key data concepts¶

Seisin models rental operations using a few core entities. Understanding these concepts helps you understand how the app connects records.

Property¶

A property is the top-level record. It includes address information, photos, and notes. A property can have many leases over time, and each lease defines the active tenant relationship.

Tenant¶

A tenant is a person (or household contact) with contact details, emergency contacts, and notes. A tenant can appear in multiple leases over time, and leases can include joint tenants.

Lease¶

A lease connects a property and one or more tenants. It includes:

Start and end dates.
Rent amount and payment frequency.
Payment day rules.
Rental bond information.
Optional periodic (continuing) tenancy settings.

Leases are used to generate the rent payment schedule and to determine if a property is currently occupied or vacant.

Under NSW residential tenancy law, a fixed-term agreement automatically becomes a periodic (continuing) tenancy at the end of the fixed term unless either party gives proper notice.

Rent payment schedule¶

The rent payment schedule is a list of expected rent entries. Each entry has:

A due date.
An expected amount.
A paid amount and paid date (once recorded).

This is the backbone for payment status, overdue alerts, and reporting.

Expenses¶

Expenses are costs associated with a property (repairs, council rates, strata levies, insurance, and other categories). Expenses can be marked tax deductible and are used in net-income reporting.

Categories include:

Rates & Levies: Council rates, water rates, strata levies, land tax.
Insurance: Building, landlord, contents insurance.
Maintenance & Repairs: Repairs, gardening, pest control, cleaning.
Professional Services: Property management fees, legal fees, accounting fees.
Finance Costs: Bank fees, loan interest.
Capital & Depreciation: Capital works, appliances, depreciation.

Water records¶

Seisin tracks water usage in two ways: bill entries and meter readings.

Water bills¶

Water bills record supplier invoices (from Sydney Water, Hunter Water, etc.) for properties where water usage is rechargeable to tenants. This is the recommended approach for most landlords.

Each water bill records:

The supplier and account details.
The billing period (e.g., 18 May – 17 Aug).
Usage in kilolitres as shown on the bill.
Usage charges (rechargeable to tenant under NSW law).
Fixed charges (water service, sewerage, stormwater—not rechargeable).
Attached documents (the original bill or rates notice).
Tenant invoice status (pending, invoiced, paid).

Meter readings¶

For landlords who read meters directly (e.g., at inspections), meter readings track:

The meter value in kilolitres.
The reading date.
Calculated usage since the previous reading.

Under NSW law, landlords can pass on water usage charges to tenants if the property is individually metered and water efficient. You must provide a copy of the bill or sufficient information for the tenant to verify the charges.

Inspections¶

Inspections track scheduled and completed inspections for a property. They can include notes, status, and attached photos.

Under NSW law, routine inspections can be conducted no more than four times per year, with proper notice given to tenants.

Maintenance requests¶

Maintenance requests record issues, priorities, and outcomes for a property. These are separate from expenses, but often tie into expense tracking when work is completed.

Documents and communications¶

Documents store file references tied to a tenant or property. Communications store emails or notes about tenant interactions.

Rental bonds and rent increases¶

Additional modules support NSW-specific requirements:

Rental bonds: Track bond amounts lodged with NSW Fair Trading.
Rent increases: Record rent increase history with effective dates, ensuring compliance with NSW requirements around frequency and notice periods.

Lease termination and settlement¶

When a tenancy ends, Seisin tracks the termination process with several key data points:

Termination details¶

Initiated by: Landlord, tenant, mutual agreement, or tribunal order.
Termination reason: End of fixed term, tenant notice, breach, non-payment, sale of property, owner occupation, renovation, demolition, or other grounds.
Notice date: When termination notice was given.
Vacate date: Expected date tenant will vacate.
Actual vacate date: When the tenant actually left (may differ from expected).
Keys returned date: Confirmation that keys were handed back.

Lease status¶

Leases progress through these termination states:

Terminating: Notice has been given but tenant has not yet vacated.
Terminated: Tenant has vacated and termination is complete.

Final settlement¶

The settlement calculation summarises financial position at end of tenancy:

Total rent due: All scheduled rent up to vacate date.
Total rent paid: Actual payments received.
Rent balance: Credit (tenant overpaid) or arrears (tenant owes).
Bond held: Amount lodged with NSW Fair Trading.
Suggested bond claim: Amount to claim from bond if tenant has arrears.
Suggested bond refund: Amount to return to tenant.

Under NSW law, bond disbursement must be agreed by both parties or determined by NCAT. Seisin calculates suggested amounts based on the financial position, but final release is processed through NSW Rental Bonds Online.

NSW notice periods¶

Seisin validates termination notices against NSW minimum requirements:

Reason	Minimum Notice
No grounds (periodic)	90 days
Tenant notice (periodic)	21 days
Tenant notice (fixed term)	14 days
Breach of agreement	14 days
Rent arrears	14 days
Sale of property	30 days
Owner occupation	30 days
Major renovation	60 days
Demolition	60 days
Illegal use	Immediate