Why roles matter for small landlords
A caretaker knows the building, the tenants and the taps. They do not need your rent figures, your bank details or the power to change what a tenant owes. Sharing your own login is the common mistake, because it hands over everything and leaves no record of who did what. A separate login with a limited role fixes both.
The roles in HomeManager
There are two levels. Organization roles apply across your whole account: owner, manager, accountant and viewer. Property-level roles apply to a single property: caretaker, property manager, property accountant, maintenance staff and property viewer. A person can hold a property-level role on one building and have no access to your others.
How to give a caretaker access, step by step
- Decide what they need: usually meter readings and repair tickets.
- Invite them by email and choose the caretaker role on their property only.
- They receive a link to set their own password.
- Ask them to open the assistant and type "What is my role?" to confirm what they can do.
- Review the audit trail now and then to see what was done and by whom.
- When they leave, remove their access to the property the same day.
Keep cash out of it too. If tenants pay through Paybill, Till, the portal or STK push, rent goes to your account and never passes through the caretaker's hands.
Worked example
A landlord owns Hillside Court with 14 units at KES 12,000, a monthly rent roll of KES 168,000, and Azure Home with 8 units. She hires Tendai as caretaker for Hillside. She invites him with the caretaker role on Hillside only.
Each month Tendai walks the building and enters 14 meter readings from his phone, and opens repair tickets when a tap leaks. He cannot record a payment, add a tenant or change a rent amount. He has no access to Azure Home. When Tendai leaves a year later, the landlord removes his property access and nothing else needs changing, because the rent never depended on his login.
How HomeManager handles it
HomeManager has role-based team access, with the owner, manager, accountant and viewer roles at organization level and the five property-level roles above. Each person sees only the actions their role allows, and only on the properties they have access to. The same check applies when they use the AI assistant, and it is applied again at the moment they press Confirm.
You can invite a caretaker, assign a role or revoke property access from the Team screen, or by asking the assistant, which prepares a card for you to confirm. You cannot give someone rights you do not hold yourself, and nobody can change the account owner's role from the chat. Every confirmed action is recorded in the audit trail.
Give your caretaker what they need, and nothing more.
HomeManager's role-based access keeps repairs and readings with your staff, and the money with you.
Get Started with HomeManagerFrequently asked questions
What can a caretaker do in HomeManager?
With the caretaker role, they can open repair tickets and enter meter readings for the property they are assigned to. They cannot record payments, add tenants or change rent.
Can I limit a caretaker to one building?
Yes. Property-level roles apply to a single property, so a caretaker on Hillside Court sees nothing on your other buildings.
How do I remove a caretaker's access when they leave?
Revoke their access to the property from the Team screen, or ask the AI assistant, which prepares a card for you to confirm. The audit trail records the change.
Should my caretaker collect rent in cash?
It is safer not to. Collect rent through Paybill, Till, STK push or the tenant portal so it goes straight to your account, and let the caretaker handle repairs and readings.