> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.nyumbazetu.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> Sign in, set your branch, and complete your first end-to-end billing cycle.

This walkthrough takes you from first sign-in to a fully billed, paid and posted lease. It is the
shortest path that touches every core concept — property, tenancy, billing, receipting and
accounting.

## 1. Sign in

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the app">
    Go to [app.nyumbazetu.com](https://app.nyumbazetu.com) (or your organisation's white-label
    address).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter your credentials">
    Sign in with your work email and password. Operator accounts are created by an administrator —
    there is no self-service sign-up.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm your branch">
    The top of the sidebar shows the **branch** you are working in. Almost every list, total and
    report on the platform is scoped to it. Switch branch before you start work, not halfway
    through.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  If you land on an **Account disabled** page, your user exists but has been deactivated — contact
  your administrator. If a menu item is missing entirely, you do not have the permission for it; see
  [Roles and permissions](/getting-started/roles-and-permissions).
</Note>

## 2. Set up the property

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a block">
    **Admin → Blocks → Add.** A block is the building or estate. Give it a name, address and the
    branch it belongs to.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add units">
    **Admin → Units → Add.** Each unit is a billable place: number/name, block, unit type, size,
    occupancy type, and (optionally) an owner. See [Units](/guides/units).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check the chart of accounts and service types">
    **Finance → Accounting → Chart of Accounts.** Every billable thing (rent, water, service
    charge, deposit, late fee) is a **service type** mapped to an income account. Billing cannot
    post correctly until this mapping exists. See [Chart of accounts](/guides/chart-of-accounts).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## 3. Onboard the resident and lease

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create the resident">
    **Residents → Add.** Capture name, phone, email and ID. The phone number is what SMS reminders
    and payment matching use, so get it right. See [Residents](/guides/residents).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create the lease">
    **Leases → Add.** Choose the unit and the resident, set start/end dates, rent, billing day, and
    the deposit. See [Managing leases](/guides/managing-leases).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add recurring charges">
    On the lease, add the charges that repeat every cycle — rent, service charge, garbage, parking.
    These are what the recurring-invoice run bills. See
    [Recurring invoices](/guides/recurring-charges).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Record the deposit">
    Capture the security deposit so it is tracked separately from rent and can be refunded or
    offset at exit. See [Security deposits](/guides/security-deposits).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## 4. Bill and collect

<Steps>
  <Step title="Generate the invoice">
    Either run the recurring-invoice cycle, or create a one-off invoice from **Finance →
    Receivables → Invoices → Add**. Tax is applied **exclusive** of the line amount across the
    platform. See [Invoices](/guides/invoices-and-payments).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send it">
    Use the invoice's send action to deliver by email and/or SMS. Delivery status is tracked in
    [Communications](/guides/communications).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Receive the payment">
    **Finance → Receivables → Payments** (or **Receive Pay**) to capture an M-Pesa, bank or cash
    receipt. See [Receiving payments](/guides/payments-receive-pay).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Allocate it">
    **Finance → Receivables → Allocations.** Allocation is what turns received cash into a settled
    invoice. Preview first, then execute — every run is logged and reversible. See
    [Allocations](/guides/allocations).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## 5. Confirm the accounting

<Steps>
  <Step title="Check the ledger">
    **Finance → Accounting → Statements → Trial Balance.** The invoice should appear as income and
    receivable; the payment as bank/cash and a reduction of receivable.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Drill down">
    From any statement line you can drill into the journal lines that produced it, and from there
    to the source invoice or payment. See [Financial statements](/guides/financial-statements).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Close the period">
    At month end, close the accounting period so postings can no longer change history. See
    [Accounting periods](/guides/accounting-periods).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What to explore next

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Navigating the app" icon="compass" href="/getting-started/navigating-the-app">
    Grids, filters, saved views, calendars, and dark mode.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Collections" icon="hand-holding-dollar" href="/guides/collections/overview">
    Turn the arrears report into a worked case queue.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Bulk upload" icon="file-import" href="/guides/bulk-upload">
    Import units, leases, residents, invoices and payments from spreadsheets.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Reports" icon="chart-column" href="/guides/reports">
    The full report catalogue and how each one is built.
  </Card>
</Columns>