Manage Files and Documents

ManageCasa offers a comprehensive file and document management feature designed to streamline the way property managers, community associations, owners, and tenants handle their documents. File access can be controlled for certain audiences, such as tenants in a specific building or residents of a specific community or the general public through the ManageCasa Marketing Website (optional feature).

Uploading Files

You can upload one or multiple files (e.g., leases, reports, images, architectural requests, legal or financial documents) directly within the relevant section of ManageCasa, such as Property, Contact, Transactions, Maintenance, or Architecture Requests.

Most common file formats are supported. We recommend using widely compatible formats like PDF, PNG, JPG, and Microsoft Office files. If you experience issues with a specific file type, please contact Support for assistance.

There is no per-file size limit, but we recommend optimizing large files for better performance. Please note that overall account storage limits still apply.

Using Folders

Folders can be created to group files by property, project, or purpose. Their primary purpose is to help manage access control and search, not to replicate a full file storage system like Google Drive.

The main advantage of ManageCasa file management is the ability to associate documents directly with system records, rather than relying solely on folder structures.

• NOTE: Some folder-related limitations apply. Please review the Known Limitations section below.

Associating Files with other Records

Files can be associated with other records such as contacts, properties, leases, transactions, associations, maintenance tickets, or even other files. This helps keep related documents easily accessible within the system.

Best practice: Upload files directly from the relevant section whenever possible. For example, upload a photo directly to a maintenance ticket to automatically associate it with that request.

You can also associate files from the Files/Documents section:

1. Upload and locate the file in Files/Documents.
2. Select the file and click the three dots (...) on the right.
3. Choose Associate To.
4. Select one or more records from the dropdown.
5. Click Save.

Associating a file links it to the selected records but does not automatically grant access to other users.

Sharing Files

Files and folders can be shared with registered contacts such as owners, tenants, vendors or other contacts, ensuring that only authorized users can access sensitive information.

• Admins and the main account holder can view all files.
• Board members can view files associated with their association.
• Owners, tenants, vendors, and other contacts can only view files that have been explicitly shared with them.

You may also make your files available on your ManageCasa-hosted website (optional feature) by clicking the Make Available to Website button. 

When sharing a folder, all files within that folder are shared automatically.

The difference between “Share” and “Associate to”

Share: This option allows you to give specific contacts access to a file or document. Depending on the permissions you set, they can either view or edit the file within their portal. For example, if you upload a tenant’s payment receipt, you can share it with them so they can view or download the receipt directly from their portal. Another example: if there’s an HOA announcement or community guidelines, you can share the document with all residents, giving them read-only access to view the guidelines in their own portal.

Associate to: This option links the file or document to contacts, properties, leases, transactions, associations, or other records. It helps you keep track of which files are related to specific records in the system but does not give contacts access to those files. For example, you’ve hired a vendor for landscaping services, and they’ve completed a job. You receive an invoice from the vendor, which details the services rendered, total cost, and payment terms. You would upload this invoice to the system and associate it with the corresponding transaction and vendor.

• File name: “VendorZLLC_Invoice_Aug2024.pdf”
• Associate to: You would associate this invoice with the specific vendor ("Vendor Z LLC") and the related transaction recorded in the Accounting > Transactions tab.

By associating this file, when you view the vendor's profile or the transaction, you can easily locate the document in the "Files" tab. Below is a sample screenshot showing how the associated file would appear when you open the transaction.

System Folders (Association Accounts Only)

If you manage one or more associations, you will see a dedicated System Folder for each association within the Files / Documents tab. Each folder is named after the association and labeled “System Folder”.

Each Association System Folder includes two default subfolders:

Shared Owner Files: Files uploaded here are visible in the Owners’ Portal. Use this folder for documents that should be available to all owners, such as:

• Governing documents
• Financial documents
• Board meeting records
• Legal or compliance notices
• Other association-wide materials

Association Photos: Photos uploaded here appear on the Owners’ Portal Dashboard. Only upload official community-related images (e.g., property photos, amenities, community map). Avoid unrelated images, as all photos in this folder are visible to owners.

NOTE: 

• All files within the main Association System Folder (including its subfolders) are visible to Board Members and Admins.
• System Folders cannot be moved, renamed, or deleted.

Managing Files Using Tags

Tags allow you to quickly organize and filter files without relying on folders alone. For example, you can tag files by building, unit, project, or category.

To add tags:

1. Select one or more files.
2. Click the three dots (...) at the top of the table.
3. Select Tag, then choose an existing tag or create a new one to assign.

Once tagged, you can easily filter files using those tags.

Best Practices

• When organizing documents, you want to establish and enforce certain rules, especially for larger organizations which tend to accumulate a lot of files over time. Rules should include retention periods, file ownership, file access by role, version management, file naming conventions, tagging, etc.
• If you manage multiple associations, it’s best to create a dedicated folder for each association. This helps clearly separate documents, simplifies access control, and reduces the risk of sharing files with the wrong audience.
• Think carefully about how many files you really want to manage in the ManageCasa. ManageCasa is not intended to replace your local file system. We recommend uploading only documents that need to be shared, tracked, or associated with records in the system.
• Files made available on your ManageCasa-hosted website should be limited to documents intended for public access. The system is not designed to manage or display hundreds or thousands of publicly shared files.
• Your account includes a limited amount of storage. As part of onboarding or migration, consider reviewing and archiving older files before uploading them into ManageCasa.

Known Limitations

• File replication does not work consistently. Moving a file that is associated with a record into a folder may break the association. To avoid this, select Make a copy when moving files or avoid moving associated files for now.
• Filtering and sorting files by extension are currently not supported.
• Search by tags and favorites does not include files in subfolders
• Caching issues: In case you do not see your file after uploading it, this may be related to a caching issue on your computer. Please clear your cache and cookies on your browser, and if necessary, restart your computer.