The Resident Section in HOA Messenger allows you, as an HOA administrator, to easily manage and maintain an up-to-date database of your Association’s homeowners. Keeping accurate resident information ensures that essential details such as names and contact information are quickly accessible when needed.
In the Resident section of the Desktop / Web App there are two different Resident categories; Residents who have downloaded and created a Resident profile on the Mobile app (Registered Residents), and “Un-Registered Residents” who have not created a Resident profile. We understand that not everyone in your community will want to download a mobile app, so the non-app resident functionality will allow you to close the gap.
Registered Resident
A "Registered Resident” is a resident who has downloaded and signed up on the HOA Messenger Mobile App or Resident web portal.
"Unregistered" Resident
An "Unregistered Resident” is a resident who has been added my an admin/manager to HOA Messenger manually. Click HERE to learn more about onboarding unregistered residents.
Manager Profile Resident Section FAQs
Manually Adding New Residents to the system
Q: Where do I go to add a new resident?
A: Navigate to "People" in the left sidebar, then select "Residents". Click the blue "Add Contacts" button located near the middle right side of the page to open the resident profile form.
Q: What information is required to add a new resident?
A: The minimum required fields are:
Owner's First Name(s)*
Owner's Last Name(s)*
Onsite Street Address*
City*
State*
Zip Code*
However, we highly recommend also collecting email and phone number for better communication.
Q: What if the property is owned by a trust or company, not an individual?
A: Use the "Company/Trust Name" field to enter the entity name. You can also check the box "Use Company/Trust as Primary Name" if you want the entity name to be the primary identifier instead of the individual's name.
Q: What's the difference between the Onsite Address and Mailing Address?
A: The Onsite Address is the physical location of the property unit. The Mailing Address is where official HOA correspondence should be sent. If they're the same, just check "Use Mailing Address for official communications" and the onsite address will be used. If they're different, uncheck this box and enter a separate mailing address.
Q: What is the C/O (Care Of) field for?
A: The C/O field is for situations where a third party handles the property's affairs, such as a property management company, attorney, or trustee. Enter their name here, and you can check "Include C/O name in official communications" to ensure correspondence is addressed properly.
Q: What should I put in the Resident Notes section?
A: Use this free-form text area for internal notes such as:
Emergency contact information
Additional phone numbers
Special instructions or requirements
Important dates or reminders
Example: "Elizabeth Annick Baha #: 323-508-1702"
Q: Can I add multiple phone numbers for a resident?
A: Yes! There's an "Add another phone number" link that allows you to include multiple contact numbers for the resident.
Q: What happens after I click "Save Resident Profile"?
A: The new contact will appear in the Unregistered Residents list. However, they are NOT yet assigned to a property. You must complete Step 2 to assign them to their unit.
Q: I saved the resident profile, but why can't they log in yet?
A: Adding a resident profile doesn't create a portal login. They appear as "Unregistered" until they personally sign up on the Mobile App or Web App. If you added their email, they may receive an invitation to register, or you can provide them with the app information.
Creating Properties & Adding Residents at the same time
Q: Is there a faster way to add multiple properties and residents at once?
A: Yes! HOA Messenger offers a bulk creation feature that allows you to add multiple properties and their primary owners simultaneously. Navigate to Associations > Properties Tab > Click "+ Add properties to association" button. This opens a spreadsheet-style interface where you can type details individually or copy and paste from Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel.
Q: How does the bulk property creation feature work?
A: The "Add property details" modal provides a table format where you can enter multiple properties and their primary owners at once. Each row represents one property with its primary owner. You can either:
Type information directly into the table
Copy and paste data from Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel
Q: What information is required for bulk property creation?
A: Required fields (marked with *):
Street Address* - Property address
City* - Property city
State* - Property state
Zip* - Property zip code
Optional fields:
First Name - Primary owner's first name
Last Name - Primary owner's last name
Email - Primary owner's email
Cell Phone # - Primary owner's phone number
Important: Each newly created property requires one (1) primary owner, and you can associate additional owners to a specific property afterwards.
Q: What format should phone numbers be in for bulk import?
A: Phone numbers should be in XXX-XXX-XXXX format (example: 555-123-4567). This is important for successful data import.
Q: How many properties can I add at once using bulk creation?
A: The default number of rows is 100. If you're uploading more than 100 properties, you can add more rows by entering the number of additional rows you want in the input field and clicking "Add Row(s)".
Q: Can I copy and paste from my existing spreadsheet?
A: Yes! You can copy and paste directly from Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel. Make sure your columns match the order in the HOA Messenger table:
First Name
Last Name
Email
Street Address*
City*
State*
Zip*
Cell Phone #
Q: What happens to the resident profiles created through bulk property import?
A: When you use bulk property creation and include owner information (First Name, Last Name, Email, Phone), the system automatically creates both:
The property record
A resident profile for the primary owner
The assignment linking the owner to the property
This saves significant time compared to creating residents and properties individually.
Q: Do I have to fill in owner information when adding properties in bulk?
A: No, but it's highly recommended. The system states "Each newly created property requires one (1) primary owner." If you don't include owner information during bulk creation, you'll need to go back and assign primary owners to each property individually later, which defeats the purpose of bulk import.
Q: Can I add additional owners during bulk property creation?
A: No, the bulk creation feature only allows you to add one primary owner per property. After the bulk import is complete, you can "associate additional owners to a specific property afterwards" by going to each property individually and using the "+ Assign additional owner" option.
Q: What's the difference between adding residents individually vs. bulk property creation?
A:
Individual Method: Add resident profiles first (People > Residents > Add Contacts), then assign them to properties separately. This gives you more control over detailed resident information like Company/Trust names, C/O information, mailing addresses, and notes.
Bulk Method: Add properties and their primary owners simultaneously (Associations > Properties > Add properties to association). This is faster for large-scale imports but provides less detailed resident profile options upfront.
Q: After bulk import, can I edit the resident profiles that were created?
A: Yes! Resident profiles created through bulk import can be edited just like any other profile. Go to People > Residents, find the resident, click "Edit", and add additional information like:
Company/Trust names
Mailing addresses
C/O information
Resident notes
Additional phone numbers
Q: I have 200 properties to add. How should I approach this?
A: For large-scale imports:
Prepare your data in Google Sheets or Excel with all required information
Navigate to Associations > Properties > Add properties to association
In the "Add Row(s)" field, enter "100" to add additional rows (total will be 200)
Copy and paste your spreadsheet data into the table
Verify the data looks correct
Click "Save"
Q: Can I add properties without resident information using bulk import?
A: While technically possible, it's not recommended. The system requires each property to have a primary owner. If you only import property addresses without owner information, you'll need to manually assign primary owners to every property afterwards, which is time-consuming.
Q: What happens if I make a mistake during bulk import?
A: Before clicking "Save", carefully review all the data in the table. The note states you can "add more rows by entering the number of rows you want to add, then click 'Add Rows(s)'." Once you click Save, the data will be imported. If you notice errors after saving, you'll need to edit individual properties or resident profiles manually.
Q: Does bulk import work for updating existing properties?
A: The bulk import feature is designed for creating new properties and residents. To update existing properties or residents, you'll need to use the individual edit functions (click "Edit" on the specific property or resident profile).
Q: Should I use the bulk method or individual method?
A: Choose based on your situation:
Use Bulk Method When:
You're setting up a new HOA with many properties
You have property and owner data already in a spreadsheet
You need to add 10+ properties quickly
Basic owner information is sufficient initially
Use Individual Method When:
Adding single properties/residents
You need detailed resident profiles (trusts, C/O, notes, multiple addresses)
You're managing move-ins/move-outs one at a time
You want more control over each entry
Q: After using bulk import, do the residents show as Registered or Unregistered?
A: Residents created through bulk import will show as "Unregistered" because you created their profiles - they haven't signed up for the Mobile App or Web App themselves. They'll move to "Registered" status once they create their own portal login.
Troubleshooting Common Issues when adding residents during the property creation process
Q: I bulk imported properties but some are missing primary owners. What happened?
A: During bulk import, if you left the First Name and Last Name fields empty for certain rows, those properties were created without primary owner information. You'll need to:
Create resident profiles for the missing owners (People > Residents > Add Contacts)
Assign them to their properties (Associations > Properties > Edit the property > Assign owner)
Q: My bulk import paste didn't work correctly. Why?
A: Common issues:
Column order doesn't match (verify your spreadsheet columns match the HOA Messenger order)
Special characters in data causing formatting issues
Phone numbers not in XXX-XXX-XXXX format
Extra spaces or formatting from the source spreadsheet
Try copying just the data (not headers) and ensure phone numbers are formatted correctly.
Q: Can I import residents in bulk from a spreadsheet?
A: Yes, but only through the bulk property creation feature. When you add properties in bulk (Associations > Properties > Add properties to association), you can include owner information for each property, which creates both the property and the resident profile simultaneously. There isn't a separate "bulk add residents only" feature - use the property import method.