Livable Pro Welcome Guide
Welcome to Livable Pro, your Ratio Utility Billing (RUBS) platform. Livable Pro transforms how you bill communities for utility usage, improving transparency and conservation!
Create an account by visiting save.livable.com.
To get started with Ratio Utility Billing, you will send a Notice of Change to your current residents.
Visit the Manager Resources to download a Notice of Change template. The resident enrollment date for Livable Pro should be at least 30 days from the notice being sent to the residents.
Legal Disclaimer: Livable is providing neither (i) legal advice regarding legal or regulatory requirements for tenant notice or consent nor (ii) any warranty or representation of any kind concerning these documents and the language contained therein, including that the documents are suitable for any particular purposes.
Complete the Utility Addendum to include with New Leases.
Visit the Manager Resources to download your market-specific Utility Addenda. You will complete the addenda to include important details for admin, late, and vacant cost recovery fees. As well as indicate any not-to-exceed rates alongside the Exhibit A chart to clarify which utilities will be allocated through Livable Pro, directly paid by the resident, or submetered utilities.
View our Utility Addenda guide for more assistance.
It's time to Add your first Property!
Create an account by visiting save.livable.com or log in to add your first property.
From the 🏘️ Dashboard, select Add Property to begin:
Tip: Explore the Navigating Livable Pro guide to familiarize yourself with the platform and its features.
- Enter the address of the property & ownership/entity associated with this property.
- Choose what amount of the admin fee will be passed through the residents, as well as determine whether to include or exclude a late fee for residents' unpaid balances
Legal Disclaimer: Follow local ordinances and regulations before assigning residents any amount of the admin fee or late fee. Consult your attorney if you’re unsure what the allowable fee amounts are.
- Submit your payment method for the subscription and the bank account for reimbursement payouts.
- Indicate any common area amenities and configure the utilities that will be allocated through Livable Pro. Our system can allocate bills based on occupancy, square footage, or by unit. Check out the Configuring Utilities guide for more assistance.
Tip: The configured utilities in Livable Pro should match Exhibit A in the Utility Addendum, including the Allocation Method and Common Area Deduction
- Enter the total number of units at the property and customize the unit names.
- Review & activate the property! 🎉
Let's invite Residents to the Property!
Select Enroll New Resident to invite residents to log in to their own mycommunity.livable.com portal.
- You will need the residents' names, emails, & billing start dates.
Note: If you do not have a resident's email, paper statements will be on by default. There is a fee associated with paper statements, which will be part of your subscription charge and reimbursed to you after the resident pays the fee on their statement.
Uploading and Allocating Utility Bills
Easily upload and allocate utility bills to a property with the following simple steps:
- Select property: Under the property listing, select the property you would like to allocate.
- Select Allocation Period: To the right of the current allocation period, this should be at the very top of the list, select the dropdown.
- Open Allocation Tables: To the right of each utility, select the "Preview" button to open the associated allocation table. A new window will open.
- Upload Bills: On the left you can click to upload your utility file or drag and drop your utility bill files.
- Preview the Bill & Enter the Data: On the right side of the screen, click on the "Edit" button with the pencil icon. You can now enter the Usage date range from the bill file in the "Date range" input box, as well as the current charges into the "Bill value" input box.
Caution: Pass through utility charges but avoid passing through late fees.
- Click Calculate: In the bottom right corner of the screen, click the "Calculate" button to process your allocations.
- Preview the Billing Cycle Charges: Before finalizing, review the allocations to each unit by scrolling to the bottom right section of the window labeled "Allocation history."
- Approving Allocations: Once you have reviewed all allocated charges, ensure you click "Approve." Failure to click "Approve" before the end of your billing cycle will result in the allocation table being skipped for the cycle.
- Finish by completing the allocation for any additional utilities 🎉
AppFolio Customer: Customers connected to our AppFolio integration...
- Will have the option to enter a Charge on Date; refer to the "Charge On Date in AppFolio Integrated Properties" article for more details about our Charge on Date.
- Will have charges posted to a batch within their AppFolio portals; these batches require approval to ensure charges are posted to the resident's ledgers within AppFolio. Refer to the "Recover: Prepare for Utility Billing with Livable Pro to begin recovering!" article for more details on AppFolio Batches.
For additional information about...
Adding Utilities: If you do not see a utility, refer to the "How can I add/configure a utility?" article for details on adding and configuring utilities.
Adjusting CAD: For more information regarding Common Area Deductions, refer to the "What is a Common Area Deduction (CAD)?" article.
Adjusting GWD: For more information regarding Good Will Deductions, refer to the "What is a Good Will Deduction (GWD)?" article.
Sit back and relax; statements & reimbursements are automated!
- Billing Schedule: Allocate the utilities before the last day of each month to ensure the charges are included on the next resident statements! AppFolio customers should have allocations completed and AppFolio Batches Approved before the 15th of each month.
- Statement Schedule:
- Resident statements are sent automatically on the 1st of the month with payment due date on the 21st of the month, and late fees, if applicable, apply on the 23rd.
- Reminders are emailed to residents about their balance on the 18th, a payment due today reminder on the 21st, and a late fees incurred email on the 23rd.
- AppFolio Customer, resident statements are sent automatically on the 15th of the month, with payment due with rent. Late fees, if applicable, are billed in accordance with your AppFolio Late Fee Settings.
Note: Residents can pay via debit, credit, or ACH on Livable Pro, with an auto-pay option. Payments can be posted to their ledger if a resident pays directly.
AppFolio Residents will pay via acceptable payment methods through their AppFolio Dashboard with their rent.
- Reimbursement Schedule: Reimbursements are sent within 30 days of the billing cycle closing. This means we collect payments from residents for an entire billing cycle (1st- last day of the month), and we process the reimbursement the following month.
AppFolio Customers are reimbursed through AppFolio in accordance with AppFolio's reimbursement policy.
Getting Help
Support and Resources
Need assistance? Livable Pro offers various support options to help you:
- Help Center: Access a comprehensive library of articles and guides just like this one!
- Chat Support: Chat with our team live Monday-Friday by logging in to Livable Pro!
- Support Form: Not available for a live chat? Complete the Support Form, and we will get back to you via email (help@livable.com)
This guide should give you a great starting point for using Livable Pro. If you need more detailed information or assistance, please explore our Help Center or contact our support team.
Enjoy using Livable Pro and Happy Saving!