The short version: an internal tenant is a manager-created resident record with no Identity login yet. An external tenant has a portal account (email + password) and can use tenant-facing features. You can start internal and promote to external when they need access — without rebuilding the profile from scratch.
What each type means
Both types live on the same Current Tenants list and share a real tenant profile plus tenant record attached to a rental (when you assign one). The difference is portal access and how the record was created.
- Internal tenant — Created by a manager from Add internal tenant. Flagged as internal. No ASP.NET Identity user yet, so the resident cannot sign in to the tenant portal. Often has no rental application row; intake fields live on the record you enter.
- External tenant — A resident with a portal login (typically after a full application, or after you promote an internal tenant). They can use Forgot password, pay rent online (when configured), and use other tenant-facing tools tied to their account.
In the UI you will see an Internal tenant badge while the profile is still record-only, and External tenant once portal access exists.
When to use an internal tenant
Use internal when you need the person on the books now, but a full application-to-portal path would slow you down or is not appropriate yet:
- Existing residents you are migrating onto Tenantivo — they already occupy the unit; you need occupancy, contact, and notes without forcing a new application.
- Paper or offline leases where screening and e-sign already happened outside the product.
- Manager-managed records for family, employee housing, or short placements where portal access is optional.
- Staging before invite — capture emergency contact, employment, and references first; hand them a login only when you are ready.
From Current Tenants, choose Add internal tenant, pick a unit (optional), enter resident details, and save. The email you store becomes their login later if you promote them — so use the address they will actually use to sign in.
When you need an external tenant
Choose (or promote to) external when the resident should interact with you through Tenantivo rather than only through email and phone:
- Online rent payments, auto-pay, and payment history
- Tenant portal profile, PIN, and account self-service
- In-app messaging / chat flows that require a signed-in user
- Any workflow that assumes an Identity login tied to the profile email
Most new leases that go through Tenantivo’s application wizard land as external tenants after approval and account creation. Internal is the exception path for record-first occupancy — not a replacement for screening when you still need it. For vetting before keys, see Why Vetting Tenants Before Move-In Protects Your Rental .
Promote: internal → external
On the tenant detail page, while the profile is still internal, open the Portal access card and choose Promote to external tenant. That creates a portal account for the profile email, clears the internal flag, and gives you a one-time password to hand off securely.
Tell the resident to use Forgot password on the tenant sign-in page to set their own password after first access. The profile and tenant record stay the same — you are adding login, not starting a second person in the system.
Tip: double-check the email before promoting. Portal resolution matches the logged-in user to the tenant profile by email, so a typo means they cannot find their record after sign-in.
Side-by-side differences
| Topic | Internal | External |
|---|---|---|
| How they get created | Manager → Add internal tenant | Application path, or promote from internal |
| Portal login | No | Yes (email + password) |
| Shows on Current Tenants | Yes (with Internal badge) | Yes |
| Rental application required | No | Common for new leases; not required after promote |
| Online payments / portal tools | Not until promoted | Available when your org has them enabled |
| Best for | Migrations, offline leases, record-first setup | Active self-service residents |
Where this lives in Tenantivo
Day-to-day work for both types stays under Current Tenants and the tenant detail record — notes, inspections, leases, and status changes. Internal tenants simply skip portal invite until you are ready.
For the click-by-click walkthrough of the tenants workspace, see Workspace → Tenants training . For the full lifecycle after someone is on the record — occupants, move-out, Move Back In — see Move-In to Move-Out: The Full Tenant Lifecycle in One Record .