Notifications and property history: how to find out what was done while you were away
To find out what was done on a property while you were away, go to Home and tap the bell at the top. At the top of the screen is “Important now”: overdue tasks, going over budget, completed stages. Below it is “Property history”: who checked off or unchecked an item, accepted work, added or deleted a photo, expense, task or document, and when - by day, with filters. And for new things to reach your phone on their own, turn on push notifications: “Profile” → the “Settings” gear at the top → “Notifications”.
“Important now”: what needs attention
This block doesn't store anything - the app builds it from what's already on the property, and a line disappears by itself once things are sorted. Here you may see:
- overdue tasks - “Was due ... - task not checked off”;
- tasks for today;
- the budget - “Over budget by”, “Budget running low” when nine tenths of the budget is spent, or “No property budget set” if there's nothing to compare with;
- a completed stage - “Stage ... complete” and what's next;
- a long pause - if there hasn't been a single check-off for two weeks: “... days with no check-offs”;
- stages before the current one that are worth reviewing - Master Kistya's prompt to check off what's already done.
The budget lines are seen by those who have access to the budget. If nothing important is going on, Home says “All quiet - nothing overdue, spending within budget”.
“Property history”: who, what and when
The history is the property's log on the server. It keeps the actions of all members, by day, for example:
- “checked off item”, “unchecked item”;
- “accepted the work”, “sent stage ... for review”, “left remarks on stage”;
- “added a photo to item”, “deleted a photo of item”;
- “added an expense ... to category ...”, “deleted an expense”;
- “added task”, “completed task”, “added document”;
- “joined the property”, changes to the route, the survey, the name and the address.
Above the list are filters: “All”, “Work”, “Photos”, “Budget”, “Tasks and documents”, “Property and members”. The “Budget” filter is only there for those with access to the budget. At the bottom is “Show earlier”.
Your own actions are labelled “You”. If a person is no longer on the property, their actions stay, labelled “Former member”.
Why look at the history
- A photo or an expense disappeared - the history shows who deleted it and when.
- The contractor says the job is done - you can see when they checked off the item and added photos.
- A dispute about deadlines - you can see when a stage was sent for review and when it was accepted.
Without a connection, the history shows what managed to load: “No connection - showing what loaded last”.
Push notifications: what comes to your phone
Settings: “Profile” → the “Settings” gear at the top → “Notifications”. The “What to send” section has five types:
- “Notes and comments” - property notes and stage comments;
- “Photos and stages” - new stage photos, accepted work and completed stages;
- “Approvals” - a stage is ready for review, approved, has remarks;
- “Invitations and members” - someone joined the property by invitation;
- “Service reminders” - about deadlines, meters and maintenance; there are no such reminders yet.
Your choice applies to all your phones. You never get notified about your own actions. The notification itself has no names or property names - details are in the app.
Notifications go to property members, so you need to be logged in. How to log in is in How to log in to the Doma app with email.
If notifications don't arrive
The “On this phone” section shows what's going on with the permission:
- “Notifications allowed” - all is well;
- “The phone hasn't asked yet...” - tap “Allow notifications”;
- “Notifications are off in phone settings” - you can only turn them on there: “Open phone settings”.
If the permission is there but notifications aren't, check that the type you need is on in “What to send” and that you're logged in. Notes and comments from a member you've blocked aren't sent - see Reports and blocking: if a member behaves inappropriately.
For designers: notifications to the owner
If you review the contractor's work on the property, the settings have a “To this property's owner” section: “Accepted items” and “Completed stages”. If the owner asks not to get these notifications, turn them off here. Anything sent to them for approval they'll get anyway.
How to use it
- Once a day, open the bell: “Important now” is what needs doing, the history is what's been done.
- For the owner, “Approvals” and “Photos and stages” are enough: you'll know a stage is waiting for you and see the photos.
- For designers and contractors, “Notes and comments” is useful - questions about the work come there.
- If something disappeared - check the history first, then ask the member.
Checklist
- You're logged in.
- Notifications are allowed on the phone.
- The types you need are on in “What to send”.
- The budget is set - otherwise overspending has nothing to compare with.
- Tasks have due dates - then overdue ones show up in “Important now”.
Notes for all members are covered in The property feed: notes for all members. Tasks and due dates are in Property tasks: how to keep a renovation to-do list.