Setting up your association workspace

The setup wizard turns a few building and committee details into the first usable version of your shared workspace. Complete it only for a new association. If the association already exists in Our Stairwell, ask for an invitation instead.

Before starting

The person completing setup should have authority from the committee and know:

the association's name, management structure and main address;
any company number where the association is incorporated;
the number and naming style of the units;
their own committee role and unit;
who currently acts as Chair, if that is somebody else; and
who can approve the subscription and Direct Debit mandate.

You can save setup progress and return later. Check spellings and unit labels carefully because they appear throughout resident, finance and document records.

The setup steps

Association: enter the name, country-specific management structure, company details where relevant, unit naming convention and address.
Building: confirm the number of units and tidy the labels generated for them.
Your details: confirm your committee role and the unit connected to you.
Permissions: review the starter access for Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Committee, Owner / leaseholder and Tenant / renter roles.
Plan: review the trial, billing details and subscription payment method. Review the customer agreement and confirm the basis of your authority to accept it for the association.

Why the association and building details matter

The association identity appears in shared records and exports. The unit label controls whether the product says Flat, Apartment or another configured term. Unit records become the link between residents, invitations, service-charge ledgers, documents and sale packs.

Do not create approximate duplicate units. Correct the list during setup, then add residents to those records.

Why permissions are part of setup

The starting permission matrix separates ordinary resident access from committee and finance responsibilities. Review it before inviting people, but avoid giving broad access simply to make a button appear. Access can be changed later by an authorised administrator.

After setup

Check Profile > Association.
Add or invite residents from People > Members.
Review People > Permissions before inviting the whole building.
Add essential building evidence and current work.
Ask the Treasurer to complete Financial > Settings before recording new financial activity.