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Roles, Permissions & Access

Chris Horroll
Chris Horroll
  • Updated

Within Alto, the permissions of individual users are controlled through Group Roles.

Group Roles determine what users can access, view, create, amend, or delete within different areas of Alto. By assigning users to the appropriate roles, you can ensure that staff members only have access to the areas of Alto relevant to their responsibilities.

Roles can also:

  • Be active or inactive
  • Be assigned to specific branches
  • Be allocated report tokens, which control access to Classic reports
  • Control permissions for different Alto functions

Using roles and permissions effectively allows group administrators to manage user access securely, helping to protect sensitive information such as accounts data while ensuring your staff can perform their day to day work efficiently.

To access, add, or edit Group Roles, a user must be assigned the Group Administrator role.

How access works in Alto

User access within Alto is controlled through several layers:

  1. User account - the individual staff member
  2. Group Role - determines which functions the user can access
  3. Permissions - define the level of access for each system function
  4. Report Tokens - control which Classic reports users are able to run
  5. Licences - enable additional functionality such as Property Management or Accounts

By combining these elements, group administrators can configure precise access levels for different teams and responsibilities.

Default Group Roles

Alto includes four default Group Roles as standard. These roles provide common permission levels designed to support typical workflows within Alto.

To view the default roles:

  1. Click Tools on the main navigation bar
  2. In the dropdown menu, click Templates and admin
  3. On the side menu, under System Tools, click System Administration
  4. Click Group Roles

The default roles are configured to provide users with the access required for their everyday tasks.

  • Group Administrator - Users with this role will have full access to all areas of Alto
  • Shared Contact Administrator - Users with this role will be able to add new contact records, assign contacts to individual branches and negotiators, and book appointments
  • Shared Contact User - Users with this role can add contact records only
  • (Sales) Negotiator - Users with this role can add property and contact records (vendor and applicants), match applicants and properties, add diary entries, make offers, progress sales, produce basic reporting, customise brochures, create event driven letters, and send emails

Additional Group Roles for Jupix migrations

If you've migrated from Jupix to Alto, you'll have additional Group Roles to those listed above. These would've been assigned to your users and approved during your migration. They are:

  • Sales & Lettings Negotiator - Users with this role have the same access as a (Sales) Negotiator, and also have access to basic Property Management features if PM is enabled
  • Property Manager Standard - Users with this role have the same access as a Sales & Lettings Negotiator, and also have access to Property Management reports, can create receipt and delete charges, and make supplier payments
  • Property Manager with Accounts - Users with this role have the same access as Property Manager, and also have access to the full Accounts functionality
  • Manager - Users with this role can add property and contact records (vendor and applicants), match applicants and properties, add diary entries, make offers, create tenancies, produce reporting, customise brochures, have access to the Management side menu tab on lettings properties, receipt and create charges, and bulk archive and delete
  • Senior Management - Users with this role can access all functions where their license permits, and have access to all System Administration settings for the company, branches, users and PropertyFile settings
  • Diary User - Users with this role have minimal read only access to Alto. It'll enable them to appear in the Diary and to have appointments booked against them

We don't recommend changing the permissions allocated to any of the above roles. In the event you have users who need permissions which deviate from those outlined above, you can set up your own custom Group Roles to facilitate this.

 Note

  • All users must have, as a minimum, the roles of Shared Contact Administrator and Shared Contact User which gives them access to the contacts shared between branches, i.e. solicitors and contractors
  • For access to PropertyFile, users must have the Group Administrator role assigned to their account
    For more information on PropertyFile, click here

Creating and editing custom roles

You can create and edit custom roles from Group Roles within the System Administration area of Alto.

Within each role, you'll see a full list of permissions. For each permission, you must select a category of access.

Create a custom role and apply permissions

  1. Click Tools on the main navigation bar
  2. In the dropdown menu, click Templates and admin
  3. On the side menu, under System Tools, click System Administration
  4. Click Group Roles
  5. Click Create New
  6. Give the new role a name (Reference Code) and Description. Click Create
  7. With the new role selected, click through to select the branches and permissions
  8. If you scroll to the bottom, the custom role can be applied to users and report tokens. Roles can then be linked to branches and to user profiles
  9. Click Save

For example, if there is a branch where some users need restricted access:

  • Create a specific role just for that branch and then assign that role to a user. The user would then have access to their own branch but no others

Editing an existing role

To edit an existing role and its permissions:

  1. Click Tools on the main navigation bar
  2. In the dropdown menu, click Templates and admin
  3. On the side menu, under System Tools, click System Administration
  4. Click Group Roles
  5. Click Edit next to the relevant role
  6. Select a category of access for each permission accordingly
  7. Click Save
Role permissions

Permissions represent a system function or area of Alto. For each, you must select one of four access categories:

  • NO access - The user cannot access the function/record
  • Read only - The user can access functions/details but cannot add, amend, or delete (excluding Classic reports)
  • Read/Write - The user can add and amend
  • Full access - The user can add, amend and delete

A breakdown of the permissions (Transaction column) and their Description is as follows:

  • Accounting - Accounting
    • This is a historical option that no longer has any effect
  • AccountingDocument - Accounts Document Processing
    • This permits the user to issue accounts documents, i.e. statements, receipts, etc
  • AccountsCenter - Accounts Center
    • This permits the user to access the Accounts screen
  • AgencyPayment - Agency Payments
    • This permits the user to access and perform an agency payment (Accounts > Process Agency Fees)
  • Appraisal - Appraisal
    • This permits the user to book follow-ups to a market appraisal
  • BACSPayment - BACS Payments
    • This permits the user to access and perform a BACS payment update (Accounts > Bacs Payment Update)
  • BankAccount - Contact Bank Accounts
    • This permits the user to add/amend contacts’ bank details
  • BankReconciliation - Bank Account Reconciliation
    • This permits the user to access and perform a bank reconciliation (Accounts > Bank Reconciliation)
  • BatchList - BatchList
    • This permits the user to email landlords/tenants from event dates
  • BatchReceipt - Allow access to batch receipts
    • This permits the user to access and perform batch receipts (Property Management Dashboard > Batch Receipts)
  • BoardManagement - Board Management
    • This permits the user to access the board management screen (Tools > Templates and admin > Board Management)
  • Branch - Branch
    • This permits the user to access and amend the branch configuration (Tools > Templates and admin > System Administration > Branches)
  • Brand - Brand
    • This permits the user to access and amend the brand configuration (Tools > Templates and admin > System Administration > Brands)
  • BulkArchiveContact - Allow Bulk Archive of Contacts
    • This permits the user to perform a bulk archive of a group of contacts
  • BulkArchiveProperty - Allow Bulk Archive of Properties
    • This permits the user to perform a bulk archive of a group of properties
  • BulkDelete - Controls access to mark Contacts records for deletion
    • This permits the user to perform a bulk deletion of a group of contacts
  • Charge - Charges
    • This permits the user to raise property, contact, and tenancy charges
  • ClientAccount - Landlord and Property Client Accounts
    • This permits the user to access and amend the linked bank accounts on the landlord (Contacts) and property records
  • Company - Company
    • This permits the user to access and amend the company configuration (Tools > Templates and admin > System Administration > Companies)
  • Contact - Controls access to Contacts
    • This permits the user to access Contacts records
  • ContactAddress - Contact Addresses
    • This permits the user to add/amend Contacts address details
  • ContactDate - Contact Management Dates
    • This permits the user to add/amend Contacts management dates
  • ContactTenancy - Contact Tenancy List
    • This permits the user to access a tenant’s tenancy history
  • CustomiseTemplate - Role for customising templates
    • This permits the user to customise templates
  • DeletePersonData - Allow deletion of personal information
    • This permits the user to delete contact records
  • DepositTransfer - Deposit Transfers
    • This permits the user to record a Deposit Bank Transfer from a tenancy record
  • DiaryEvent - Controls access to the Diary
    • This permits the user to access the Diary and book appointments
  • DocumentTemplate - Create and edit letter, stationary, and email templates
    • This permits the user to access correspondence templates
      (Read access allows the use of templates, whilst Read/Write and Full allow the user to add, amend, and delete templates)
  • ElectronicSigning - Electronic Signing
    • This permits the user to issue correspondence for e-signing
  • Email - Email
    • This permits the user to send emails
  • FollowUp - FollowUp
    • This is a historical option that no longer has any effect
  • GroupBank - Group Bank Account Maintenance
    • This permits the user to add/amend company bank account details (Tools > Templates and admin > System Administration > Client Bank Accounts/Agency Bank Accounts)
  • GroupSettings - Group Settings
    • This permits the user to adjust various system-wide configuration settings (Tools > Templates and admin > System Administration > Group Settings)
  • InlandRevenuePayment - Inland Revenue Payments
    • This permits the user to access and process overseas tax (Accounts > Process NRL Tax)
  • LandlordStatement - Landlord Statements
    • This permits the user to create and issue landlord statements
  • LandlordSupplier - Landlord Supplier Maintenance
    • This permits the user to add/amend preferred suppliers for landlords
  • LandlordTax - Landlord Tax Maintenance
    • This permits the user to access and amend a landlord’s tax details
  • Letter - Letter
    • This permits the user to create letters
  • Logon - Logon
    • This permits the user to login to Alto
  • Management - Management Section
    • This permits the user to access the Management side menu tab within property and contact records
  • Marketing - Marketing
    • This permits the user to send out property details
  • MatchArea - Match Area Maintenance
    • This permits the user to access and amend the match area list and groups of match areas (Tools > Templates and admin > System Administration > Group Match Areas/Group Match Area Groups)
  • Offer - Offer
    • This permits the user to record and follow-up offers
  • OpeningBalance - Opening Balances
    • This permits the user to add opening balances to ledgers
  • PaymentGroup - Payment Groups
    • This permits the user to administer landlords payment groups
  • PersonalInformationRequest - Allow creation of personal information requests
    • This permits the user to action a personal information request from a Contacts record
  • PMFinancialReporting - PM Financial Reporting
    • This permits the user to access and download/export lettings financial reports
  • Property - Controls access to Properties
    • This permits the user to access property records
  • PropertyDate - Property Management Dates
    • This permits the user to add/amend property management dates
  • PropertyInsurance - Property Insurance Maintenance
    • This permits the user to add/amend insurer details to property records
  • PropertySupplier - Property Supplier Maintenance
    • This permits the user to add/amend preferred suppliers for properties
  • PropertyTenancy - Property Tenancy List
    • This permits the user to access a property’s tenancy history
  • PropertyUtility - Property Utilities Maintenance
    • This permits the user to add/amend a property’s utility suppliers
  • Receipt - Receipts
    • This permits the user to action the receipt of monies onto ledgers
  • ReceiptImport - Allow importing of receipts for bank transactions
    • This permits the user to import receipts via the uploading of bank account statements (Accounts > Import Receipts)
  • RecurringDiaryEntry - RecurringDiaryEntry
    • This permits the user to add recurring general appointments
  • RecurringEvent - RecurringEvent
    • This option was replaced by a newer feature; i.e. currently has no effect
  • Refund - Refunds
    • This permits the user to action the refund of monies and deposits
  • Reporting - Reporting
    • This permits the user to access and download/export the Reports screen
  • RestorePersonalInformation - Access to deleted contacts and restore option
    • This is a historical option that no longer has any effect; i.e. deletion of records is permanent and they cannot be recovered
  • SavedSearch - Saved Search Maintenance
    • This permits the user to add, amend and delete match groups, i.e. property, contact, and tenancy groups
  • SecurityRole - Role Maintenance
    • This permits the user to add/amend roles (Tools > Templates and admin > System Administration > Group Roles)
  • SecurityUser - User Maintenance
    • This permits the user to add/amend user accounts (Tools > Templates and admin > System Administration > Group Users)
  • SMS - SMS
    • This permits the user to send mobile phone text messages
  • SupplierPayment - Supplier Payments
    • This permits the user to action payments to suppliers
  • SupplierPaymentDetail - Supplier Payment Detail Maintenance
    • This permits the user to access/amend a supplier’s payment details
  • TDSSetup - Allow setup of TDS
    • This permits the user to configure the integration with the TDS
      (This is only for subscribers to their insured scheme)
  • Tenancy - Tenancy
    • This permits the user to access tenancy records
  • TenancyDate - Tenancy Management Dates
    • This permits the user to add/amend tenancy management dates
  • TenancyDeposit - Tenancy Deposit Maintenance
    • This permits the user to add/amend tenancy deposit registration details
  • TenancyDetail - Tenancy Notice Address Details
    • This permits the user to amend tenancy notice address details
  • TenancyMarketing - Tenancy Marketing Details
    • This permits the user to view tenancy marketing details
  • TenancyPeriodic - Change Tenancy to Periodic
    • This permits the user to make a tenancy periodic
  • TenancyRenewal - Begin Tenancy Renewal Progression
    • This permits the user to renew a tenancy for a further fixed term
  • TenancyUtility - Tenancy Utilities Maintenance
    • This permits the user to add/amend meter readings for tenancy move ins/outs
  • TenancyVacate - Begin Tenancy Vacate Progression
    • This permits the user to start a tenancy vacation
  • Tenant - Tenant
    • This permits the user to email landlords/tenants from event dates
  • TransactionList - Accounts Transaction List
    • This permits the user to access property and contacts transaction lists
  • Viewing - Viewing
    • This permits the user to book and follow-up viewing appointments
  • WorksOrder - Works Order Maintenance
    • This permits the user to raise and manage works orders

Assigning roles to users

To assign a role to an existing user:

  1. Click Tools on the main navigation bar
  2. In the dropdown menu, click Templates and admin
  3. On the side menu, under System Tools, click System Administration
  4. Click Group Users
  5. Click Edit next to the relevant user 

This will bring up the page which defines which branches the user has access to - and therefore the contacts and properties in those branches.

If you scroll to the bottom, you can also see which branches that role is assigned to and which users.

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Property Management and Accounts licences

Property Management and Accounts permissions within Alto are chargeable and require a licence for each user who requires them.

To enable Property Management for a user:

  1. Click Tools on the main navigation bar
  2. In the dropdown menu, click Templates and admin
  3. On the side menu, under System Tools, click System Administration
  4. Click Group Users
  5. Click Edit next to the relevant user
  6. Tick Property Management Enabled
  7. Scroll down and click Save

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 Note

In the event you don’t have any spare Property Management licences, you'll need to contact our Customer Operations team to request an additional licence before you can enable this for a new user. You can contact them here

Enabling Property Management activates the lettings side of Alto, allowing:

  • Landlords to be paid rent
  • Fees to be processed 
  • Property Management and Property Management Financials classic reports to be generated
  • Accounts functionality to be used

The following expandable list outlines in full what you have access to with an Accounts user licence, in comparison to a Property Management and Accounts user licence.

Alto user licence comparison
Area of Alto Accounts user licence functionality (with relevant permissions) Property Management and Accounts user licence functionality
Properties Add Commission Add Commission
Setting Client Accounts for Properties
  Add Charges Add Charges
Reverse charges via Transactions
  Financial Transaction History Financial Transaction History
  Works orders - including raising charges from works orders Works orders - including raising charges from works orders
     
(All) Contacts Raise charges Raise charges
  Receipt monies Receipt monies
  Add bank details Add bank details
Refunds
  Financial Transaction History Financial Transaction History
Reversing transactions
  Viewing/Resending Accounts Documents via the Timeline Viewing/Resending Accounts Documents via the Timeline
Applicants/Tenants Same as (All) Contacts Same as (All) Contacts
Deposit Bank Transfers
Landlords Same as (All) Contacts Same as (All) Contacts
Create/Edit Payment Groups
  View Payment Groups View Payment Groups
Setting Client Accounts for Landlords
  View Client Accounts View Client Accounts
Editing Overseas Tax/VAT Status
  View Overseas Tax/VAT Status View Overseas Tax/VAT Status
Pay Landlords
Suppliers Same as (All) Contacts Same as (All) Contacts
Pay Suppliers
  Add Commission Add Commission
Changing Payment Details
  Works orders - including raising charges from works orders Works orders - including raising charges from works orders
     
Tenancies Raise charges Raise charges
  Receipt monies Receipt monies
Transfer deposits between Accounts
  Financial Transaction History Financial Transaction History
Refunds
  Viewing/Resending Accounts Documents via the Timeline Viewing/Resending Accounts Documents via the Timeline
  Reversing transactions Reversing transactions
     
Lettings Progression Add initial invoice for Rent and Deposit Add initial invoice for Rent and Deposit
     
Accounts Tab   Opening Balances
    Bank Reconciliation
    Process Agency Fees
    Pay NRL Tax
    Import Receipts
    Annual/Period Statements
     
Classic Reports Property Property
  Applicant Applicant
  Sales Sales
  Lettings Lettings
  Marketing Marketing
  EPC EPC
  Property Management Property Management
    Financial Reports
  Management Management
  Other Other
     
Property Management Dashboard Arrears widget including sending arrears letters Arrears widget including sending arrears letters
Batch Receipts
  Monies Held Monies Held
Landlords to Pay
  Vacated Tenancy Charges Vacated Tenancy Charges
Suppliers to Pay
  Expired Charges Expired Charges
Outstanding Refunds
  Unallocated Credits Unallocated Credits
Deposits to be Refunded

Restricting licence functionality using roles

Even when a user has a licence enabled, you can still control which features they can access using Group Roles. For example:

  • A user may have a Property Management licence, but their role may restrict access to Accounts functions
  • Alternatively, a user could access Accounts features but not Property Management tools

This allows Group Administrators to precisely tailor access to each user's responsibilities.

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