A dispute happens when a landlord pays your invoice through DigitalTenant, then asks their bank or card company to reverse the payment. You can send evidence, and the bank makes the decision. DigitalTenant does not decide disputes.
Before you start
- You need a connected Stripe payout account. Set it up under Settings → Connected Account.
- Employees need View access to both Transactions (under Accounting) and Work Orders (under Maintenance). The company owner always has access.
- Gather your evidence: invoices, contracts, proof of service and communication records, such as work order notes, photos, chat messages and signed quotes. Allow 10 to 20 minutes.
1. Open Payment Disputes
In the sidebar, go to Accounting → Payment Disputes.
2. Check the summary cards
- Total Disputes: all disputes on your account.
- Open Disputes: still waiting on a response or a decision. Shows Action Needed when you have any.
- Claim Approved: decided in your favor. You keep the money.
- Claim Denied: decided in the landlord's favor. The money goes back to the landlord.
3. Respond to a dispute
- Under Disputes Management, click the dispute to open it. You will see the amount, the reason and the due date.
- Follow the prompts to upload your evidence and write an explanation, or to accept the dispute. This part is provided by Stripe, so the buttons and wording come from Stripe.
- Submit before the due date.
If you miss the due date, the dispute is usually decided in the landlord's favor automatically. Send what you have before the deadline, even if it is not complete.
4. Wait for the decision
The dispute stays open until the bank decides. Timing, fees and outcomes are set by Stripe and the card network. When it is decided, it moves to Claim Approved or Claim Denied next time you open the page.
Good to know
- If you see Stripe Account Required, connect your account under Settings → Connected Account first.
- If you see an error or the dispute list won't load, refresh the page. Ad blockers or browser extensions can stop it loading.
- If you got a dispute email but the cards show 0, reload the page.
- Only the landlord, through their bank, can withdraw a dispute. You can ask them to contact their bank.
- Keep work order notes, photos and signed quotes for every job. They are your best evidence.
- If a landlord keeps disputing payments, talk to them. You can also block them under Contacts → Landlords.
Need help?
Email us at support@digitaltenant.com, or use the Help button in the bottom-right corner of your dashboard.