Question 1

How fast can I get started with CIRO?

Accepted Answer

In under 10 minutes you've signed up and added your properties – or you import your complete portfolio directly from your Excel sheet and all properties are in CIRO in one go. From day one CIRO takes over bookkeeping, deadlines and tenant communication. You decide which tasks run fully automatically and where you keep the last word. The routine runs in the background — you only check in when a real decision is due, instead of ticking off every incoming payment yourself.

Question 2

What happens to my data, and who can access it?

Accepted Answer

Your data sits on European servers, encrypted to banking standards and fully GDPR-compliant. Only you and the people you explicitly invite can reach your portfolio — CIRO staff only if you ask us for support. We never resell your data, never feed it into advertising, and remove it entirely on request.

Question 3

I'm not a real estate pro — can I still use it?

Accepted Answer

You don't have to be. CIRO brings the real-estate know-how with it — tenancy law, utility accounting, deadlines, termination rules — and warns you in time before anything goes off the rails. You get clear recommendations in plain language for every task, not legal citations. And if you're unsure, our support team replies with a concrete solution tailored to your case.

Question 4

What does the AI actually do for me?

Accepted Answer

The AI reads incoming documents — invoices, leases, utility statements, emails from tenants — and files the data under the right property automatically. For recurring bookings it learns your patterns and suggests the matching category, so you only review instead of re-typing. You stay in control: confirm once, and CIRO applies the same logic from then on.

Question 5

Do I have to use the AI?

Accepted Answer

No — AI in CIRO is fully voluntary. Your data stays yours: CIRO never trains AI models on your documents, leases or tenant messages — the AI only recognises patterns inside your own account and shares nothing beyond it. If you still have concerns, you can switch it off per feature anytime in settings — and on Smart and Pro you can disable it entirely, so your portfolio runs on classic rule-based workflows and you confirm everything manually.

Question 6

How much does CIRO cost, and can I try it without commitment?

Accepted Answer

You start on the Free plan with one unit — no credit card, no expiry date, no hidden costs. As your portfolio grows, move up to Basic (€19 / month), Smart (€39) or Pro (€89) and pick up the matching automation along the way. You only pay for the functionality you actually need, and you can cancel any paid plan monthly.

Question 7

Is CIRO for beginners or for professional managers?

Accepted Answer

CIRO grows with you: from the first self-let apartment to a 50+ unit portfolio with commercial leases, condo-association management and team roles. Beginners get clear step-by-step guidance and legal safety from day one, scalers get AI-driven automation and pro-level tools without extra setup. You change the plan as you grow, not the tool — your data, documents and settings carry over on every upgrade.

Question 8

How does CIRO use my time budget?

Accepted Answer

You tell CIRO once how many hours per week you want to invest in your rentals – for example, two hours on a Tuesday evening. CIRO then places only as many tasks on your dashboard as realistically fit that budget, prioritised by urgency and deadline. Anything that won't fit rolls over to the following week automatically – no guilt trip, no red numbers.

Question 9

What are the daily tasks?

Accepted Answer

A prioritised list in your dashboard that shows you each morning what's actually worth doing today – tuned to your time budget and current deadlines. Routine work like payment matching or document filing is handled by CIRO itself. Your list only contains the items where you need to decide or reply as landlord – the rest runs in the background.

Question 10

Does CIRO connect to my calendar?

Accepted Answer

Yes. CIRO syncs appointments and deadlines directly into your Google or Apple calendar. Connect once, and due dates like rent increases, termination deadlines or maintenance slots appear next to your personal appointments. You can see at a glance whether the week has room left – and never miss a deadline because it lived only in one tool.

Question 11

What if I have no time for a week?

Accepted Answer

Then you set your time budget to zero – or to 30 minutes, whatever is realistic. CIRO shifts tasks accordingly, without nagging or red flashing. Deadlines that genuinely can't wait are clearly marked – everything else simply sleeps until you have time again.

Question 12

Can I add tasks myself?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You enter your own to-dos with one click and CIRO slots them into the priority queue. For recurring work like heating maintenance or insurance checks, you can set a repeat rhythm. Your dashboard stays your single task source – CIRO automation and your own thinking in one place.

Question 13

Which plan includes the assistant?

Accepted Answer

Task prioritisation with daily list and time budget is included from CIRO Smart (€39 / month). On Free and Basic you work with the classic task view without AI prioritisation. Want to see Smart or Pro before committing? Email our support at info@ciro.immo – we'll take care of your request personally and find a way for you to try the plan that fits, risk-free.

Question 14

How long do I have access?

Accepted Answer

Your demo access runs for 7 days, and you can request a new one any time after. The test environment is reset every Sunday – with fresh example data from a realistic landlord's workflow. That way you can explore CIRO risk-free before importing your real data.

Question 15

Do I need to provide a credit card?

Accepted Answer

No. Demo access is completely free and ends automatically – no billing, no back door. You only provide your email address to get the access link, and you actively decide later whether to move to a paid plan.

Question 16

Can I enter my own data?

Accepted Answer

In the demo you can freely create and test everything, including your own properties and tenants. Just note: at the Sunday reset your entries are wiped. For real data, create a free CIRO account – our team will help you migrate from Excel or other tools on request.

Question 17

What happens after the demo?

Accepted Answer

You decide: either you create a free CIRO account and import your real data, or the demo access expires with no further action. Nothing is converted into a paid subscription automatically. For the switch to your own account we support the migration from Excel or other property management tools.

Question 18

Which features are unlocked in the demo?

Accepted Answer

The demo shows the complete Smart plan: portfolio overview, automated accounting, tenant portal, ticketing, document storage and the AI assistant. You get a realistic feel for CIRO before committing – including the features that normally run in the background for you.

Question 19

Which communication channels does CIRO support?

Accepted Answer

CIRO bundles email, SMS and WhatsApp into a single inbox – you reply from one interface, no matter which channel the message came in on. Phone calls and postal mail can be added as notes, so the full history per tenant stays traceable. One place, one history – instead of scattered screenshots and folders.

Question 20

How does automatic translation work?

Accepted Answer

CIRO detects the language of an incoming message and translates it to your language – over 40 languages are supported. You can toggle the original text with one click, so you always see your tenant's exact wording if needed. Your reply is translated back into your tenant's language – understandable on both sides, no interpreter required.

Question 21

Are the AI response suggestions reliable?

Accepted Answer

Suggestions are based on the conversation so far, your own writing style and typical landlord replies. They show up as a draft – nothing is sent until you click "Reply" yourself. CIRO suggests, you decide: you save typing without giving up control over the tone. Reply suggestions are included from CIRO Smart.

Question 22

How long are messages stored?

Accepted Answer

All messages are archived audit-proof for as long as your CIRO account is active – including timestamp and channel. The full conversation history per tenant is available any time and can be exported as PDF. Especially important for deadlines, commitments or disputes: you always have the record of what was communicated when.

Question 23

Can I try tenant communication for free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Tenant communication with the central inbox is included from the Free plan – permanently free, no credit card, no expiry date. AI features like reply suggestions and automatic translation unlock from Smart. As your portfolio grows, move up to Basic (€19 / month), Smart (€39) or Pro (€89) – every paid tier is monthly cancellable, no minimum term.

Question 24

Is the tenant portal free for tenants?

Accepted Answer

Yes – for your tenants CIRO is free forever. They see their documents, utility bill statements and your conversation with them without any registration or monthly fee. You pay your CIRO plan once – tenant access is included in every tier, from Free to Pro.

Question 25

How do I invite my tenants?

Accepted Answer

You open the tenant profile in CIRO and click "Invite" – your tenant gets an email with a personalised access link. Registration takes under 2 minutes, no app install needed. In your dashboard you can see who has already activated and resend the invite if required.

Question 26

Which documents can tenants see?

Accepted Answer

You decide which documents are shared – typically the lease, handover protocol, house rules and current utility bill statements. You can adjust the sharing at any time, per tenant or across the board. Internal notes and documents from other tenancies stay invisible – full transparency on your side, clear limits on theirs.

Question 27

How does damage reporting work?

Accepted Answer

Your tenant clicks "Report damage" in the portal, describes the issue and optionally uploads a photo. CIRO automatically opens a ticket with priority, property and tenant context – you see it in your dashboard at the same moment. So repair requests land with you in structured form, not scattered across WhatsApp, SMS or voice notes.

Question 28

Can tenants access multiple properties?

Accepted Answer

Yes. If a tenant is invited to multiple properties of yours, they see all of them in one unified view. Handy when tenants move within your portfolio: old statements stay accessible without your tenant having to create a second account.

Question 29

What happens when a tenancy ends?

Accepted Answer

Your former tenant keeps read access to their historical documents for a defined period – enough time to secure the final utility bill, deposit statement and papers for the tax office or next landlord. After that, their access is deactivated automatically. In your account, all files stay fully archived including the audit trail.

Question 30

Which operating costs can I bill with CIRO?

Accepted Answer

CIRO supports all 17 billable items under § 2 BetrKV – property tax, water, heating, elevator, waste collection, insurance, caretaker and more. You enable only the positions relevant for your property and upload the receipts. Non-billable costs like management fees or maintenance reserves are flagged automatically – your tenant doesn't see them on the bill, the tax office does.

Question 31

Is the billing legally correct?

Accepted Answer

CIRO creates statements per § 556 BGB and automatically checks completeness, deadlines and allocation keys. Warnings show you when receipts are missing or the annual deadline is approaching – you can't accidentally send an invalid bill. For edge cases like a commercial share, we recommend a lawyer or tenant association; CIRO delivers the compliant baseline.

Question 32

How does allocation across multiple tenants work?

Accepted Answer

For each cost item you choose the right allocation key – living space, number of occupants, units or a custom key like heating consumption. CIRO calculates the shares automatically from the lease data and accounts for mid-year tenant changes to the day. The calculation is laid out transparently – if a tenant asks, you can justify every number directly from CIRO.

Question 33

Can I try utility billing for free?

Accepted Answer

On the Free plan you bill one unit permanently for free – no credit card, no expiry date. You can also upload your property manager's annual statement (Hausgeldabrechnung) on the Free plan – CIRO imports the line items automatically into your utility bill. For multiple properties or automated reminders you upgrade to Basic, Smart or Pro, matching your portfolio size. That way you create your first utility bill with CIRO before spending a euro.

Question 34

How do I send the finished bills?

Accepted Answer

You download the finished PDF directly from CIRO or – depending on your plan – send it straight from the integrated tenant portal to your tenants. CIRO records the dispatch with a timestamp as an internal send receipt. Important: a send timestamp is not legal proof of delivery under § 130 BGB. If you want to be on the safe side – e.g. for disputed back-payments – send the bill additionally as registered mail with return receipt and upload the tracking record directly to the bill in CIRO. That way you have both dispatch and delivery fully documented.

Question 35

Does CIRO offer legal advice?

Accepted Answer

No – CIRO is not a substitute for a lawyer. We help you manage leases, protocols and statements in an audit-proof way, link them cleanly and prove when and how they were shared. For specific legal interpretation – say, a termination dispute or rent reduction – a lawyer belongs at the table. CIRO makes sure you can hand them all relevant documents with one click.

Question 36

Which documents can I store?

Accepted Answer

Everything that matters for your rental: leases, handover protocols, house rules, utility statements, meter reading receipts, contractor invoices and correspondence. CIRO accepts PDF, JPG and PNG. From CIRO Smart, the AI additionally extracts date, amount and category from invoices automatically. Instead of searching in folders, you find every document via full-text search in seconds.

Question 37

Can I link the lease directly to the tenancy?

Accepted Answer

Yes. When creating or editing a tenancy you pick the matching lease from your document storage. CIRO automatically pulls the key data – start date, rent, deposit – into the tenancy record, so you don't enter anything twice. Changes remain traceable, because CIRO archives every version with a timestamp.

Question 38

Which documents can my tenants see?

Accepted Answer

Only the ones you explicitly share – selectively per tenant or across the board. Typically lease, house rules and the current utility statement. Internal notes and documents from other tenancies stay invisible. You adjust sharing at any time with one click – full control, without running a second document system.

Question 39

Are my documents safe?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All files are stored with bank-level encryption on European servers – GDPR-compliant, with daily backups and multiple redundancy. Access is limited to you, the people you explicitly grant access to, and tenants with an active sharing link. No AI model training on your data, no third-party resale, deletable at any time.

Question 40

What happens to documents after the tenancy ends?

Accepted Answer

Every document stays fully archived in your account – with timestamp, audit trail and history. Your former tenant keeps read access to their own files for a defined period, so they can still retrieve statements and deposit receipts. After that their access is deactivated automatically – your archive view is unaffected.

Question 41

Is Hausmaister always AI – or is there also human support?

Accepted Answer

Both. Hausmaister is the AI layer that answers you instantly around the clock – ideal for how-does-this-work questions and in-tool help. For complex topics or escalations, Hausmaister hands over directly to our support team, so you don't have to explain your issue twice. You get either an instant AI reply or personal support from our team – never a queue.

Question 42

Why is it called „Hausmaister" and not „Hausmeister"?

Accepted Answer

The spelling is intentional: the „ai" sits right in the middle of the name and makes it instantly visible that AI is doing the work for you – not a person with a toolbox. The classic Hausmeister still looks after the stairwell, the boiler and the front-door lock. Hausmaister takes care of the admin behind it: reading documents, answering questions about CIRO, structuring incoming messages. You know at a glance who you're talking to – and nothing gets confused with the caretaker on site.

Question 43

Can I disable the AI features?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All AI features – including Hausmaister, reply suggestions and document recognition – can be switched off per function or entirely in settings. No support ticket, no consultant layer, a single toggle. Your CIRO then runs on classic rule-based workflows; anything that was previously AI automation is confirmed by you manually.

Question 44

What can Hausmaister actually do?

Accepted Answer

Hausmaister answers questions about CIRO, explains features in plain language and takes you to the right place in the tool with one click. It processes documents, coordinates the migration from Excel or other software and flags urgent topics to our team. Instead of clicking through menus you type what you want – and get either the answer or the action carried out directly.

Question 45

How safe is my data with Hausmaister?

Accepted Answer

All data stays encrypted on European servers and is not used to train AI models. Hausmaister only processes the content you explicitly let it see – a specific lease, an invoice, a single question. What isn't released stays invisible to it, and you can turn it off entirely at any time.

Question 46

Which plan includes Hausmaister?

Accepted Answer

Hausmaister is included from CIRO Smart (€39 / month) and provides AI-driven assistance for documents and requests. Want to see Smart or Pro before committing? Email our support at info@ciro.immo – we'll take care of your request personally and find a way for you to try the plan that fits, risk-free.

Question 47

Can I import data from my old software?

Accepted Answer

Yes – Migration as a Service is part of every CIRO plan. We handle the import from Excel spreadsheets or other property management tools for you, including the mapping of properties, tenants, leases and bookings. You upload your files, we wire the data cleanly into CIRO – and you start with a complete portfolio rather than from scratch.

Question 48

Is the digital handover protocol legally recognised?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The law doesn't prescribe a specific form for handover protocols – what counts is documented, verifiable evidence of the property's condition. CIRO stores each signature with timestamp, device and IP address, alongside photos and notes. In a dispute you have a complete record of when, where and by whom something was documented and confirmed.

Question 49

What happens if the tenant refuses to sign?

Accepted Answer

You can complete the protocol unilaterally, add your signature and send it by email. CIRO documents the delivery including a timestamp. You still have a solid record of the property's condition at the handover moment, even without a counter-signature.

Question 50

How accurate is the AI damage analysis?

Accepted Answer

The AI evaluates your photos and proposes an initial assessment – type of damage, affected area, relevance for the protocol. It doesn't replace an expert opinion, but it saves you the routine descriptions and keeps the wording consistent. You can correct or discard every suggestion before saving – you stay the decider.

Question 51

Do meter readings flow automatically into the utility bill?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Once you record a meter reading in the handover protocol it's in the system with date and property – at the next utility billing it's automatically used as the opening or closing value. You don't have to enter it twice, so a transfer error between protocol and bill simply can't happen.

Question 52

Can I create the protocol without internet?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The CIRO app works offline – photos, text and meter readings are saved locally, and as soon as you're online CIRO syncs everything into your account automatically. Handy in basements or older buildings without WiFi: you stay productive, your tenant doesn't wait, and nothing gets lost.

Question 53

Can I switch plans anytime?

Accepted Answer

Yes — you can upgrade or downgrade any time. An upgrade to Basic, Smart or Pro takes effect immediately and is pro-rated for the current month. A downgrade keeps your current plan until the end of the billing period, then switches you to the smaller one. No minimum term, no switching fees.

Question 54

Do new features cost extra?

Accepted Answer

Features that are part of your plan's scope cost nothing extra — even when we expand or improve them. If we ever launch entirely new product areas or particularly compute-intensive premium capabilities, we may offer those as optional add-ons — and we'll communicate that transparently and in advance. Within your plan's standard feature set, there are no surprise upgrade fees.

Question 55

Are there hidden costs or setup fees?

Accepted Answer

No. You pay exactly the price shown on the pricing page — including all features of your plan, including support, including GDPR-compliant storage on EU servers. No setup fee, no cancellation fee, no quiet extras — the monthly price displayed is the one you pay.

Question 56

Which payment methods does CIRO accept?

Accepted Answer

You can pay by credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), SEPA direct debit, PayPal or Klarna. Payment is processed automatically for your chosen billing period — monthly or yearly. Invoices are available in your account as PDF downloads anytime, ready for your tax advisor or bookkeeping.

Question 57

Can I try CIRO without commitment?

Accepted Answer

You start on the Free plan with one unit — free forever, no credit card, no expiry date. Want to try Basic, Smart or Pro beforehand? Write to our support at info@ciro.immo — we'll handle your request personally and find a way for you to get to know the right plan risk-free.

Question 58

How do I cancel CIRO?

Accepted Answer

You cancel directly in your account under 'Subscription' — no email, no phone call, no notice period. The cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period; afterwards you drop to the Free plan automatically and keep full access to your data. No minimum term, no silent renewals.

Question 59

What happens to my data after I cancel?

Accepted Answer

On the Free plan your data stays fully available — you can switch back to Basic, Smart or Pro any time. If you want to close your account entirely, you can do that right from your profile: we'll keep your data for another 60 days so you can come back without fuss, and then delete it permanently. Before deletion, you can export everything as PDF and CSV.

Question 60

What if I get more units?

Accepted Answer

You grow within your plan. Free covers one unit, Basic up to 5, Smart up to 20 and Pro up to 50. As you approach your unit limit, CIRO reaches out in advance and you decide whether you want to upgrade. Beyond 50 units we'll talk with you personally and put together a tailored Premium offer.

Question 61

I'm a property manager and 50 units aren't enough — what does CIRO offer for professionals?

Accepted Answer

We grow with our customers — and that includes you as a property manager. CIRO Pro currently covers up to 50 units and can be extended to up to 100 units through add-ons. Need more units or a larger plan? Get in touch via our premium page: https://www.ciro.immo/preise/premium — we'll find the right solution together.

Question 62

Why do I get part of my CIRO costs back through taxes?

Accepted Answer

Your CIRO costs count as business expenses (Werbungskosten) under rental income and reduce your tax burden. In practice: you deduct the annual fee from your rental income and only pay tax on what's left — the share the tax office would have otherwise taken stays with you. At a 45% marginal tax rate that's around €86 back on €190 annual costs for the Basic plan. Your actual savings depend on your personal tax rate — when in doubt, check with your tax advisor.

Question 63

Can CIRO debit money from my account?

Accepted Answer

No – this is technically and regulatorily impossible. The bank connection runs exclusively as an account information service (AIS) under PSD2. CIRO reads account movements but cannot initiate any payments. This is not a matter of settings – it is a matter of architecture.

Question 64

Which banks does the connection support?

Accepted Answer

CIRO uses finAPI for bank connectivity. finAPI supports most German banks – including Sparkasse, Volksbank, Deutsche Bank, ING, DKB, Commerzbank, and many more. A full list is available at finapi.io. If your bank is not listed, you can still enter bookings manually.

Pricing & plans

Getting started

AI & assistance

Demo & trial

Tenant communication

Tenant portal

Utility billing

Legal compliance

SmartBar

Property handover