Zones group units within one building, and orientations record which way units face. Both are recorded on the building, then assigned to individual units. A rate modifier rule can only match a zone or an orientation that already exists on the building.
Before you begin
You need permission to change zones and orientations. Without it, Lavanda shows "You don't have permission to change zones." or "You don't have permission to change orientations."
The building already exists. A zone and an orientation each belong to one building. Read How to create buildings, unit types, and units.
Decide the names first. A name describes the group, such as Quiet wing or South facing.
The units you want to assign already exist in that building.
What you need to know
Add zones and orientations to a building
Go to Inventory and select Buildings.
Select the building.
Select Building details.
Under Zones, select Add zone. Lavanda adds an empty row.
Enter the zone name, for example Quiet wing.
Repeat for each zone the building needs. Select Remove to take a row away.
Under Orientations, select Add orientation, then enter the name, for example South facing.
Select Save changes. Lavanda counts the unsaved changes until you do, and Cancel discards them.
Assign a unit to a zone or an orientation
Go to Inventory and select Units, then select the unit. The Edit Property page opens.
Select Unit detail.
Under Basic details, set Building zone. The picker offers that building's zones and Unassigned.
Set Building orientation the same way.
Select Save changes.
What each setting records
Setting | Where it is set | What it records |
Zones | The building, under Building details | A group of units within one building, such as a wing or a block. |
Orientations | The building, under Building details | Which way units face, such as South facing or Courtyard. |
Building zone | The unit, under Unit detail | Which of the building's zones the unit belongs to. |
Building orientation | The unit, under Unit detail | Which of the building's orientations the unit faces. |
When would you use it
You need a rate modifier to price one wing of a building above the rest.
You need a rate modifier to reduce the rate for units facing a road or a car park.
You want units grouped by block or entrance so colleagues can find them quickly.
You are recording why units within one unit type are priced differently.
A refurbishment has changed which part of a building commands a premium.
You are preparing a new building and want its attributes in place before rates are set.
Things to note
A zone or an orientation belongs to one building. Lavanda shows "A unit cannot be assigned to a zone in a different building".
Both settings are optional on a unit, and a unit with neither set reads Unassigned.
The name is free text, so an orientation is not limited to compass directions. Courtyard and Park view are valid names.
A zone that still has units assigned cannot be deleted. Lavanda shows "This zone still has units assigned. Reassign them before deleting".
Deleting a zone that units are assigned to unassigns those units, and Lavanda asks for confirmation first.
A name cannot be left empty. Lavanda shows "Zone name can't be blank".
A rate modifier rule matching Zone or Orientation only offers values recorded on the chosen building, so record them before creating the rules.
A rate modifier rule matches on the attribute a unit carries, so changing a unit's zone or orientation changes which rules apply to it.
Find out more
Article | What it covers |
The whole journey, from these attributes through to the rules that use them. | |
Adding a rule that adjusts unit pricing by floor, zone, orientation, or floor size. | |
Limits on how far rate modifiers can move a building's pricing. | |
Changing a rule, deactivating or reactivating it, and deleting it. | |
The other details recorded against a building, a unit type, and a unit. |