Importing your data from Buildium, Airbnb, and other systems
How the Import data page works: the two tabs (PMS · VRBO · bank · spreadsheets, then Airbnb), what to export from Buildium and other systems, the Go back history range, the Review step, the verified Summary, re-imports, and undo.
The importer moves you into Nexxus without retyping your portfolio. It reads the export files from your previous system and builds properties, units, owners, tenants, leases, bookings, owner-payment history and full ledgers. Then it checks its own work and shows you the results. Open it from Import data.
Two tabs, in order
- PMS · VRBO · bank · spreadsheets comes first. Upload exports from any property-management software (Buildium, AppFolio, TurboTenant…), booking platforms such as VRBO, your bank or Zelle payment exports, or your own spreadsheets, as CSV or Excel files. AI reads each file and maps its columns, and you can correct the mapping. Your files stay in your browser; only the column headers and a small sample are sent for mapping. Steps: Upload → Map → Review → Photos → Import → Done.
- Airbnb comes second, because stays attach to the properties the first import created. It has its own guided flow: see Importing Airbnb and short-term rental history. After that, ongoing Airbnb reservations can sync live from the Channels page: see Connecting Airbnb.
What to export from Buildium
The Upload step lists the exact reports. From Settings → Export Data: Rentals, Tenants and Rental owners. From Reports: Rent Roll, Security Deposit & Liabilities, Tenant Statement (through today), Current Tenants and ePay Activity (your owner payments). Nexxus reads Buildium's tenant statements, current-tenant list and ePay report with fixed rules rather than AI. If your newest ledger line is more than about 40 days old, the Review step warns you to re-export through today.
How far back to go
On the Review step, Include past leases as history (on by default) brings ended leases in as closed bookings, with no rent ever charged on them. Go back: sets the range: This year (year-to-date), Last 12 months, Last 24 months or All available history (the default). The range only limits former tenants, since current and upcoming tenants always import. Depth: chooses Full ledgers or Dates only. More history means real trailing-12 reports, occupancy and owner records, so make sure your tenant-statement export reaches as far back as the range you pick.
The Review step: every judgment call is shown
Nothing is written until you confirm. Review shows what will be created, plus:
- Current-or-past calls: tenants the importer rescued to current or recently ended, each with its reason and a Current / Past toggle.
- Owners & management fees: editable Ownership % and Mgmt fee % per owner and property.
- Possible duplicate stays: each one can be set to Skip (duplicate) or Import anyway.
- Leases & ledgers: for months no statement covers, you can fill rent history from the lease terms.
- Payments to owners: match each payee to an owner, add them as a new owner, or exclude them (vendors and payroll are excluded automatically). These become read-only payout history.
An optional Photos step comes next, then Import into Nexxus.
The Summary: trust, but verify
After writing, Nexxus re-reads the database and checks it against your files, matching each tenant's ledger to their statement to the cent. It also tells you which run owner payouts start with. Details are in Trusting an import.
Importing again
A second import first warns You've already imported data. Import anyway creates a separate batch you can undo on its own. Properties, owners and leases that match existing ones (same normalized name or address; same tenant, property and overlapping dates) are reused, and a matched lease only gets the ledger lines it was missing. A different spelling of a name creates a new record, so keep names consistent across exports.
Undo
Every import is a batch listed under Settings → Data & Imports with Undo. Undoing removes what the batch created, so you can fix the export and run it again. Read the confirmation before you undo: it can also remove later work. See Trusting an import.
Related guides
Trusting an import: the verification summary and undo
After an import, Nexxus checks the database against your files (each tenant's ledger to the cent) and gives a verdict, plus when owner payouts start. Any batch can be undone from Settings → Data & Imports; the confirmation lists exactly what will be removed, including later work that depends on it.
What imported history can and can't do
Imported history counts as closed business: it powers reports and occupancy, but late fees are never charged for days before a lease existed in Nexxus, owners are never re-paid for months your old system settled, past leases are never charged rent, and filled-in months never count as payout cash.
Importing Airbnb and short-term rental history
The Airbnb tab on the Import page reads your Airbnb reservations and payout CSV exports to bring in PAST stays, with payouts on the dates Airbnb actually paid, reconciled to the cent and undoable as one batch. It's safe to re-run. For ongoing two-way sync of upcoming reservations, connect Airbnb on the Channels page instead — the two work together.
The payout baseline: "Payouts through Nexxus began X"
The baseline is the line between owner money your previous system already settled and money Nexxus runs own. It freezes when you approve your first run, browsing never moves it, and only an owner-admin's Reset payouts (before real money moves) clears it.
Settled outside Nexxus: paid-through dates and prepaid terms
When you already paid an owner through your old system, or up front for a prepaid lease, Nexxus holds that money out of new runs. It reads paid-through dates from imported payment memos, from a date you set on the owner link, or from a booking's Prepaid term, and shows what it held back in the run header.