Activity Audit Logs: Complete Transparency & Accountability

Audit logs provide complete transparency into all activities in your TenancyDesk account—essential for compliance, security, and dispute resolution.

What Gets Logged

User Activities:

Login/logout (with IP address)
Failed login attempts
Password changes
2FA enable/disable

Deal Activities:

Deal created/updated/deleted
Status changes
Document uploads/downloads
Party additions/changes
Payment marked received
Deal assignments

Team Management:

User invited/removed
Role changes
Permission modifications

Settings Changes:

Billing updates
Integration connections
Webhook configurations
API key generation

Every Log Entry Includes:

User who performed action
Action type
Timestamp (UAE timezone)
IP address
Changes made (before/after)
Associated deal/party/document

Accessing Audit Logs

Path: Settings → Security → Audit Logs

Filters:

User: See one user's activity
Action Type: Login, deal.created, document.uploaded, etc.
Date Range: Last 7 days, 30 days, custom range
Entity: Specific deal, document, or party

Search: Free text search across all logs

Common Use Cases

1. Security Investigation

Question: "Who accessed this sensitive deal?"
Action: Filter by deal ID → See all users who viewed/edited
Result: Identify unauthorized access

2. Dispute Resolution

Question: "Tenant claims we never received their visa"
Action: Search for document uploads → Find upload record
Result: Proof of receipt with timestamp

3. Accountability

Question: "Who changed this deal's rent amount?"
Action: Filter deal → Look for update events
Result: See exactly who made change and when

4. Compliance Audit

Question: "Show all GDPR data access for this tenant"
Action: Filter by party name
Result: Complete access log for regulators

5. Performance Review

Question: "How many deals did Fatima create this month?"
Action: Filter user=Fatima, action=deal.created, last 30 days
Result: Count of deals created

Exporting Audit Logs

For Compliance/Legal Needs:

Step 1: Apply filters Step 2: Click "Export" Step 3: Choose format:

JSON - Machine-readable, for analysis
CSV - Excel-compatible, for spreadsheets
PDF - Human-readable, for presentations

Export Includes:

All filtered log entries
Metadata (export date, user who exported, filters applied)
Digital signature (for legal validity)

Use Cases:

RERA audit requests
Internal compliance reports
Legal dispute evidence
Security incident reports

Log Retention

How Long Logs Are Kept:

Solo Plan: 30 days
Starter Plan: 90 days
Pro Plan: 180 days (6 months)
Enterprise Plan: 365 days (1 year)

Cannot Be:

Modified (immutable once created)
Deleted (except after retention period)
Hidden from Admins

Why Immutable?

Legal evidence integrity
Compliance requirements
Dispute resolution reliability

Security Alerts from Logs

Automatic Alerts:

1. Multiple Failed Logins

5 failed attempts from same IP
Email to all Admins
IP temporarily blocked

2. Access from New Location

Login from new country/city
Email to user: "Was this you?"
Require 2FA verification

3. Bulk Data Export

Someone exports 100+ deals
Email to Admins: "Large export detected"
Review for data theft

4. Unusual Activity Hours

Login at 3am (outside business hours)
Could indicate account compromise
Alert sent for review

Reading Audit Log Entries

Example Entry:

{
  "timestamp": "2026-01-15 14:32:18 GST",
  "user": "fatima@propertyfirm.ae",
  "action": "deal.updated",
  "entity": "DEAL-2026-001234",
  "ip_address": "185.123.45.67",
  "changes": {
    "annual_rent": {
      "before": 95000,
      "after": 100000
    }
  },
  "user_agent": "Chrome 120.0.0 / Windows 10"
}

What This Shows:

Who: Fatima (Property Administrator)
What: Changed annual rent
When: Jan 15, 2:32pm
Where: From IP 185.123.45.67 (office location)
How Much: Increased from AED 95K → AED 100K
Device: Windows laptop with Chrome

Best Practices

1. Regular Reviews:

Weekly: Check failed login attempts
Monthly: Review permission changes
Quarterly: Export full audit for compliance

2. Investigate Anomalies:

Login from unexpected location
Action performed by unexpected user
Bulk changes to critical data

3. Document Investigations:

Export relevant logs
Add investigation notes
Store in secure location

4. Train Team:

Explain that all actions are logged
Encourages accountability
Deters misconduct

5. Compliance Ready:

Know how to export logs quickly
Practice RERA audit scenario
Keep 7-year archives (Enterprise)

Next Steps

Access audit logs now (familiarize yourself)
Practice filtering and searching
Export a test report (try JSON, CSV, PDF)
Schedule monthly audit log review