A deal carries two separate things, and mixing them up is the most common source of confusion:
- the step — how far the deal has progressed;
- the status — what state the deal is in right now.
The step moves forward as you work. The status follows the step on its own; the ending states are set by a decision, not by the calendar.
The six steps
| Step | What it means |
|---|---|
| Enquiry | The deal exists: a tenant and a property are attached. |
| KYC | The identity of both sides is being established. |
| Documentation | Contract terms are agreed — dates and rent are recorded. |
| Payment | The payment schedule is prepared. |
| Registration | The tenancy is being registered with the emirate's authority. |
| Completed | Registration is recorded: the status becomes Registered and the tenancy is live. |
You move a deal forward with Advance on the deal page. If something is still missing, the deal does not move and TenancyDesk names what is missing.
The eight statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft | Created, not yet advanced. |
| In Progress | Being worked on. |
| Pending Registration | The deal has reached the Registration step. |
| Registered | Registration is recorded; the tenancy is live. |
| Completed | The lease reached its end and the deal was closed. |
| Renewed | Continued into a new term, as a new linked deal. |
| Terminated | Ended before its term. |
| Cancelled | Stopped before it became active. |
️ The step called Completed and the status called Completed are different things: the step means registration is done and the tenancy is live; the status means the lease is over.
How the two connect
Advancing the step updates the status: the middle steps show In Progress, the Registration step shows Pending Registration, and the final step shows Registered.
Completed, Renewed and Terminated are always an action someone on your team takes. Cancelled is usually one too — with one exception: when one deal for a property becomes active, other Draft deals for the same property are cancelled automatically, because the property is no longer free.
What happens on its own
When a deal reaches a new step, TenancyDesk can create follow-up tasks for that step, so the work does not depend on anyone's memory. When a deal's status changes, your team is notified. The tenant and the owner are told when the deal moves forward to a new status, is completed or is cancelled.
Common questions
Can a deal skip a step? No. The order is fixed, because each step relies on what the previous one established.
Can it go backwards? No. If a deal should not continue, it is cancelled or terminated — that keeps the history honest about what actually happened.
Why is my deal blocked? The deal page lists the reason: something the current step needs is missing or unverified, or a compliance issue is open against the deal.
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