INTRODUCTION

TO THE USE OF

PRONOTIF

Would you like to familiarize yourself with the Pronotif interface and its features? This tutorial (Getting Started guide) has been designed for you. It presents the essential concepts that will help you get the most out of your Pronotif account.

Although the Pronotif service is designed to facilitate the user experience, we strongly advise you to take 5 minutes to read this tutorial.

Creating a New Account

In order to create a Pronotif account, go to the Pronotif registration page and fill in the fields. To get the best experience for your specific needs, please indicate the industry in which you operate. Once your account is created, you will be able to add users within your organization in your settings.

Certified Email (Notification)

Pronotif’s certified email feature (legally called “notification”) is ideal for businesses and professionals who need to notify emails and documents, while obtaining a compliant and valid proof of transmission. In order to implement certified email, click on the “Certified Email” button in your certified email dashboard on the “New Activity” button.

Here Are the 4 Steps to Follow:

  1. Enter the names of your recipients by clicking on the “New Recipient” button, or simply select them from a predetermined list. Previously entered names will appear via autocomplete. When you are done, click on “Next Step”.
  2. Enter the subject of the message and the internal file number for your certified email. Compose your message and add attachments to all or specific recipients. When you are finished, click on “Next Step”.
  3. Select the options you want and, if necessary, add collaborators to your certified email. Collaborators are users within your organization that you want to give access to the certified email that will be forwarded. By adding them, the collaborators will be able to track the certified email and view all interactions associated with it, as if they were the ones who sent it. When you are done, click on “Next Step”.
  4. Review the email and make sure all the information is correct. This is only a preview, so your recipients’ names do not appear yet at this stage. When you are done, click on “Confirm & Send”.

Tracking and Proof

The “Tracking” tab located on the left sidebar of your screen allows you to track all your transmissions in real time.

  1. When you click on a type of activity (certified email, file transfer, document collection, etc.), you get access to the global list of all your outgoing and incoming communications.
  2. If you click on a specific transmission, you get access to its detailed page. The “Overview” tab allows you to see all the recipients contained in the transmission and their delivery status (transmitted, opened, downloaded, or replied to).
  3. If a recipient has replied to you via the “Reply to sender” button in the received email, their message will be accessible under the “Communications” tab (next to “Message”) in a timeline format.
  4. The orange “Proof Report” button allows you to access a dynamic PDF document that contains the proof and transmission details for each recipient.

What should I do to get started with Pronotif?

In order to get started with our certified notification tool, please find below some steps to properly set up your account and enjoy all the benefits of Pronotif:

If you are a CORPIQ member, add your membership number to take advantage of our preferential prices on your account.

To do so, go to your settings, then to the CORPIQ section of your account. Then, enter the 22 characters that are on the back of your CORPIQ membership card, then simply save.

If you are not yet a member, discover all our benefits in addition to our attractive rates by clicking here

  • Create an account for your organization
    In your settings, go to the section ”Organization”, you can enter the name of your organization, its full address and add your logo.
  • Invite users to the account of your organization and add them rights of use
    You are several people in your organization who want to use Pronotif? Now is the time to add your colleagues. In your settings, go to the ”Users” section, then click on the ”Invite a user” button, enter some information about your colleague as well as his or her role in your Pronotif account in order to finalize the invitation.
    Once the information added click on Invite, this will send an email invitation to connect to your colleague directly by email.
  • Customize your signature and add a privacy note if needed (setting > communications)
    To further customize your email notifications to your organization, we give you the option to add an introductory text, a privacy note and a signature to your mailings. To add your content, go to your settings and then to the section ”Communications”.
  • Add your credit card, add your billing address and buy your first pack or start the subscription.
    Click on Credits at the top right of your screen to discover our different packages.
    Add your credit card so you can purchase the package that best suits your daily needs.
    Once you have purchased your credits you will receive a confirmation email, so you can view your invoice directly at the bottom of the screen, just click on the invoice you wish to view.
    If you have added your CORPIQ membership card you will automatically see our preferential prices.
  • Set up your own text templates for your email notifications (or use our templates directly)
    To save you time, you can create up to 6 templates for each type of activity. Indeed, if you are used to use the same content regularly from one mailing to another, take advantage of this feature to avoid double entry of content.
    You can create templates in French and English without any problem.
    Note: Only the administrators of your account can add new templates, so don’t hesitate to ask your colleagues which templates they might be interested in. Once the templates are created, they will be available to all users in your organization.
  • Send your first consent request.
    We would like to remind you that we strongly recommend to have received your recipient’s consent to allow you to use Pronotif for communications between you.
    You can send consent requests free of charge through Pronotif or you can obtain the consent of the person in question through a handwritten document for example.
  • Send your first electronic notification.
    After you have obtained the consent of your recipient, you can send him/her a first electronic notification.
    Once sent, you will be able to follow all the delivery status of the transmission, to the responses obtained. At any time, you will be able to consult and download the proof report of the sent notification.

 

Easier and faster than paper registered mail, right?

If you have any questions about using Pronotif, please do not hesitate to contact our technical support team, who will be happy to answer your questions and help you with your problem.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Pronotif, in General

What Is a Pronotif Certified Notification/Email?

Pronotif is a service (online platform) for electronic notification. Its system ensures secure and reliable transmission of legal documents and notices. Pronotif allows the sender to serve documents and notices, while confirming through technology that the content has been received, viewed, or downloaded.

In the following decisions, the Tribunal administratif du logement has recognized the validity of Pronotif:

 

  1. Shah v. Edwards-Daugherty 2017 QCRDL 4287;
  2. DCV Properties v. Biaye 2017 QCRDL 15611;
  3. DCV Properties v El Hage 2017 QCRDL 15608;
  4. DCV Estates v. Kammoonah 2017 QCRDL 15609;
  5. DCV Estates v. Hamane 2017 QCRDL 15612;
  6. DCV Estates v. Horn 2017 QCRDL 15614;
  7. Immobilière Montérégienne IMR inc. v. Snoussi 2016 QCRDL 40347;
  8. Gestion double RR v. Quenneville 2016 QCRDL 42579;
  9. Immobilière montérégienne IMR inc. v. Colbert 2016 QCRDL 40853.

 

All transmissions via Pronotif instantly generate a Proof Report that contains a verification audit of the transmission. The report proves the transmission by clearly establishing, through the time stamp and email server confirmation, the exact second the recipients received, opened, and downloaded the email.

It is not necessary for the recipient to open the email in order for delivery to be confirmed. In other words, as soon as the email is successfully received by the recipient’s mail server (i.e. it is in the inbox), Pronotif captures the confirmation from the mail server (the SMTP response) and enters it into the Confirmation Report.

The Report complies with the new Code of Civil Procedure of Quebec, as well as with the rules of procedure of other Canadian provinces and some American states.

In summary, the Report indicates:

  1. The name, nature, and page number of the documents served.
  2. The integrity of the documents: this is a computer code that confirms to the recipient that the document was transmitted without any alteration or intrusion during the transfer.
  3. The name and contact information of the sender and the recipient.
  4. The date and time (to the nearest second) that the email was received.
  5. The result of the transmission: Successfully transmitted, Opened, Downloaded, Re-bound, Blocked, etc.
  6. The SMTP response: The response from the recipient’s mail server confirming the status of the transmission.

How can I check if my email has been received?

Pronotif® allows you to track the recipient’s interactions with the email you sent. There are several options to track it.

For a quick overview of the latest activity, use the dashboard. You can access it from the left column on your screen.

You will find the latest drafts, options to send notifications or consents, but especially the activity feed, located on the right of your screen.

This feature allows you to be informed in real time of the latest interactions with the notifications you have sent. So, if one of your tenants receives one of your notifications, a message will appear immediately. By clicking on it, you will get more information such as the Evidence Report, a copy of the sent notification, the actions taken by each recipient, etc.

For a complete tracking of your shipments, use the “Electronic Notifications” tab, located in the left column of your screen.

This option allows you to access all the notifications you have sent, while leaving you the possibility to access the details of each one (proof report, recipient’s response, copy of the notification sent, etc.).

Finally, you can obtain all of the evidence reports you have obtained by compiling them into a single document. To do this, click on your profile at the top right of the screen and then on “Settings”.

The “My Account” tab on the left side of the displayed page will offer you several choices. Click on “Compiled Evidence Report” and then select the time frame over which you would like to generate the compilation. An email containing the report will be sent to you within minutes.

When to Use Pronotif Certified Emails?

You can use Pronotif Certified Email services to send all official notices and documents to your tenants:

  • Rent Increase Notices;
  • Changes to the lease;
  • Default of payment;
  • RL-31 Slip;
  • Complaints (noise, etc);
  • Notice of non-compliance with lease conditions;
  • Notice of default;
  • Notice of refusal of lease transfer;
  • Notice of major work or repairs;
  • Repossession of the dwelling;
  • Change of landlord or manager.

What kind of security does Pronotif provide?

All Pronotif transmissions and communications go through a secure HTTPS tunnel, AES 256 encryption and an SSL certificate. All data is encrypted in transit and at rest.

What kind of proof does pronotif provide?

Upon notification of an electronic document via certified email, Pronotif automatically generates a proof report containing a detailed audit trail of the transmission. The report proves the transmission by clearly establishing by time stamp and email server confirmation, the exact moment your recipient received your email, opened it, and downloaded its content. If you are a legal user, the report also contains all the information required by the rules of civil procedure in North America, to the extent that notification is permitted.

How can I confirm if my email has been read and if the file has been downloaded?

When you make a notification, the Pronotif technology allows you to track the progress of the notification and the recipient’s server. You can therefore determine if the email was forwarded, if the recipient opened your email and if he/she downloaded the attachments. All this is available in the Overview section.

Jurisprudence

Pronotif is fully justified considering the Quebec legal framework. The Code of Civil Procedure, adopted in 2014, describes notification as “any appropriate method that allows the person who gives notice to constitute proof of the delivery, sending, transmission or publication of the document, (…) in particular by a bailiff, by mail, by delivery of the document, by technological means, or by public notice”.

The Act to establish a legal framework for information technology (the “Act”) is the reference framework in this regard. This Act provides, among other things, that a document is a set of information carried by a medium, which can be rendered by any means of writing. In other words, the medium may be physical or technological and the manner in which it contains the information does not affect the definition of a record.

The Act further provides that the legal value of a record is not increased or decreased solely because a specific medium (physical or technological) has been chosen and that a record has the same value regardless of the medium used, as long as its integrity can be assured. Integrity means that it can be demonstrated that the information contained is not altered and is maintained in its entirety, with its medium providing the desired stability and permanence.

With respect to transmission, the Act is clear on the validity of a communication made by a technological mode.  First, it states that a document may be “transmitted, sent or forwarded by any mode of transmission appropriate to the medium” unless the law requires the exclusive use of a specific mode. There is nothing in the Residential Tenancies Act that requires a specific method.

But what about receipt? The Act states that a document is presumed to be received or delivered when it becomes available at the address that the recipient indicates is the location at which the recipient agrees to receive a document from him or her, so long as the address is active.

Pronotif is of interest because the process it uses ensures the reliability of the information transmitted to the recipient and is a legally valid method of transmitting documents.

– In the following decisions, the Régie has recognized the validity of Pronotif.

  1. Shah v. Edwards-Daugherty 2017 QCRDL 4287;
  2. DCV Properties v. Biaye 2017 QCRDL 15611;
  3. DCV Properties v El Hage 2017 QCRDL 15608;
  4. DCV Estates v. Kammoonah 2017 QCRDL 15609;
  5. DCV Estates v. Hamane 2017 QCRDL 15612;
  6. DCV Estates v. Horn 2017 QCRDL 15614;
  7. Immobilière Montérégienne IMR inc. v. Snoussi 2016 QCRDL 40347;
  8. Gestion double RR v. Quenneville 2016 QCRDL 42579;
  9. Immobilière montérégienne IMR inc. v. Colbert 2016 QCRDL 40853.

Note: Pronotif is an application developed with the Quebec legal framework in mind. Users can also use it for shipments outside of Quebec, but caution is recommended as long as there has not yet been validation.

Where are your servers located?

We use Microsoft Azure Canadian servers to ensure that your data is located on Canadian soil, including all backups.

What is an SMTP response?

SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol and is commonly used by most email servers. Your message will be transferred from one point to another, from your mailbox to the ones of your recipients. During these various “hops” (think of them as jumps), the servers will send back responses to indicate success or failure, as well as the reasons if the transmission fails. Here are some examples of SMTP responses, from the SendGrid site (https://sendgrid.com/blog/smtp-server-response-codes-explained):

250 – This SMTP server response simply means that everything went well, and your message was delivered to the recipient’s server (it does not mean that your message was opened…).

421 – Your message has been temporarily delayed by the recipient server. This is usually due to too many connections in a short period of time or too many messages.

450 – Your message was not delivered because the other user’s mailbox was not available. This can happen if the mailbox is locked or not routable.

451 – This response is sent when the message simply failed. Often, this is not your fault, but the fault of a remote server.

452 – This type of response is sent when there is not enough system storage to send the message. Your message is postponed until storage becomes available and it can be delivered.

550 – The message failed because the recipient’s mailbox is unavailable or because the receiving server rejected your message.

551 – The mailbox for which your message was intended does not exist on the recipient’s server.

552 – The mailbox to which your message was sent does not have enough storage space to accept your message.

553 – Your message was not delivered because the name of the sent mailbox does not exist.

What are personalization tags and how to use it?

Personalization tags allow you to send mass emails in a personalized way, with each recipient’s specific information.

Whether you use a notification template or create a new message from scratch, you can add tags that will be automatically filled in when sending, based on the recipient’s personal information (e.g., recipient’s name, recipient’s email, etc.)

The fourth step of creating an activity gives you a preview of how your email will look like overall. To view it by a specific recipient, click on the link above the email that shows the number of recipients (see screenshot below), then select the desired recipient.

What should I do if I no longer wish to use Pronotif?

Before deleting your account, we recommend that you download the various attachments that your recipients may have sent you, your proof reports, your compiled reports or any other document currently available to you through our Pronotif tool.

Indeed, once your account is deleted, it will no longer be possible to retrieve your documents. So make sure to have a copy of your documents for your personal files. Any action of deleting an account is irreversible and final (and can never be recovered by our technical support team).

When you are ready to delete your account, go to the settings of your Pronotif account and then go to the sub-section ”Cancel my account” and click on ”Proceed to delete my account”:

Once the process is completed your account will be permanently deleted.

How is the maintenance done on Pronotif?

We constantly make Pronotif evolve through continuous improvement. On a regular basis, we deploy new features to give you the best possible experience while developing new functions.  These improve your relationship with your recipients and save you time in your everyday work.

If our service is temporarily interrupted for maintenance or an update, we will send you a communication to let you know in advance.

Can I use Pronotif on the move via a smartphone or tablet?

Yes, you can! Our tool is supported on computer, tablet or mobile without any problem. Just make sure you’re using an up-to-date browser version to enjoy the best possible experience.

How well does Pronotif deliver certified notifications?

Pronotif has an excellent reputation, enabling us to achieve a very high level of deliverability to mailboxes (over 96% transmission).

The transmission time may vary according to several factors independent of Pronotif, but generally a notification is transmitted within a maximum of 30 minutes.

Is Pronotif protected by anti-spam legislation in Canada, and to what extent and/or under what conditions?

The so-called “protection” is not necessary, since we ask for the person’s consent in order to communicate with him or her, and it is a relevant communication corresponding to the “lease” contracts between the parties. So the notification cannot be considered SPAM. If the question is “could the e-mail fall into the SPAM folder,” then yes, it could. However, this is a rare occurrence, as Pronotif has an excellent reputation, enabling us to achieve a very high level of deliverability to mailboxes.

Can I use Pronotif to send notices to my tenants regardless of the state or province they are in?

In some jurisdictions, the law does not specifically mention the format in which a notice to a tenant is supposed to be delivered. Obviously, it must be “in writing”, but sometimes it is not specified whether an electronic format is acceptable. Also, remember that Pronotif is not just an email, it is an email with a full audit trail and proof of delivery. Therefore, for markets where email notifications are not yet confirmed as valid, we have created a feature called “Request Consent”. It can be used to gather consent from tenants, prior to sending them official notifications via Pronotif. This consent confirmation is then added to the proof report that Pronotif instantly generates for each notice sent.

Can I send an email to all my tenants at the same time, even if they don't speak the same language?

When you create a new tenant, Pronotif always asks you to select the tenant’s language (French, English, or both). Pronotif thus allows you to send different versions of the same email according to the language preferences of each recipient.

When creating an email, after adding your recipients, Pronotif will examine their respective language preferences and automatically generate a “subject” and a “message” in each of the languages represented by your recipients.

Note: A French-speaking recipient will only receive the email in French, while an English-speaking recipient will only receive the email in English.

How do I send a notice to an entire property?

Once you have imported a property and its tenants, they are available at the first activity creation. You can select them individually or choose a particular property that includes all tenants.

What Is the size limit for attached documents?

Usually, your recipients’ servers block emails larger than 25MB. But with Pronotif, you can send files up to 60MB without worrying about size restrictions. The reason is simple, your recipient will receive links to the documents instead of the documents themselves as attachments.

Is It Possible to Consult Sending Statistics?

Yes, click on your first and last name at the top right of the screen.

Then click on “Settings” then “Statistics”.

This will show you the statistics related to your account regarding email notifications and consent requests. You will be able to see the percentage of open rates for messages sent, opened, and downloaded attachments by the recipients of your mailings.

If you are an administrator or reporting administrator for your organization’s account, you will also be able to view statistics for the entire organization.

How do I change the default messages for my certified emails, shares, and consent requests?

The messages in your notifications, shares, consent requests, and document collections are formulated by default by Pronotif. They define transmissions to recipients and serve as introductory messages. To change them, you must be an organization administrator or a division manager. Go to the Settings page and navigate to the “Communications” section. You will then be able to edit the content of outgoing messages. The “Recipient Name” and “Sender Name” buttons are boilerplate items that are added and later replaced with the actual names when sending. Don’t forget to “Save” once you are satisfied with the changes. To return to the default messages, simply delete the contents of the box leaving it empty and “Save” again.

Can I send different files to different recipients in the same email? If so, how can I accomplish this?

Yes, in the second step (Compose) of creating a certified email, you can choose to attach the same file(s) for all your recipients by dragging them to the “For All” tab of the “Attachments (Optional)” section.

To send different files to different recipients, you must do so via the “By Recipient” tab in the “Attachments (Optional)” section, by dragging and dropping the files into each recipient’s respective box. Files sent to a specific recipient will only be visible to him/her.

Do my drafts in Pronotif have a validity period?

You will be able to find your drafts in your account at any time, they have no validity period. They have an unlimited validity (unless you decide to delete them).

Can I export the list of people to whom I have sent a consent request or email notification?

Yes, you can, just go to your account settings and click on Compiled Activity Report. You can then export the list of recipients in .xlsx or .csv format according to the dates you have chosen.

Once the request is made you will receive an email with the compiled report as desired.

Note that you can also pull compiled reports for evidence reports as well as for activities.

My employee is absent, how do I access the account?

Your employee uses an email address from your company, just use the ‘’forgotten password’’ option to recover an access to his account through his professional mailbox.

How can I find an activity sent in the past more easily?

When you use Pronotif on a daily basis you may find yourself with several pages of activities. To help you find an activity easily, we have provided you with filters to refine your search.

On each of the dashboards of an activity type, you can perform a text search by entering the title of the subject of the shipment, the reference or the file name:

When you click on ”More filter” you will be able to filter your activities according to their status of transmission, opening, downloading and responses. We also offer the possibility to filter between dates.

How come I get alerts on my main dashboard when an activity is sent?

On your main dashboard, you can see when one of your activities has not been sent or opened in the last 14 days. These alerts are intended to help you in your follow-up process with your recipient(s).

Here are some details on the alerts of an activity that may appear:

  • Non-transmission after 24 hours and when there is an error in the email (wrong email entered in the activity)
  • Not opened after 72h after transmission

What is reproduced in the reproduction functionality of an activity?

  • The subject of the message
  • The body of the message
  • The following options:
    • Allow reply to the user Pronouncement
    • Collaborators
    • Programming a future sending date
    • Email alerts to track status changes
    • Email reminders for the recipient after X days when the recipient has not opened the email.

Can I access webhooks on Pronotif?

If you need to use webhooks in your organization, once logged in to your account you can open a new tab using this URL to access our webhook endpoints:

https://realestate.pronotif.com/organization/webhook_endpoints

Can I get a summary report of all my mailings?

In Pronotif you can generate activity reports. To do so, go to your account settings, then click on Compiled activity report.

You will then be able to select the type of activity, the format in which the report is to be received (.xlsx or .csv) and the period of activity you wish to export.

 

Options with Pronotif

What Does the "Allow Recipient to Reply to Email" Option Mean?

In the third step of creating an activity, you have the option to enable recipient responses. If so, your recipients will be able to reply directly to your email via the Pronotif secure reply portal. You will be notified by email when a response is received.

Responses to your emails will always appear under the “Communications” tab on their respective detail pages, as well as in their evidence reports.

“Communications” tab on their respective details page, as well as in their evidence report.

Note: Your recipients do NOT need to have a Pronotif account to reply to your emails via our secure portal.

What Are Recipient Reminders and How Do I Set Them?

In the third step of creating your activity, you have the option to set a reminder to recipients. If you select this option, Pronotif will resend your email to recipients who have not opened it when it was first sent or who have not downloaded its attachments after 5 or 7 days.

In other words, if you set a reminder for your tenants who have not opened your email five days after it was initially sent, it will automatically be resent to them.

Can I schedule my email to be sent at a future date and time?

Yes. In the third step (Options) of creating an activity, you have the option to set the date and time you want your email to be sent.

All your scheduled emails will be saved in your outbox, under the “Postdated” tab. You can modify them before sending by simply clicking on one of them.

Note: In the table of your scheduled emails, the “Ready to go” column indicates whether an email contains all the information required for sending. A green check mark indicates that it is ready to be sent, while a red check mark means that information is still missing.

My Pronotif Account

How Do I Create my Account?

To create a new Pronotif user account, click on “Sign up” and fill in the fields.

Are you a member of CORPIQ? Enter the numbers on the back of your membership card to get your discounts.

You will receive a confirmation email to finalize the creation of your account. Click on the link to complete your account.

Forgot Your Password?

If you have forgotten your password, use the “Forgot your password?” link on the login page.

Then enter the email address you used when you created your account. A message allowing you to reset your password will be sent to this address.

Organize your emails with the "Reference" field.

When sending a notification, use the “Reference” field to organize your mailings according to the type of notification.

Ex: Rent increase notice 2021

This will allow you to sort your notifications and have a better overview of your notifications.

Do credits have a expiration date?

A Pronotif® credit package has no time limit. You can use them whenever you want.

How can I add my company name and my logo?

If you wish, you can personalize your notifications with your company’s information. To do so, click on your name at the top left of the page, then on “Settings”.

In the left column, click on “Organization”.

First, you will be able to change the name and address of your organization. Simply edit the associated fields and click “Save”.

The next option allows you to add a logo that will appear at the top of all your notifications. To add an image, drop it in the area indicated or click to add it from your computer.

Add Users to My Account Or to my Organization's Account

You can invite new users to use your Pronotif account on your behalf.

To do so, click on your first and last name at the top right of the screen.

Then click on “Settings” and go to “My account”, navigate to the “Users” sub-section and click on the “Invite a user” button.

Add the first name, last name, communication language and email. You will then have to choose the role of the user you wish to add.

Indeed, several roles can be assigned to a user:

Member: does not have access to billing and cannot manage users;

Billing Administrator: access to billing;

Reports administrator: access to reports and statistics;

Administrator: access to billing and can manage users.

 

Once the role of the person is defined, you will have to click on the “Invite” button. A confirmation email will be sent to the user.

 

WARNING: Make sure to use an email that you have control over if the user leaves in order to obtain access to the notifications made. To preserve the integrity of the data, there is no access between different users of the same account.

Delete a User From my Account or my Organization's Account

You can delete a user from your Pronotif account or from your organization’s account if you are the account administrator.

To do so, click on your first and last name at the top right of the screen.

Then click on “Settings” and go to “My Account”, navigate to the “Users” sub-section.

Search for the person you wish to delete. Once found, simply click on the trash can icon (on the far right of the user concerned).

If you cancel your account, your profile, documents, notification,  will be permanently deleted.

Before deleting your account, we advise you to log in and download a copy of your notifications and evidence that you want to keep.

WARNING: do not cancel an account if you have notifications to keep. The account cancellation is permanent and irreversible.

Is access to Pronotif restricted in certain countries?

Yes, for security reasons, we may block access to Pronotif in certain countries that cause us problems.

Can I See the Activity for Each User on my Organization's Account?

First, you must be an administrator of the organization’s account. If you are not, approach your organization’s account administrator(s) and request a role change.

If you are an administrator, click on your first and last name at the top right of the screen.

Then click on “Settings” and then “Activities”.

You will see a report of activities by user in your organization. You will be able to see the number and the value of your sends and returns.

Consult the Use of Your Packages

It is possible to consult the use of your notifications by clicking on your available credits at the top right of your screen.

You can also access it by clicking on your first and last name (also on the top right) and then click on “Billing”.

If you are using Pronotif in mobile, go to the menu (top left) and click on “Invoices”.

Invoicing

To access your invoices:

1.Click on your first and last name at the top right of the screen (if you are on mobile, click on the menu then “Invoices”);

2.Click on “Invoicing”.

You will find your different invoices at the bottom of this page, click on one of them to view your invoice in Acrobat format (PDF). If you wish, you can download and/or print it according to your needs.

How long does it take to process a refund?

In order for the request to be processed, our payment service requires a processing time of 5 to 10 working days. This delay is beyond our control and we thank you in advance for your understanding.

How can I change the e-mail address linked to my account?

To do so, go to “Settings” then “My account”. Then click on the “Profile” section.

You’ll see your current e-mail address. Change it, then click on “Save”.

What Is a Consent Request?

A consent request is the simple act of agreeing to an action. In the context of Pronotif, the consent request will allow you to receive a person’s authorization to communicate with them through our Pronotif platform if they agree.

If the person refuses the consent request, you will have to contact them by another means.

How do I get my tenants' consent to receive emails?

When you add your tenants to your Pronotif account, you can indicate whether you have received their consent to send them emails. For those whose consent has not yet been obtained, you can request it by using the “Consent Requests” feature of Pronotif.

Here is how to do It:

  1. Go to the “Consent Requests” tab located in the left menu.
  2. Click on the “New” button.
  3. Select the tenants for whom you wish to obtain their consent.
  4. In the second step of creating your activity, the “subject” and “message” fields will already be filled in for you.
  5. Complete all the following steps to create the activity, then click on “Confirm & Submit”.

You will be notified by email as soon as a recipient accepts your request, and their consent status will be updated in your Pronotif account.

Once a tenant has given you his or her consent, you will be able to send them notifications using Pronotif’s certified email service.

How do I obtain the tenant's electronic consent?

1- Log into Pronotif.com.

2- Once logged in, you will be redirected to your Dashboard. This workspace will allow you to have access to all the functions offered on Pronotif®.

3- Before sending any request, you must save your properties and your tenants in your account. To see how you can add properties and your tenants, please click here.

4- Once the properties and tenants have been added, click on Consent Request.

5- In the Find existing recipient or building field, you can search for a tenant by his/her name, email address or search for a property and add all the tenants to the same address.

6- Once the tenants are added, you can click on trash bin icon to remove that tenant from the mailing.

7- Confirm the selection by clicking on “Next Step”, at the top right corner of your screen.

8- You can now preview and modify the email you are preparing to send to your recipients.

*The “Recipient”, “Recipient Last Name”, “Recipient Email”, “Sender”, “Organization”, and “Building” tags will adjust automatically according to the information you entered for the properties and tenants.

9- Once everything is revised, you can confirm by clicking on “Next Step” at the top right corner of your screen.

10- You can select options to customize your mailing.

11- Confirm the selected options by clicking on “Next Step” at the top right corner of your screen.

12- You will then be able to see a preview of your final email as it would be received by your tenants.

13- Finalize your mailing by clicking the “Confirm & Send” button at the top right corner of your screen.

The Pronotif Electronic Notification

Notification by Technological Means Under the New Code of Civil Procedure of Quebec

On January 1, 2016, the new Code of Civil Procedure of Quebec (“CCP”) came into force. While it includes a host of changes such as the development of a protocol of proceedings (formerly the timetable or agreement on the conduct of the proceedings), the simplification of expert opinions and the emphasis on mediation, one of the most exciting new features is notification by technological means (art. 133 and 134 CCP).

Indeed, from now on the notification (i.e.: service without a bailiff) of a document can be done by “transmitting the document to the address that the addressee indicates as the place where he agrees to receive it or to the one that is publicly known …”. Within the legal community, a colleague’s email address fits this criterion perfectly.

However, where the complexity arises is with respect to proof of service. The CCP indicates that this proof is made by means of a dispatch note (or failing that, an affidavit by the sender). This docket must indicate “the nature of the document transmitted, the court file number, the names of the sender and recipient and their contact information, as well as the place, date, time and minutes of the transmission (…)” The CPC further specifies that unless the transmission is made through a bailiff, the docket must also contain “the information necessary to enable the recipient to verify the integrity of the transmission.”

Obviously, a simple email does not meet these requirements; hence Pronotif’s innovation. We have developed the world’s first solution that allows landlords to directly notify their tenants while respecting the criteria of the new CPC (and the procedural rules of more than 20 jurisdictions around the world). Specifically, as soon as a user presses “Confirm & Send” via the web interface, Pronotif automatically generates a confirmation report that not only contains all the elements listed above, but also establishes the integrity of the transmission and the attached documents through an encryption process. Pronotif confirms the success and details of the transmission and provides you with an audit report containing the document specifics and time stamp.

Note: Pronotif is an application developed with the Quebec legal framework in mind. Users can also use it for transmissions outside Quebec, but caution is recommended until validation has been completed.

Sending a notification

Here are the steps to follow to send a certified email:

1- From your Dashboard, click on the “Email Notification” button.

2-Choose your recipient(s) from your list or create a new recipient.

3-Write your message:

a-Add a reference text to properly organize your mailings.

b-Write your message or select one of the templates.

c-Add the attachment(s) you wish to send.

 

4-Options: Select additional options such as scheduling the sending date, email alerts, reminders to recipients, etc.

Optional: under the Collaborators section, enter the name(s) of the people you wish to give access to the full tracking of this certified email.

 

5-Verify your message and click on “Confirm and send”.

Follow-up of a notification

Thanks to the Pronotif dashboard, you can stay informed of the activities related to your notifications.

On the right side, you will find a chronological list of all recent activities related to your mailings.

By clicking on an activity in the News Feed, you will be redirected to a page detailing all the information related to the mailing.

To obtain a complete list of all your submissions, click on the “Electronic Notifications” or “Consent Requests” tab where you will find all your submissions according to the selected category.

How to obtain a proof report?

Here are the steps to follow in order to obtain the proof report related to your electronic services.

1- Through the dashboard, click on Electronic services or consent requests located underneath the Outboxes, depending on what type of report you need.

 

 

2- You have now access to all the messages sent using your Pronotif® account. Click on the message you wish to obtain proof on, then click on Proof report on the top-right.

*If nothing happens, right-click on Proof report and choose Save target as… to manually download the file on your computer.

 

 

3- Doing so grants you access to the official Pronotif® report. This document allows you to prove a message has been sent  to you recipients, if email was opened and if the attached file has been downloaded. Here is an example :

 

 


You can also download the entire library of proof report within two specific dates.

1- You may do so by going into the sliding menu, at the top-right of the screening, then select Settings

2- Click on Compiled proof reports, then select the first and last date within which you want the compiled reports.  An email containing an updated report will be sent to you shortly afterwards.

 

 

3- Confirm the request by clicking on Request.

The proof report

This report is generated instantly by our servers for each recipient and can be found as a link in all emails, as well as on the Dashboard.

The Proof Report is used as proof for each notification and includes information about each transmission, opening, and download of an attachment (name, size, SHA256 integrity). The report also details the sender and recipient information, as well as the response from the email servers (SMTP). The SMTP response is actually the response that the recipient’s email server sends back, with a code that indicates whether the message was delivered, blocked, skipped due to the recipient not existing, etc.

This report, like a fax report, indicates that the email has been transmitted to the recipient’s server. However, it does not say anything about reading the email, just like a fax would print the document without being picked up by anyone. Knowing this, we have added in our services the possibility to validate if the notification has been opened and if the attached files have been downloaded by the recipients.

Where are my files and who can download them?

When you add files as attachments to a Pronotif notification, they are not actually sent in an email. Your attachments are sent through a secure tunnel (HTTPS) to our servers. Once on Pronotif, the files are saved in a “secure container”, and only download links are included in an email to your recipients. These links will then lead to a web page that will allow recipients to download the document and verify its integrity (SHA256 key) if they wish.

Téléchargement d'une pièce jointe

Can I create my own notice templates? If so, how do I go about it?

Yes, you can create up to 6 custom templates for each type of activity.

Here is how to do it:

  1. Go to the Settings section of your account by clicking on the user icon located in the upper right corner of the page, next to your name.
  2. Click on the Templates tab located in the left-hand menu.
  3. To create your custom template, click on the Create a template

N.B. Once created, your template can be used in the second step (Compose) of creating a new activity. Each custom template created will be displayed only according to its activity type. For example, if you create a Certified Email ™ template, it will only display when creating a Certified Email ™. Also be aware that you can create an English and French version for each of your templates.

Where can I see the files I have sent?

You can view all your sent emails and files from your outbox. First, click on the email whose attachment(s) you wish to view, then click on the File(s) link located at the top of the table (see screenshot below). Finally, click on the desired file(s) to download them.

How Do I Save my Own Electronic Notification Template?

To create and save new templates for your account and/or your organization’s account, you must first have an administrator role on the account. If you don’t, contact the administrator(s) of your organization’s account and request a role change.

If you are an administrator, nothing could be easier, click on your first and last name at the top right of the screen.

Then click on “Settings” and “Templates”.

Once you are on the “Templates” page, all you have to do is click on “Create a new template”.

Pay for a notification

In order to send notifications, you must have credits to benefit from Pronotif’s certified notifications

Buying credit packages allow you to save on the cost of sending each notification. 1 credit equals to one sending.

To buy credit packages, click on the “credits” button located on the top left corner.

You can then see the different options available.

How many notifications to send in case of roomates?

If you have signed several leases for a single unit, it is imperative to send a notification to each signatory for any official communication. You will also need to obtain consent from each person.

For more information regarding your communication responsibilities, do not hesitate to contact a CORPIQ advisor.

Can I send a certified notification without using pronotif?

In order to ensure the tracking of your email notifications, its integrity as well as your legal protection, the email must be built via the Pronotif® platform. This way we can ensure that the content (text and attachment), has been transmitted, opened, and downloaded. The evidence report is the key element in a possible hearing at the Tribunal administratif du logement.

How do I resend an electronic notice?

Pour renvoyer une notification électronique, vous avez deux options.

To resend an electronic notice, you have two options.

A) The first way is to manually resend the notification, here are the different steps required.

1 – Once on your dashboard, click on “Electronic Notifications”.

2 – Select the message you want to resend.

3 – Click on the three vertical dots at the end of the notification line, then press “Resend”.


B) The second way is to program an automatic reminder at the time of the first sending.

*To activate this option, you must be at step 9 of the certified notification sending.

1 – Click on the “Reminders to recipients” tab. You will then be able to select the return condition as well as the delay granted to your recipients before sending the message again.

2- Confirm your sending using the “Confirm and Send” button at the top right.

How do I add attachments to my notifications?

You can add one or more attachments to your notification when you compose it in step 3. Go to the end of the web page displayed and click on “Add Attachments”. You can also click and drop your files.

How to ensure the success of your Pronotif notifications?

How to ensure the success of your Pronotif notifications?

  • In order to ensure the success of your Pronotif communications, here are some important considerations.
  • Make sure you have your tenant’s consent;
  • Include a clear and unambiguous subject line in your notifications: the subject line will clearly identify the intent of the notification;
  • Put the content of your notification in the body of your message and also as an attachment.
  • You can use the text formulations validated by CORPIQ available in the member’s area of the corpiq.com site*.

*For CORPIQ members

My exchanges with My Recipients

Do my recipients need to have a Pronotif account?

No. Pronotif transmissions use a standard email service. As long as your recipients have a valid email address, you can send them anything.

How to start communicating with your tenants through a Pronotif certified email?

In order to ensure the success of Pronotif communications, the landlord must ensure that he/she obtains the tenant’s consent to use their email address for communications. In addition, if the email address provided is non-existent, inactive, or unavailable, the landlord will have to turn to another method of transmitting the document.

How do I obtain the tenant’s consent?

It is recommended to obtain the email on the lease in section A

AND to attach a clause to the lease that authorizes the use of this email for all communications.

The parties agree to send/receive all notices relating to the lease (renewal notice, repossession notice, tax statement, formal notice, etc.) electronically to the emails indicated on the lease or by any other means of transmission accepted by law. However, it is the responsibility of each party to inform the other of any change in its contact information as soon as possible.

It is possible during the course of the lease to obtain consent by email via Pronotif or by signing a letter:

 

Email Communication Consent Letter – English version

Example of a consent request letter

Hello [Name of Recipient],

In order to facilitate our exchanges, we would like to communicate with you by email. We will use the Pronotif service as a secure and recognized environment.

Thank you for agreeing to receive any notices and/or information at the following address: [Recipient Email].

By accepting, you confirm that:

  • the email address used here is the correct one
  • that you agree to receive communications from us by e-mail at this address
  • that you will review all communications
  • that you will ensure that all communications arrive in the inbox and not in the spam folder
  • you are responsible for informing us of any change of email address as soon as possible

Thank you for your cooperation,

*Pronotif takes every precaution to ensure that emails do not end up in the spam folder. Please make sure to add noreply@pronotif.com to your list of accepted emails.

Note: Pronotif is an application developed with the Quebec legal framework in mind. Users can also use it for mailings outside of Quebec, but caution is recommended until validation has been completed.

Does the sharing or notification fill my recipient's mailbox? And my outbox?

Not at all. Pronotif allows you to send files to anyone in the world without clogging their inbox or your outbox. Documents that are sent to recipients via Pronotif (with the Outlook add-in or via your dashboard) will not be attached to the email. Only links are added to the outgoing communication.

When using the Outlook plug-in, files are not stored. When sending a normal email, you will find copies of everything in your “Sent” folders, which can make your outbox fill up quickly; however, with Pronotif, only the names of the items are kept, as all files can be found and viewed online from your dashboard.

Therefore, no one is cluttered with the inbox or outbox.

Once my certified notification has been sent, can I modify the content of my submission? For example if I made a mistake.

In order to ensure integrity, once sent it will not be possible to modify the content of an electronic notification on Pronotif.

If you have made a mistake, we recommend you to send a new electronic notification with your changes.

SECTION FOR REAL ESTATE USERS

How Do I Demonstrate the Notification of an Application to the Tribunal Administratif du Logement?

The Pronotif service allows you to notify the other party of an application filed with the Tribunal administratif du logement. In fact, the Regulation respecting the procedure before the Tribunal allows the applicant (you in this case) to use a “notification” method to bring an application to the attention of the other party.

 

As this is a new service, not all decision-makers have had the opportunity to deal with cases where an applicant has chosen Pronotif to notify their application. Decision-makers vary in their familiarity with the technology, so some may be more skeptical than others. We would like to remind you that as it stands, the law allows for the use of this method of notification and there is no legal impediment to its use before the Tribunal administratif du logement.

Therefore, we strongly suggest that you use the following method in preparation for a hearing at the Tribunal. You should be aware that the administrator will ask you at the outset to show proof of your notice.

Therefore, you should print and attach:

  1. The tenant’s consent sheet (if handwritten) or, if applicable, the consent report obtained by Pronotif;
  2. The Pronotif evidence report associated with your notification (“Notification”);
  3. The confirmation sheet of the email transmission steps appearing in your Overview tab;
  4. The exhibit, notice, and document(s) attached to the secure email. Please note that this exhibit is named to the evidence report mentioned above.

What are the existing notice templates and how can I use them?

Pronotif has created a full range of predefined templates for you to use for the most popular notifications (e.g., Lease Renewal, Late Payment Notice, etc.).

Your choice of notice template should be made at the second step of creating a certified email, by selecting the desired template from the list. The subject and message fields of your email will then be automatically filled in for you – in English, French, or both.

 

When to Use Pronotif Certified Emails?

You can use Pronotif Certified Email services to send all official notices and documents to your tenants:

  • Rent Increase Notices;
  • Changes to the lease;
  • Default of payment;
  • RL-31 Slip;
  • Complaints (noise, etc);
  • Notice of non-compliance with lease conditions;
  • Notice of default;
  • Notice of refusal of lease transfer;
  • Notice of major work or repairs;
  • Repossession of the dwelling;
  • Change of landlord or manager.

What kind of security does Pronotif provide?

All Pronotif transmissions and communications go through a secure HTTPS tunnel, AES 256 encryption and an SSL certificate. All data is encrypted in transit and at rest.

What to bring to a hearing at the Tribunal administratif du logement?

Introduction

Pronotif is an electronic notification service (online platform) used by the real estate and legal industry. Its system ensures a secure and reliable transmission of legal documents and notices. This service is used in thousands of cases before the Quebec courts and is even recommended by the Superior Court, the Court of Quebec, and the Bar of Montreal.

In the following decisions, the Tribunal Administratif du Logement recognized the validity of Pronotif, so that the simple transmission of an email sent through the service was satisfactory:

  1. Faour Brown 2019 QCRDL 37369
  2. Blais Bourgouin 2019 QCRDL 28015
  3. Tatkeu Njike 9198-0110 Quebec inc. 2019 QCRDL 31120
  4. Faour Labourdette 2018 QCRDL 29440
  5. Shah Edwards-Daugherty 2017 QCRDL 4287
  6. DCV Biaye Properties 2017 QCRDL 15611
  7. Properties v. El Hage 2017 QCRDL 15608
  8. DCV Estates Kammoonah 2017 QCRDL 15609
  9. DCV Estates Hamane 2017 QCRDL 15612
  10. DCV Estates Corne 2017 QCRDL 15614
  11. Immobilière Montérégienne IMR v. Snoussi 2016 QCRDL 40347
  12. Gestion double RR Quenneville 2016 QCRDL 42579
  13. Immobilière montérégienne IMR v. Colbert 2016 QCRDL 40853

Pronotif allows the sender to notify documents and notices, while scientifically confirming that the content has been received, viewed, and/or downloaded. This is the highest level of proof available on the market.

According to the TAL: how to proceed with the notification of a request to the other party

TAL Procedural Code: https://www.tal.gouv.qc.ca/en/filing-an-application/notification-of-an-application-to-the-other-party

  • The TAL does not mandate a specific method of notification. Notice may be given by any appropriate method that provides evidence of receipt or publication of the application. This may include service by bailiff, by registered mail, by personal delivery by courier, by technological means, and in some cases by public notice. In addition, regardless of the method of notification used, the person who acknowledges receipt of the request or who recognizes having received it is deemed to have been validly notified.
  • Confirmation of delivery issued by Canada Post is recognized as proof of service
  • Service by bailiff does not require proof of opening the message

 

Note: In no case is it necessary to prove the opening of the envelope but rather the delivery.

 

Proof (Confirmation report)

All Pronotif sendings instantly generate a Confirmation Report that contains a detailed audit trail of the transmission. The report proves the transmission by clearly establishing, through time-stamping and confirmation of server-email communications via SMTP protocol, the exact second when the recipients received, opened, and downloaded the email and attachment from their mailbox. The report also contains all the information required by the rules of civil procedure in Canada and in many other jurisdictions.

  • See the Annex below for more information on the confirmation report

 

The steps of a Pronotif notification

  1. The sender may obtain the consent of the recipient to use Pronotif as a means of notification.
  2. The document/message to be notified is sent through the platform
  3. The document/message is sent to the recipient by e-mail (email@domain.com).
    1. The recipient does not need to have an account
  4. The transmission is validated by the communication established between the sending and receiving server
    1. No transmission in case of wrong address, or full box.
  5. The email received by the recipient contains:
    1. The message from the sender;
    2. If applicable, the document(s) notified;
    3. A link to download the Confirmation Report containing information about the notified document/message, the sender, the recipient, the proof of transmission and a SHA256 code to verify the integrity of the document
  6. The sender also receives the Confirmation Report containing all the information of the sending and a proof of reading and/or downloading the document

 

 

 

CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE

CHAPTER VI

NOTIFICATION OF PLEADINGS AND DOCUMENTS

DIVISION I

GENERAL RULES

  1. The purpose of notification is to bring a document, whether an originating application or any other pleading or document, to the attention of the persons concerned.

A document intended for two or more addressees must be notified to each separately.

2014, c. 1, a. 109.

  1. Notification may be made by any appropriate method that provides the notifier with proof that the document was delivered, sent or published. Such methods include notification by court bailiff, by mail, by delivery, by technological means and by public notice.

If the law so requires, notification is made by a court bailiff, in which case it is called service.

Whatever the method of notification used, a person who acknowledges receipt of the document or admits having received it is deemed to have been validly notified.

2014, c. 1, a. 110.

  1. Notification of a pleading by bailiff or by delivery of a document may only be made on days other than holidays, between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. Notification of pleadings to lawyers, notaries and bailiffs or between them cannot be made on Saturdays, on holidays or before 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m. except with their consent.

Notification by a technological means on a Saturday or on a holiday or after 5 p.m. is deemed to have been made at 8 a.m. on the next working day.

2014, c. 1, a. 111.

How can a tenant respond?

There are two ways a tenant can respond to you:

  1. If you have checked the box allowing the tenant to reply to you via Pronotif®, then every message they send you will be accessible from your account. This option to be activated is available in step 10 of an electronic consent mailing or in step 9 of a certified electronic notification mailing.

Your tenant can easily reply to you by clicking on “Reply to Sender”.

You will be kept informed of its activity in the “News Feed”, located on the dashboard.

To read the message, click on the orange area, then on “Communications”. You can then reply to the message and keep a written record of your exchanges.

*Your credits are not used for responses, only the first sent email is charged.


  1. If your tenant answers you directly using his email, you will receive the answer in your mailbox. No trace of the following exchanges will be kept on Pronotif®.

Once you have consent, what do you do?

Now that you have obtained the tenant’s permission to communicate via email, you can now send them email notifications.

For example, you can take advantage of one of our notification templates that will be used for many rental management highlights:

In summary when you send a notification: 

  1. Select the most appropriate language to communicate with your tenant. You have the option to send a message in English, French or bilingual (French and English);
  2. Enter a specific subject for the notification so that it is easily recognizable by your tenant in the mailbox;
  3. Add an attachment if you wish;
  4. Configure your options as needed, you can for example:
    • Allow recipients to reply;
    • Add collaborators to allow them to view and track the progress of the activity from their outbox;
    • Enable or disable email notification progress alerts;
    • Schedule the notification to be sent at a future date;
    • Enable reminders to recipients where they will automatically receive an alert if they have not opened or acted upon the notification after a specified time.

If despite setting up the reminder, the tenant has still not opened the email notification, we recommend resending the email notification as needed.

I have an exclamation mark in the transmission of my consent request / electronic notification, what should I do?

There are three possible explanations for an exclamation mark appearing in the transmission of your message:

  1. There was an error in the construction of the recipient’s email. Simply click on the exclamation mark icon to correct the recipient’s email address and resend.
  2. The recipient has put the notification directly into their spam folder without opening it or the notification has automatically gone into their spam folder.
    According to the laws in force, if your recipient has reported you as Spam, you will no longer be able to communicate with this recipient. You will have to find another way to communicate with your recipient.
  3. Your recipient’s mailbox is full and therefore cannot receive your notification.

As you will have understood, these three causes are totally out of our control.

 

What is the deadline for sending renewal/non-renewal notices?

To send a renewal or non-renewal notice, there are several scenarios depending on the length of the initial lease.

It is very important to respect the deadlines set out by the Tribunal administratif du logement:

If your lease is for a fixed term of:

  • 12 months and more: the notice period will be between 3 to 6 months before the end of the lease;
  • Less than 12 months: 1 to 2 months before the end of the lease.

If your lease is for an indefinite period, you must send your notice between 1 and 2 months before the proposed change.

For a one-bedroom lease only, you will need to send your notice between 10 and 20 days before the end of the lease if it is a fixed term. If the lease is for an indefinite period, you will have to send it before the proposed change.

You are a member of CORPIQ and you still have doubts? Contact your advisor, he will be pleased to guide you.
Toll free number: 1-800-548-1921

How to send a notice of rent increase and/or lease renewal?

Sending a rent increase is a procedure that requires certain precautions. Pronotif can help you with this process.

To do so, start a new notification, then select the recipient(s) you wish to send the rent increase to.

Then select one of our templates to send your rent increase to. This can be:

After selecting one of our templates, fill in the information unique to your notification that is in [square brackets] located in the content of your message:

You can then add one or more attachments if you wish, such as a hard copy of the rent increase notice.

You can now take the next step to configure your options as you see fit. Before sending your rent increase notice, you will have the opportunity to revise your notification. Once you have done so, all you must do is click on the “Confirm and Send” button (located at the top right of the screen).

CORPIQ Tip: 

Are you a CORPIQ member and want to calculate your rent increase? Use the CORPIQ rent increase calculator to help you get a better idea of the amount.

How can I show the judge that the document I'm presenting is the one I sent to the recipient?

You need to have in your possession all the communications you have with the recipients:

– The lease with the e-mail address entered
– The consent obtained for the e-mail/Pronotif communication
– Proof of notification report
– Any attachments contained in the communication
– Any other relevant proof of communication

When I import my import file I get an error during the process

First of all, if the errors are detected by our system, you can download the Excel file containing these errors and make the changes.

If no error has been detected and you are still unable to import your list, please check your file to ensure that there are no duplicate recipients. You can’t have exactly the same first and last name twice.

If a person rents several of your units (for example, in the case of corporate rentals), we recommend that you add the unit number in brackets after the person’s name. In this way, all building records will be unique and can be correctly imported.

I haven't activated the reply to recipients function, but I'm still receiving a reply from the latter - how come?

Activating the “Allow recipients to reply” option will allow you to follow the entire conversation in the proof report when your recipient replies to you via the Pronotif feed. We recommend that you activate this option, so that you have a history of everything in your proof report.

If your recipients still use the “Reply” option in their mailbox (even if you haven’t activated the “Allow recipients to reply” option). The reply will be sent to the e-mail address you used to create your Pronotif account, so you won’t have to worry about your messages getting lost or left unanswered. This way, you’ll have a complete record of all communications sent and received, should you need to go to the Tribunal administratif du logement.

How do I update my properties and tenants?

There are two options available to you:

  1. If you want to update some of the tenants of your existing properties, you can do so manually by going to your properties page and selecting the property you want to update. From there, you will be able to modify the general information of the property and its tenants.
  2. If you wish to update multiple tenants at once, we recommend that you re-import your tenant list. This will replace existing property records but will NOT delete evidence reports related to old properties and/or tenants.

How do I select my recipients from my properties?

Here’s how to do it:

  1. In the first step of creating an email, click on the “My Properties” option to open the list of your properties.
  2. Click on the desired property to open the list of its tenants.
  3. Select the tenants you wish to add as recipients to your email. Note that you can select them individually, by property or by consent status using the filters.
  4. Click on the “Add Selection” button.

How do the Pronotif credits work?

1 credit is equivalent to 1 recipient. Thus, a certified email sent to 3 recipients will cost 3 credits. These credits will be automatically deducted from your credit bank.

Note: You can see your credit bank at any time, simply by looking at the top right corner of your page, next to your name.

How can I buy Pronotif credits?

You can buy Pronotif packages of 5, 50, 200 and 500 credits directly from the billing page of your account.

Here is how to do it:

  1. Open the “Settings” menu of your account by clicking on the user icon located in the upper right corner of the page, next to your name;
  2. Click on “Billing”;
  3. Make sure your credit information is accurate and up to date;
  4. Choose the package of your choice;
  5. Click on the “Buy” button.

How to Obtain the CORPIQ Member Discount?

To obtain the CORPIQ member discount, it is essential to enter the 22 characters (M + 21 digits) on the back of your CORPIQ card.

Be careful not to enter your membership number when creating your account.

After creating your account

Select the “Settings” section in the menu:

 

Then go to the “My account” section and click on “CORPIQ”:

 

Insert the 22 characters (M + 21 digits) on the back of your card under CORPIQ. If your code is valid, an indication will be present under your number.

ATTENTION : Make sure you click on ” Save “.

How do I add properties and tenants?

You can directly use our property import process via Microsoft Excel or use our form to add a new property and tenants one by one.

Here is how to do it:

  1. Click on the “Properties” tab located in the left hand menu;
  2. Click on the “Add Properties” button;
  3. A new window will open showing you the two possible options.

When importing new tenants, make sure you do not import an existing contact with the same email in the contact manager.

If in doubt, we may recommend that you delete your property lists before importing again.

What are the conditions for success in communicating properly with your tenants?

Communicating properly with your tenants is a story that starts before you sign a lease.

In fact, to communicate correctly and legally with your tenant by email, you will need to obtain the email in section A of the lease and add the Communications clause in the lease appendix when you create the lease. 

In addition, once the lease is signed, you will then be authorized to communicate with him/her with the email address that he/she will have given you in section A of the lease.

In our appendix section of the electronic lease, if you choose to use the default appendix with the CORPIQ clauses, you will find the Communications clause with this text:

“The parties agree to transmit/receive any notice relating to the lease, as well as any proceedings by any method of transmission accepted by law, including electronically to the emails indicated on the lease. It is the responsibility of each party to promptly notify the other party of any change of email address.”

If you decide to upload your own annexes, we recommend adding this text above if you haven’t already done so.

Now that you have obtained permission to communicate with your tenant via email, you may be wondering how to communicate.

Pronotif was designed for this purpose: to send certified notifications to your tenants and thus allow you to track all the traceability of your notification.

Our Pronotif tool also assists you in obtaining consents. You can send consent requests for free. So, if you did not have the opportunity to add the communication clause when creating the lease, you can use the Pronotif consent request at any time. This is very useful if you wish to communicate with a tenant who is already on a lease or if your tenant wishes to change his or her email address for communication with you.

What if my tenant refuses a rent increase?

The rent increase can be a more complex process than you might think. If your tenant refuses the increase, we recommend that you first verify that the rent increase has been properly calculated and that it does not contain an error.

If you are a member of CORPIQ, you can consult our rent adjustment calculation grid which compares the result of what it proposes with that of the official grid of the Tribunal administratif du logement.

If you are not yet a member of CORPIQ, you can still refer to the rent increase calculation proposed by the Tribunal administratif du Logement.

You should know that the Tribunal administratif du logement explicitly states: “The right to maintain occupancy means that the tenant can refuse these modifications and still remain in the dwelling. If this is the case, the landlord can apply to the Tribunal administratif du logement for a ruling on the proposed changes. Click here to consult this page.

As you have understood, your tenant has the right to refuse his or her rent increase, however, two alternatives may be available to you:

  1. Approach your tenant and negotiate. Tell him or her concretely why your increase is justified. When the other party understands the reasons for the increase, it is easier to negotiate. If you wish, the Tribunal administratif du logement has resources that can help you. Click here to view them.
  2. The negotiation doesn’t seem to be going well, yet your increase seems totally justified. Apply directly to the Tribunal administratif du logement for a rent adjustment application. ATTENTION, it is very important to make this request within one month of the tenant’s refusal. Otherwise, the lease will be renewed at the same rent and under the same conditions as the current lease.
  3. Exception: for a building less than 5 years old, a landlord can increase the rent at will. As stated in article 1955 of the Civil Code of Quebec, a tenant cannot refuse or contest this rent if he decides to renew his or her lease. However, the landlord must make sure that he or she has informed the tenant of this through clause F of the lease.

My recipient tells me that he/she did not receive my consent request, what should I do?

If your recipient tells you that he/she did not receive a consent request from Pronotif, ask him/her to check his/her junk mail, as the consent request may be there.

Secondly, check your proof of consent report that you sent to this person to see if the consent request was indeed sent. If it was not, you may have made an error in their email address. In this case, you will have the opportunity to change the email address and resend the previously sent consent request.

Finally, you will always have the possibility to ask your recipient to send you a new email address so that you can send the consent request via this new email address.

How to calculate a rent increase with a tenant?

It is important to follow the rules set out in the Civil Code of Quebec when it comes to a rent increase. You can’t do everything and anything, there are rules to follow. In fact, certain factors must be considered when increasing the rent.

If you are a member of CORPIQ, take advantage of our free rent increase calculator which will allow you to compare the results of what CORPIQ proposes with the official calculation grid of the Tribunal administratif du logement. You will then have all the information you need to decide on the amount of the rent increase.

If you are not yet a member of CORPIQ, you can still refer to the rent increase calculation proposed by the Tribunal administratif du Logement.

What is a notice of lease renewal?

A lease is automatically renewed each year under the same conditions as when it was signed (except when a tenant sends a notice of non-renewal of the lease to his or her landlord to advise him or her that he or she does not wish to keep the dwelling after June 30). However, from one year to the next, regulations may change, and so may the rent. For this reason, a lease renewal notice must be sent to the tenant, with the changes to be expected, between 3 and 6 months before the scheduled end of the lease.

Note: For a rent increase, it is important to indicate the exact increase, i.e., indicate the percentage increase over the current rent or directly note the dollar amount of the increase.

In addition, your lease renewal notice should indicate the changes to the lease, the date, and the signature of the landlord or representative.

A lease renewal notice is not sent via a simple mail or email, there are certain rules to follow:

  1. The notice must be in the same language that was used for the lease and must be sent to the tenant’s address as notified in the lease;
  2. Indicate the amount of time the tenant must accept or reject the lease renewal notice. The tenant has 30 days to respond from the date the notice is acknowledged (after this time, the lease will automatically renew on the new terms);
  3. You must have proof of receipt. If you use paper registered mail, you will need to have the hand-delivered receipt OR if you use Pronotif, it will be the proof report that is automatically generated after your notice is sent and where you can follow the status of your notice.

After receiving your notice, your tenant will have several alternatives:

  1. Accept the lease renewal with the changes you have added,
  2. Reject the proposed changes and renew the lease,
  3. Do not renew the lease and leave the apartment at the end of the current lease.

As you can see, renewing a lease is not a step to be neglected. On the contrary!

If you are a member of CORPIQ and wish to continue to send your notices by paper mail, take advantage of the sample letters that have been written by real estate experts.

If you wish to send your lease renewal notice electronically, it is totally possible with the services offered by Pronotif. With our certified email solution, save time and money by going through the process of sending electronic notifications. Please note that our solution is compliant with the Tribunal administratif du Logement.

As a CORPIQ member, save even more money with our exclusive CORPIQ member discounts.

You have not yet sent your renewal notices to your tenants? Start now by logging in or creating an account on Pronotif!

 

How do I import my properties and related tenants?

First, go to the ”Properties” tab, then click on the ”Add properties” button (top right). If you already have an Excel file with your list, choose “Go to import page”. Otherwise, use our form.

If your list is ready, you can import it now (or use our sample template), so you can see whether we find any errors or not.

Once you’ve downloaded and opened the template, you’ll find two tabs in the Excel file, one for entering properties and the other for adding tenants.

 

Example:

Property tab : 

Tenants tab :

More details on the tenants tab:

  • To notify whether a user has consented to communicate through Pronotif, in the ”Already consented” column add ”1” if consent has already been obtained. Otherwise, leave blank.
  • For the communication language (column ”language”), if you wish to communicate with the tenant in both languages, enter ”en_fr” or ”fr_en”, otherwise enter only ”fr” or ”en”.
  • For the property ID, simply use the ID corresponding to the one you entered in the Property tab.

File sharing, how to delete an attachment?

To delete a file or folder that you have sent through an activity such as a file share, nothing could be easier.

Go to the activity in question and click on X file(s) :

Then select the file you want to delete and click on the trash can icon:

How can I make sending attachments more secure? Can I add a password?

How can I make sending attachments more secure? Can I add a password?

In step 1 of an activity, you can add a PIN (personal identification number) for which they will be able to download the attachments you send them.

Simply check the “Secure” box and then in the recipient’s line you will add the PIN.

Tip: a good password should contain at least 12 characters including 4 different types that are lowercase, uppercase, numbers and special characters.

Example with an electronic notification:

As a reminder, to ensure the highest level of security, please do not email PINs to your recipients.

I have reached my storage limit, what should I do?

You have just received a message telling you that you have reached the maximum storage capacity of your organization account and you are wondering how to remedy this problem?

You can see the total storage space used when you go to “Settings” then “Organization”:

First of all, if some of your sent file shares are no longer current, you can delete the file or files from the share concerned.

To do this, go to “File Sharing”, select one of your uploads, then click on file(s):

Then, simply click on the trash can to delete the appropriate file(s):

Click on “Yes” to confirm and you’re done:

Secondly, ask the different users in your organization to clean up the drafts in each activity. If they had added attachments to their drafts, this would allow you to recover storage space.

If your storage space is still affected despite the cleanup, contact our support team and we’ll take a closer look at your daily needs.

I haven't activated the reply to recipients function, but I'm still receiving a reply from the latter - how come?

Activating the “Allow recipients to reply” option will allow you to follow the entire conversation in the proof report when your recipient replies to you via the Pronotif feed. We recommend that you activate this option, so that you have a history of everything in your proof report.

If your recipients still use the “Reply” option in their mailbox (even if you haven’t activated the “Allow recipients to reply” option). The reply will be sent to the e-mail address you used to create your Pronotif account, so you won’t have to worry about your messages getting lost or left unanswered. This way, you’ll have all the communications you’ve sent and received on hand, should you ever need to collect all the exchanges that have taken place between you.

How can I import a contact list?

You can directly use our recipient import process via Microsoft Excel.

Here is how to do it:

  1. Click on the “Import” tab located in the recipient step;
  2. When you are ready to import your list, click on ”I’m ready with my list” (Please note that you have a template available as an example. To access it, click on the link “Download the template”):
  3. Now you can upload your list and after assign them, to begin just to click on ”Upload import list”:

When importing new contacts, make sure you do not import an existing contact with the same email in the contact manager.

If in doubt, we may recommend that you delete your property lists before importing again.

How long do my document sharing attachments expire?

File shares expire after 30 days.

However in the options in step 3, you will have the opportunity to change the expiration date of the file or files you want to share. You just have to change the number of days in ”Email Settings”.

What's the point of stopping an activity's campaign?

A campaign is a sending that you have done and that you want to stop to no longer give a recipient access to an attachment, for example, to be able to reply to you, to receive follow-up notifications for this sending, orto no longer follow the status…

In other words, to stop access to an attachment after sending an activity to a recipient, go to one of the activities, click on the “More” button and then on “Stop”: (example with an electronic notification)

Then confirm the operation:

Once you click on “Yes” the campaign will be stopped.