Docs•Roles + Permissions
How roles work in CommunityOne
CommunityOne uses clear, purpose-built roles so everyone has the access they need without confusion or risk. Governance stays with the board. Professional property managers can participate as members without gaining governance authority by default. Use this guide to capture role and trust-review questions before deciding whether the first rollout fits Essentials, Pro, or Complete based on dues, communication, operations, and governance depth.
Designed for real communities
Simple, secure, and flexible
Roles stay community-scoped by default, with a clear separation for platform operations.
Clarity
Everyone knows what they are responsible for.
- Role names match real-world positions like member, board, and treasurer.
- Navigation stays clean; users only see tools they can use.
Security
Sensitive actions are protected by design.
- Least-privilege defaults.
- Role-gated actions like approvals, settings, and billing.
Delegation
Committees and helpers can contribute safely.
- Staff and volunteer roles support workflow delegation.
- No need to hand out admin access just to get work done.
Boundaries
Governance stays with the association.
- Property managers participate as members by default and do not get governance controls automatically.
- Property operations stay out of the default CommunityOne role model unless the association deliberately adds that workflow.
Demo-friendly
Role ladder
A quick visual to explain who can do what without getting technical.
Visual
Role ladder
Governance stays with the board. Property managers participate as members unless explicitly elevated.
Unapproved User
Governance: None
Signup pending verification
Member
Governance: None
Verified participant
Association Staff / Volunteer
Governance: None
Delegated workflows
Board Member
Governance: Limited
Moderate and guide
Association Admin
Governance: Full (community)
Configure and manage
Global Admin
Governance: Platform only
Platform ops (CommunityOne)
Property Manager: treated as member-level in CommunityOne. True property operations stay outside the community governance role model until that workflow is intentionally added.
Community participants
Member roles
These roles cover onboarding and everyday participation.
Unapproved User
New signup awaiting verification as an owner or resident.
Can do
- Create an account
- Submit verification details
Can't do
- View community content
- Post or comment
This keeps community content private until membership is verified.
Member
Verified homeowner or resident.
Typical access
- Home feed with updates and announcements
- Documents and policies
- Submit requests and issues
- View dues status for their own account
Notes
- Participation-focused
- No administrative controls
Governance & operations
Leadership & operations roles
These roles support moderation, workflows, and community configuration.
Board Member
Elected or appointed board member.
- Pin or unpin important posts
- Moderate posts and comments
- Review and respond to requests
- Access meeting materials and history
Association Admin
President, treasurer, secretary, or designated admin for one association.
- Approve or manage members
- Assign community roles such as board and staff
- Configure dues and billing rules
- Manage documents and branding
Association Admin is community-scoped.
Property Manager
Professional manager who helps with a member's property (member-level by default).
- Participate in the community like a verified member
- Access shared documents and announcements
- Submit and track requests related to managed properties
- No governance controls unless explicitly elevated by the board
If a manager needs true property operations such as multi-association views, unit workflows, or maintenance lifecycle, keep that scope separate from CommunityOne governance until the association deliberately reviews and adds it.
Association Staff / Volunteer
Committees and helpers with delegated workflows.
- Access assigned workflow areas such as architectural review when that workflow is in the rollout scope
- Help manage requests or reviews without admin privileges
- No billing, role assignment, or association-wide settings
Oversight & external access
Oversight & external roles
Support audits, transitions, and future vendor collaboration.
Auditor (Read-only)
CPA, attorney, or transition reviewer.
- Read-only access to documents and meeting history
- Review financial summaries where enabled
- No edits, approvals, or posts
Vendor / Contractor (Future review)
Landscapers, pool services, and contractors.
- Potential assigned-work visibility only after the association intentionally adds that workflow
- Potential invoice or document handoff remains future scope, not a current self-serve promise
- Potential task comments would stay scoped to assigned work
- No member data or financial controls
Platform operations
Platform administration
Global roles used by CommunityOne staff to support the platform.
Global Admin
CommunityOne staff (platform-wide).
- Manage associations and platform configuration
- Support and troubleshooting tools
- Platform-level billing and auditing
Global Admins operate outside community governance.
Key takeaway
Most roles are community-scoped. Global Admin is platform-scoped. Boards keep governance. Managers participate as members by default.
Turn role questions into a scoped CommunityOne decision.
Use the roles guide to prepare implementation, see the access model in a demo, and keep trust-review questions tied to the same honest scope: Essentials if core association setup is enough, Pro if resident communication is the priority, or Complete CommunityOne when deeper governance roles need to launch together.