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Known parsing quirks and workarounds

The most common document types that need special handling — OneSite PDFs, image-based files, multi-line T12s, and repeating unit numbers.

OneSite rent roll PDFs

The issue: Rent rolls generated by RealPage's OneSite property management system in PDF format have a layout that Archer's parser struggles with consistently.

The workaround: If your OneSite rent roll doesn't parse cleanly, export it as Excel from OneSite instead of PDF. If you only have the PDF, send it to support@archer.re — the team can convert and clean it for you.

Rent roll charge headers surpassing threshold

The issue: Some rent rolls have an unusually high number of charge columns. When the number exceeds Archer's template threshold, the parser may not pick up all charges.

The workaround: If you notice charges missing after parsing, check whether the original rent roll has more charge columns than what appeared. Contact support and they can adjust your parsing template to accommodate the additional columns.

Type 3 PDFs (convert-to-Excel returns nothing)

The issue: Some PDFs are essentially images embedded in a PDF wrapper. When Archer's system tries to convert them to Excel for processing, it gets an empty result.

The workaround: Try opening the PDF and using "Save As" or "Print to PDF" to create a fresh copy — sometimes this creates a more parseable version. If that doesn't work, send to support. The team has specialized tools for handling image-based PDFs.

T12s with line item names on multiple lines

The issue: Some T12s format long line item names across two rows (e.g., "Repairs and" on row 1, "Maintenance" on row 2). Archer may read these as two separate line items instead of one.

The workaround: During the T12 mapping step, you'll see both partial names. Map the one that has the dollar amounts to the correct COA category. The other (which will show zero dollars) can be set to Subtotal Ignore. If this happens frequently in your market, let support know — they can flag the pattern for your account.

T12s with line item names across multiple columns

The issue: Some T12s use a hierarchical layout where the category name is in column A and the sub-line item name is in column B. Archer may only read column B and lose the parent category context.

The workaround: During mapping, the line items should still appear — just without the parent category prefix. Map them to the correct COA category manually. The AI learns from your corrections, so similar layouts will improve over time.

Rent rolls with repeating unit numbers

The issue: Multi-building properties sometimes have unit 101 in Building A and unit 101 in Building B. Without a building identifier, Archer may merge or confuse these.

The workaround: Before uploading, add the building identifier to the unit number column (e.g., "A-101", "B-101"). A simple VLOOKUP or CONCATENATE formula in Excel handles this in seconds. This also improves your comp data quality downstream.

General rule of thumb

If a parse takes more than 2 minutes of manual fixing, send it to support@archer.re instead. The team turns files around within 2 hours during business hours. Your time is better spent on analysis, not data cleanup.

Student housing rent rolls (beds vs units)

The issue: Student housing rent rolls often list by bed rather than by unit, or mix the two. Archer may count beds as units or miss the correct unit count.

The workaround: Before uploading, make sure the rent roll clearly delineates beds vs units. If each row is a bed, Archer will treat it as a bed-level parse. Set bed and bath counts during floor plan mapping to match. If the unit count is off after parsing, contact support — student housing formatting varies widely and the team handles it regularly.

Subsidy or HAP rents not pulling through

The issue: Affordable housing rent rolls with subsidy rent columns (HAP, VASH, Section 8 payments) may not map the subsidy amount correctly — some units show $0 when there should be a value.

The workaround: During charge code mapping, verify that the subsidy column is mapped to the correct charge code (typically "Subsidy Rent" or "HAP"). If the column isn't being picked up at all, the rent roll format may need adjustment. Contact support with the file attached.