# How to track rent for multiple tenants: notebook, spreadsheet or app

> A practical way for Indian landlords to track rent, UPI payments, utilities and dues across several tenants and buildings, with what to record and how often.

Source: https://tenowa.app/guides/track-rent-multiple-tenants/ · Updated 2026-10-02

With one tenant, a notebook is enough. With five or ten, across a couple of buildings, rent starts to slip: a UPI payment nobody noted, a part payment that looked complete, electricity added one month and forgotten the next.

## What to record for each tenant, every month

- **Rent due**, after any yearly increase.
- **Charges**: electricity and water from meter readings, maintenance, parking.
- **Adjustments**: a late fee added, a repair the tenant paid deducted.
- **TDS**, if the tenant deducts it.
- **Payments received**: date, amount, method (UPI, bank, cash, cheque) and reference.
- **Balance**: what is still due, carried to the next month if unpaid.

## Notebook, spreadsheet or app

| | Notebook | Spreadsheet | Rent app |
|---|---|---|---|
| Works with no setup | Yes | Mostly | Mostly |
| Works out balances | No | If you build formulas | Yes |
| Rent increases | By hand | By hand | Automatic |
| Meter readings | By hand | Formulas | Carried forward |
| Reminders | No | No | Yes |
| Tenant can see their own record | No | Risky to share | Yes |

## A simple monthly routine

1. **On the 1st**, check what each tenant owes this month.
2. **As payments arrive**, record each one the same day, with its UPI reference.
3. **A few days before the due date**, remind anyone unpaid.
4. **After the due date**, follow up on balances and part payments.
5. **At month end**, add meter readings and charges for the next month.

## Matching UPI payments

UPI makes paying easy but tracking harder: payments arrive from different names and numbers. Record the **UPI reference (UTR)** with every payment, and ask tenants to send the reference or a screenshot when they pay.

## How Tenowa handles it

Tenowa keeps every tenant's month on one line: what was due, what came in and the balance, with rent increases, meter readings, adjustments and TDS worked out. Tenants can report a payment with its reference and a screenshot for you to confirm, and those who owe get an email reminder around the due day. It is free for the first 3 months.

## Common questions

### How many tenants can I manage in a spreadsheet?
Many landlords manage 5 to 10 in a spreadsheet; beyond that, increases, part payments and utilities make mistakes likely.

### Should I give tenants access to their rent record?
It helps: a tenant who can see what is due and what was recorded rarely disputes it. Share only their own record.

### What about building expenses like the watchman's salary?
Record them by building and month, so you can see rent received against what the buildings cost.