GUIDE FOR LANDLORDS
How to track rent for multiple tenants: notebook, spreadsheet or app
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
- On the 1st, check what each tenant owes this month.
- As payments arrive, record each one the same day, with its UPI reference.
- A few days before the due date, remind anyone unpaid.
- After the due date, follow up on balances and part payments.
- 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.