How it runs for property management companies
Your named accountant posts receipts daily, codes vendor bills to property and unit, draws fees only after rent clears and reconciles the two ledgers each month so the fee income in the company books equals the draws from trust. Open items go to your team every Friday.
What is outsourced bookkeeping?
Outsourced bookkeeping means a remote accounting team records, categorizes and reconciles your business transactions instead of an employee doing it in-house. You keep ownership of the accounting file and the bank relationship. The provider works inside your software on a fixed schedule, so the books are ready for reporting, tax and lending whenever you need them.
What we handle for property management companies
- Rent, late fees, NSF returns and concessions posted per tenant daily
- Vendor bills coded to property, unit and work order before approval
- Management fees drawn only after the related rent has cleared
- Corporate books reconciled monthly to trust platform fee draws
- Friday open-items list for leasing and maintenance staff
The KPI that matters here
Rent and charges posted within 1 business day of receipt with fee draws reconciled to corporate revenue monthly.
Property management compliance notes
State trust-account rules
Most US states require property managers who hold client funds to use a designated trust account, keep a ledger per owner and tenant and reconcile the account to the bank and to the sum of individual ledgers every month. Some states set deadlines for depositing receipts and prohibit any overdraft of an individual owner's balance. We prepare the ledgers and the three-way reconciliation; the broker of record signs and remains responsible.
Security deposits
Deposit handling is set by state and sometimes city law: where deposits are held, whether interest is owed, how quickly they must be returned after move-out and what deductions need itemizing. We track each deposit by tenant, record deductions with the invoice behind them and prepare the itemized statement inside the deadline for your review.
Owner statements and 1099-MISC
Management companies report rent collected on behalf of each owner on Form 1099-MISC once it reaches the annual threshold, and payments to unincorporated vendors on Form 1099-NEC. Owner statements must agree with the trust ledger and show income, expenses, fees, reserves and distributions. We keep W-9s and cumulative figures current so January filing is prepared for your review.
UK, Canada and Australia client money
UK letting agents must belong to a Client Money Protection scheme and protect tenancy deposits in a government-approved scheme within 30 days. Canadian provinces and Australian states set trust-account, audit and receipt rules for agencies holding rent and bonds. We maintain the records and reconciliations in the format the regulator or auditor expects.
Property management software we work in
- AppFolio
- Buildium
- Yardi
- QuickBooks Online
- Xero
- Bill.com
- Gusto
- Rent Manager
- Propertyware
- All 50 platforms
More for property management companies
Other services for property management
Frequently asked questions
Why do property managers need two sets of books?
Owner and tenant money is held in trust and belongs to them, so it is tracked per property in the management platform and never mixed with company funds. The management company's fees, commissions, payroll and overhead are its own and belong in its own ledger. Keeping them separate satisfies trust rules and gives the owner an honest view of the business.
How do you code a maintenance bill that covers several properties?
The bill is split by property and unit using the vendor's line detail or the work orders it references, and each portion is checked against that owner's reserve before it enters the approval queue. Any markup the management agreement allows is added as a separate, visible line. The owner sees the vendor's invoice on the statement.
Can you keep books for properties the company owns as well as manages?
Yes, company-owned properties get their own entity file or class, with rent, mortgage, depreciation and repairs recorded separately from managed properties. Management fees charged by the company to its own properties are recorded on both sides. Consolidated views are prepared when a lender asks, and tax schedules go to your CPA.
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