Accounting Archives - Basic Property Management

How to Write Landlord Utility Agreement With Tenants [Template]

June 11, 2026

Landlord and tenant reviewing a utility agreement standing in front of the electric meter panel outside of the house.

A landlord utility agreement with tenants is one of the most important lease addenda a rental property owner can use. Utilities affect monthly housing costs, tenant expectations, property operations, and potential disputes. If the lease does not clearly explain who pays for electricity, gas, water, sewer, trash, internet, or other services, disagreements can develop quickly.…

Repairs or CapEx? Don’t Misread the Bill

June 8, 2026

A male landlord sits at a wooden desk in a professional accountant’s office, carefully examining a spread of repair invoices and detailed capital expense spreadsheets. He holds a pen, looking focused as he reviews reserve planning notes. Opposite him, a female accountant leans forward, gesturing toward a specific line on a document while asking a question. The background features organized shelves of financial binders and a computer screen displaying budget projections. The scene is lit by the soft glow of indoor office lights, emphasizing the textures of the paper documents and the collaborative atmosphere of their financial review.

Rental property CapEx vs repairs is one of those topics that sounds technical until it affects your cash flow. Then it becomes very practical. A $275 plumbing repair, a $1,200 appliance replacement, and a $14,000 roof project should not all be treated the same way in your operating plan. Some costs are routine repairs. Some…

Property Management Reporting for Owners

June 2, 2026

Property manager reviewing rent collection, occupancy, maintenance, expenses, and cash flow reports with a landlord in a professional office.

Property management reporting for owners should do more than summarize last month’s activity. A good monthly report helps you understand whether tenant screening is being done properly, rent is being collected, expenses are under control, maintenance is being handled properly, and small issues are starting to become larger problems. If you own rental property, you…

Top 10 Landlord Bookkeeping Mistakes to Avoid

May 31, 2026

Landlord reviewing rental property bookkeeping records, rent payments, receipts, invoices, and expense reports at a desk in her office with a skyline city view.

Landlord bookkeeping mistakes can quietly create tax problems, cash-flow confusion, missed deductions, and poor investment decisions. Many rental owners focus on finding tenants, collecting rent, and handling repairs, but the financial recordkeeping behind the rental is just as important. Good bookkeeping does not need to be complicated. A landlord with one or two properties can…

10 Rental Property Cash Flow Killers to Watch

May 29, 2026

Blonde female landlord watching cash flow out of a single-family rental property, illustrating hidden expenses and rental property cash flow risks.

Rental property cash flow killers are the expenses, delays, and management problems that quietly reduce the money an owner keeps each month. A rental property may look profitable on paper, but small leaks in the numbers can turn a good investment into a weak one. The challenge is that cash flow problems do not always…

Property Management Owner Portal Guide

May 28, 2026

Gen Z male landlord reviewing a property management owner portal dashboard with rent payments, reports, maintenance records, documents, and cash flow data while his female partner looks over his shoulder.

A property management owner portal should give rental property owners a clear view of what is happening financially and operationally with their properties. That may mean a portal provided by a professional property management company, or it may mean a landlord app or rental management platform used by a self-managing owner. The purpose is the…

Rental Property Expenses Spreadsheet for Landlords + Free Download

May 27, 2026

A male millennial landlord reviewing a rental property expenses spreadsheet with receipts, invoices, and maintenance records on a desk, then cheering as he learns he can download a free rental property expenses spreadsheet from Basic Property Management.

A rental property expenses spreadsheet is one of the simplest tools a landlord can use to stay organized, protect cash flow, and prepare cleaner records for tax season. Even if you only own one rental home, expenses can quickly become difficult to track once mortgage payments, repairs, utilities, insurance, property taxes, and tenant-related costs start…

Rental Property Owner Statements Explained

May 24, 2026

Female millennial landlord reviewing a rental property owner statement with income, expenses, reserves, and monthly cash flow reports on the kitchen table while her children play in the living room and her husband watches television.

Rental property owner statements are one of the most important financial reports a landlord receives from a property manager. They show what happened financially during the reporting period: rent collected, expenses paid, management fees deducted, reserves held, and money distributed to the owner. For landlords who use professional property management, the owner statement is the…