Property Management and Bookkeeping

Accounting for property management is no more complicated than accounting for any other type of business. The Ascent walks you through a technique for tracking rent and related costs.

Real estate accounting

Most people do not enter into real estate investing because of rental property accounting. It’s hardly the most exciting subject, to be sure. However, good money management may result in tax savings, better rental revenue, decreased costs, and a higher total ROI. Poor financial management can result in overpayment of taxes, loss of rental revenue, increased costs, and a low ROI.

You’re setting yourself up for a tremendous headache around tax season if the idea of bookkeeping fundamentals for effective property management conjures up an image of an organized alphabetical shoebox of receipts. Even if accounting isn’t your thing, no landlord wants late payments and poor accounting to incur responsibility and loss. Here are some property management bookkeeping suggestions to help you avoid headaches and establish effective routines that will keep you in the black.

Property Management and Bookkeeping

Setup unique bank accounts

Aside from a normal company account, you’ll also need a separate account for security deposits. Many jurisdictions require landlords and property managers to keep security deposits in separate escrow accounts so that the monies are available when residents leave.

Set up a separate business bank account for your rental property while you’re setting up a trust account. The majority of us lack photographic memory, and even fewer landlords have the time to sort through hundreds of entries to distinguish business and personal costs. Separate accounts/records are the simplest way to calculate rental expenditures for your bookkeeping fundamentals.

Financial Reports You Should Understand and Apply

The final stage in setting up your property accounting is to become familiar with the reports that your accounting system may create.

These reports are undoubtedly one of the three most significant things your accounting system does for you (the others being tracking your finances and preparing your taxes).

Send your annual tax returns to an accountant.

Depending on the size of your company, you may manage properties on your own or with a huge staff.  When you’re tiny, it’s normal to believe that you can handle everything on your own. After all, it’s just a little additional money.

However, when it comes to company accounting, especially property accounting with its idiosyncrasies, you want an expert to manage your taxes.  A single error can result in an unpleasant audit, which might have been easily avoided by paying a little fee to a local accountant who would check and sign off on your records.

Annually review your financials (minimum)

As a business owner, you must analyze your financials each year to see what has changed and where you can improve. When you consider the variable value of the real estate, this becomes much more significant.
Remove or combine superfluous accounts, double-check accuracy, identify areas where you may be overpaying, and utilize that data to drive your next year’s choices. A cash flow statement grades each property based on four variables to predict how lucrative it will be in the future.
Following are the stats-

• Rental cash flow: The cash flow generated by rent payments, which is often the principal source of cash flow.
• Capital appreciation: An increase in a property’s worth.
• Debt repayment: How successfully the property is being paid down.
• Tax shelter: This includes all tax deductions regarding the property.

Record deductible expenditures.

Tracking your costs for appropriate tax filing is a key element of accounting. One of the most important aspects of tenant management is keeping track of your deductible costs, which can drastically lower your tax burden at the end of the year. When it comes to rental property management, there are hundreds of possible deductions.

Software for Property Management

Millions of individuals throughout the world use generic, off-the-shelf software solutions, but they aren’t especially built for tenant management bookkeeping. QuickBooks Online and Sage might be ideal fits for investors who understand accounting and are prepared to spend time configuring the tenant management software to meet their specific needs.

Tenant management software, such as Elate, is especially developed to assist both rookie and experienced investors in making educated decisions regarding their rental property.

Property Management and Tenant Management

As you follow the aforementioned rental property accounting best practices and build your portfolio. Establish strong accounting hygiene for your rental property record-keeping first for your tenant management. Later, utilize Property management and tenant management accounting software to assist automate the majority of your accounts. Following that, your banking system must be designed to optimize. Optimization for the aforementioned tenant management accounting best practices towards tenant management.

After you’ve completed this structure, you may consider growing and expanding your accounting section. Tenant management or rental property accounting is the true backbone of any outstanding real estate firm of any size. Purchase your own Property Management software to track your revenues (livelihood).

Elate offers real estate management software UAE with amazing features & simplistic approach which takes property management to the next level. It is trending as the best real estate property management software in Dubai, UAE. Find out the best Real Estate Software for Brokers, Landlords.