Bookkeeping for Property Management: A Comprehensive Guide

Property management refers to the daily supervision of properties by a third party. This third party is a property management firm or a property manager.

Property management firms must maintain accurate and up-to-date financial records to track rental income, expenses, and profits. However, handling bookkeeping tasks can be time-consuming and challenging for property managers.

In this comprehensive guide to Bookkeeping for Property Management, we will explore best practices and tools for managing financial activities effectively. We will also discuss how hiring a virtual bookkeeping assistant can be the right choice for property management firms to streamline their accounting tasks, save time, and ensure accurate financial reporting.

Significance of Bookkeeping for Property Management

Property management bookkeeping is important for property managers. They need it to keep up with a number of accounts and documents. This includes assets, expenses, revenue, equity, and liabilities.

A lack of proper bookkeeping for property management is an issue. It can cause a manager to fall back on their accounting tasks. This may cause a loss of money or even a legal mistake.

Some important tasks bookkeeping for property management can do are:

Encourage Tenants to Pay Online

Having the facility to pay online is beneficial for rent collection. But some older tenants prefer to pay in person. This may be due to a lack of knowledge of online payment systems.

Virtual bookkeepers can encourage tenants to pay online. They can make them familiar with these systems and simplify the process.

Create Automatic Tracking and Reminders

Bookkeepers handling property management accounts can help you track tenant payments. They can manage systems to track the payment times and the amount paid automatically.

Bookkeepers can remind the tenants of late payments and generate invoices for them. They can also handle tenant chargebacks.

Simplify Your Payment Processes

Bookkeepers managing accounting for property management companies can simplify their payment processes. They can help property managers schedule accounts payable and enter utility bills.

They can manage systems to complete your bank reconciliation. They can do all financial calculations.

Merge Your Tools

In a fast-paced business world, time is money. Using the wrong tools or multiple tools with the same functions causes time loss.

Experienced property management accountants are familiar with different accounting tools. They will be able to help property managers keep only the necessary ones.

Create Reports

Bookkeepers can create monthly, quarterly, or yearly accounting reports. These reports can help property managers understand the financial condition of their property.

Detailed reports can help property managers to make wise financial decisions.

Bookkeeping for Property Management: Best Practices

A powerful cloud accounting system like Freshbooks or Quickbooks can help you manage your real estate investments efficiently and easily. These systems automate bookkeeping and accounting tasks. This removes the chances of errors. You can also eliminate the risk of defaulted payments.

Accounting software for real estate has many user-friendly functions. This includes financial reporting, online payments, and payroll management. This makes the work of bookkeepers easier.

Having a system for accounting real estate is important. But it’s essential to know the most critical practices of bookkeeping for property management like:

Separate Business Accounts

Everyone has personal bank accounts. A property manager should have separate business and personal accounts. This will give your company credibility and boost your image.

It will protect your personal assets from potential legal action in case of a business failure. Having different accounts makes accounting for rental properties simpler.

Bookkeeping Method

Bookkeeping is similar to usual accounting processes. It focuses on recording the financial transactions of your company.

There are two major bookkeeping methods.

• Single entry: This bookkeeping method is good for companies with minimal transaction activity. In this approach, a bookkeeper records a transaction only once. You can list both income and expenditure in one row.
• Double entry: In this approach, a bookkeeper records every transaction two times as credits and debits. Every entry into a particular account requires an opposing entry in another account. This entry is also similar to the first one.

Accounting Method

Accounting is important to keep track of the flow of money in your property management business.

There are two methods of accounting for real estate.

• Cash basis: This is used to note down earnings on your income statement. It is done when your firm receives money. Also, the bookkeeper records an expense only after making a specific payment.
• Accrual: In this approach, you record the income and expenditure as they happen. It makes no difference whether you are awaiting a bank transfer or a payment from a tenant. It is added to the accounting book.

Chart of Accounts

Every time a transaction happens in a property management firm, it moves to a particular account. You may be confused about which account to use if you have multiple accounts. A chart of accounts can be helpful in this case.

The chart contains all the important financial information about your firm. It includes lists like Income Statement Accounts and Balance Sheet Accounts.

Automate Bookkeeping With Bookkeeping Software

Accounting for real estate comes with several issues. It takes effort and time to keep track of real estate financials. This includes managing rental properties and rent payments. You also need to reconcile bank accounts.

Bookkeepers can automate these processes using bookkeeping software. These solutions can help you read important financial statements. You can track your assets and create reports.

Reconcile Accounts

Property management firms have to do a bank reconciliation every month. This will keep their real estate accounting solutions in order. It is a preventive and time-consuming measure.

Bookkeepers can use bank reconciliation to find errors, missing entries, and typos.

Invoices and Receipts

Accounting for rental properties involves keeping track of receipts and invoices. An invoice shows a payment request. A receipt confirms the transaction.

A business needs a healthy cash flow to survive. This can be challenging without proper management of receipts and invoices. Keeping track of receipts and invoices is good for tax purposes.

Tax Deductions

Maintaining accurate records of deductible expenses can save money. This is possible with bookkeeping.

Some deductions are available for property management companies. You can write off expenses related to certain things. This includes accounting and bookkeeping services, vehicle mileage, repairs, and staff training.

You are also eligible to claim a tax deduction if you pay wages to on-site employees.

Why Hire Virtual Bookkeepers for Property Management from Wishup?

An in-house bookkeeper can cost businesses around $3,000 to $4,500 monthly. This is without including benefits. You have to pay extra for equipment and software. You will need to train the bookkeepers.

Hiring from a top VA platform like Wishup can reduce your recruitment costs, as our virtual assistant services start at just $999/month. We train our bookkeepers in all important bookkeeping tools. So, you need not spend resources on training them.

Our clients can onboard the bookkeepers within 24 hours. This saves time.

The Virtual Bookkeepers from Wishup can help your property management business handle multiple tasks. These include:

Ensuring Your Bills Are Paid On Time

Property management firms will have to handle several bills at a time. Our bookkeepers are experts at managing bills and invoices.

Wishup's bookkeepers will ensure that all your bills are paid on time. This includes utility, cable, and phone bills. They will manage your accounts payable.

Reconciling Bank And Credit Card Statements

A property management firm can have multiple transactions daily. This makes bank and credit card statement reconciliation important.

Our bookkeepers will record all transactions in your bank account and credit card. They will do this with accuracy.

They will analyze and rectify any mistakes or differences between the two figures.

Preparing Invoices and General Ledgers

Wishup's bookkeepers can maintain your general ledger to keep track of your transactions. You will be able to prepare financial reports using this general ledger.

Our bookkeepers are experts in preparing invoices for tenants and contractors. They can prepare invoices for your purchase orders.

Maintaining Financial Data In Your Chosen Software Application

Our bookkeepers are well-trained in all bookkeeping tools. They will be able to maintain the financial data of your company. They can do this in a software application of your choice.

Our professionals receive training in multiple bookkeeping software tools. These include Xero, Zoho, and FreshBooks. This makes them a perfect addition to your team.

Entering Payables And Receivables

Poor management of payables and receivables can create money problems for your business. Our bookkeepers can enter all your accounts receivables and account payables. This will help you to understand the financial situation of your business.

You will be able to make wise business choices by looking at these reports. This will help you increase business profits.

Sales Tax Reporting And Submission

Our bookkeepers will keep a record of taxes. They will do tax calculations relevant to your company. They can assist you with timely tax filing.

Using the service of our virtual bookkeepers will ensure that you never face any legal action due to incorrect or delayed tax payments.

Interpret Financial Statements and Create Reports

The bookkeepers you hire from Wishup can interpret all financial statements. This includes income statements, balance sheets, and cash flows.

We train them to draw conclusions about the company's financial state from these statements.

Our bookkeepers can help you make reports from your financial statements. These reports can be helpful for you for tax purposes.

How to hire a Property Management Virtual Assistant from Wishup?

Hiring a virtual assistant from Wishup involves three simple steps:

Identify your problem area

Before starting the hiring process, you should decide on the bookkeeping duties you need assistance with. It can be any task like reconciling accounts, making reports, and managing invoices.

Schedule a free consultation

After you have decided on the duties, contact us for a free consultation. We will go over all your needs with you. We will then connect you with the bookkeeper suitable for you.

Onboard your virtual assistant

At Wishup, we offer a rapid onboarding service to our clients. This will ensure that you can get professional bookkeeper virtual assistant within 24 hours after signing up for our services.

The fast-hiring process saves you precious time.

Conclusion

Bookkeeping for property management is important for maintaining accurate financial records. It helps businesses make tax and loan payments on time. This will prevent them from getting penalized.

Wishup is one of the best online platforms for hiring property management and bookkeeping assistants. The virtual bookkeepers of Wishup can help you with business and finance tasks. You can focus on business expansion and closing deals.

Ready to hire a bookkeeper for your property management firm? Schedule a free consultation with us or send a email to [email protected].

Bookkeeping for Property Management Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best accounting method for a rental property?

The accounting method you use should depend on your company size.

Cash-basis accounting is best for firms managing only a few properties. If your firm manages multiple rental properties, you should use accrual accounting. It is good for firms functioning on a large scale too.

How do you manage real estate accounting?

Managing a real estate account is easy if you follow the right steps. You should use the right tools. Prepare a clear budget. Hire a skilled and experienced real estate accountant.

You should invest in the right tools to make your accounting process smooth and easy. Do not forget bank reconciliations. Analyze financial report reviews.

What is property-level accounting?

Property-level accounting involves recording all cash outflows and inflows. This is for calculating the total profits or losses from the property renting.

Rental managers do this to review their income and expenditures. This will allow them to make better decisions. It can boost business and increase profits.