Rent statement: what a tenant ledger should show and how to keep one
Updated 28 Oct 2026
A rent statement (a tenant ledger) lists everything a tenant was charged, rent, fees and their share of utility bills, and every payment they made, in date order with a running balance. From it you can see at once what is paid, what is still owed and what is overdue.
What a rent statement should contain
- Every charge with its due date: monthly rent, late fees, one-off fees, and the tenant’s share of each utility bill.
- Every payment with its date, method and transaction or receipt number.
- The balance after each line, and the total still owed.
- Which charges are overdue: due before today and not yet paid.
An example
Rent is 8,000 EGP, due on the 5th of each month. The tenant also owes their 350 EGP share of August’s electricity bill.
| Date | Item | Charged | Paid | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Aug | Payment, InstaPay | 8,000 | −8,000 | |
| 5 Aug | Rent, August | 8,000 | 0 | |
| 5 Sep | Rent, September | 8,000 | 8,000 | |
| 10 Sep | Electricity share, August | 350 | 8,350 | |
| 12 Sep | Payment, Vodafone Cash | 5,000 | 3,350 | |
| 5 Oct | Rent, October | 8,000 | 11,350 | |
| 6 Oct | Payment, cash (receipt 0142) | 6,000 | 5,350 |
Settling the oldest charge first: the 6 October payment finishes September’s rent (3,000), pays the electricity share (350), and puts 2,650 towards October. On 28 October the tenant owes 5,350, all of it October’s rent, overdue since the 5th.
Why oldest first
If payments are matched to whichever month the tenant names, old debts can sit unpaid while recent months look settled. Settling the oldest charge first is the usual accounting rule; it keeps "overdue" honest and makes the statement easy to check.
Spreadsheet or app?
A spreadsheet works for a unit or two, but formulas get copied wrong, partial payments and utility shares make rows hard to follow, and your tenant cannot see it unless you send a screenshot. An app that keeps the statement for you adds each month’s rent itself and works out the balance from the charges and payments, so there is nothing to recalculate.
Doing it in Aqari
Every lease in Aqari has its own statement. Rent is added each month on its own, utility shares are added when you enter a bill, and you add late fees or one-off amounts yourself. Record payments as they come in; paid, owed and overdue are worked out every time from the charges and payments, oldest first. A charge entered by mistake can be cancelled: it stays on record but is no longer owed. Tenants you invite see the same statement in the tenant portal.
Questions
Is a rent statement the same as a receipt?
No. A receipt proves one payment. A statement shows every charge and payment over time, and the balance they leave.
How do I show a tenant their statement?
Send them a copy, or invite them to Aqari’s tenant portal, where they see their own statement and balance whenever they want.
What if I made a mistake in a charge?
Cancel it rather than deleting it, so the history stays complete and the amount is no longer owed. In Aqari this is "Cancel this amount" on the charge.