Rent ledger template
By Anthony Basile - updated
A rent ledger is the running record of a tenant's account: every charge, every payment or credit, and the balance after each line. Download the CSV to keep it in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers, or print a blank ledger to fill in by hand.
Download the free rent ledger template
Enter your email to get the CSV and the printable copy. The CSV opens in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers.
The printable copy is blank, ready to fill in by hand or save as a PDF from your browser's print dialog. It is one portrait letter page with blank lines at the top for tenant, property, unit, lease start, monthly rent and security deposit held, and 22 rows with columns for date, description, charge, payment or credit, balance, method and notes.
A filled-in rent ledger
J. Rivera's ledger at the invented Cedar Court triplex, from the August 18 move-in through October 7. The $500 balance traces to dated lines: $3,870 of charges less $3,370 of payments and credits.
| Date | Description | Charge | Payment or credit | Balance | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/18/2026 | Rent Aug 18-31 (prorated 14 days) | $700.00 | - | $700.00 | - |
| 8/18/2026 | Payment | - | $700.00 | $0.00 | ACH |
| 9/1/2026 | September rent | $1,550.00 | - | $1,550.00 | - |
| 9/1/2026 | September pet rent | $35.00 | - | $1,585.00 | - |
| 9/2/2026 | Payment | - | $1,585.00 | $0.00 | ACH |
| 10/1/2026 | October rent | $1,550.00 | - | $1,550.00 | - |
| 10/1/2026 | October pet rent | $35.00 | - | $1,585.00 | - |
| 10/5/2026 | Payment | - | $1,000.00 | $585.00 | Card |
| 10/7/2026 | Credit: approved faucet repair paid by tenant | - | $85.00 | $500.00 | Credit |
| Total | $3,870.00 | $3,370.00 |
When to keep a rent ledger
Keep one ledger for each lease, from move-in to move-out. When a tenant asks what they owe, when a payment comes in short, or when a lender or buyer wants to see how a balance built up, the ledger answers in one place.
If you own several units, keep a ledger per tenant and carry each balance onto your rent roll every month. The ledger then explains every number on the rent roll.
What a rent ledger includes
- The property, unit and tenant, so each ledger belongs to one lease.
- The date of every charge, payment and credit.
- A description: rent, a prorated month, pet rent, a fee the lease sets, a payment or a credit.
- The charge: what the tenant owes for that line.
- The payment or credit: what came in, or what you credited.
- The balance: the running total after each line.
- The method: ACH, card, check, cash or credit.
- Notes: a check number, a payment plan, a receipt you saved.
How to use this rent ledger template
The CSV starts with the example rows from the invented Cedar Court triplex, followed by blank rows for your own tenant. Replace the example with your tenant's details, or delete it once you have the pattern.
- Download the CSV and open it in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers, or print the blank ledger.
- Fill in the property, unit and tenant from the lease.
- Add a charge line on each date rent is due, plus any recurring fees the lease sets. For a mid-month move-in, the prorated rent calculator works out the first charge.
- Add a payment line each time money arrives, with the date and the method.
- Work out the balance on every line: the previous balance plus the charge, minus the payment or credit.
- Record the security deposit apart from rent, so the running balance shows only what the tenant owes.
Common rent ledger mistakes
- Mixing the security deposit into the running balance, which makes the account look paid when it is not.
- Recording a payment without its date. The date shows whether rent arrived on time.
- Editing an old line to fix an error. Add a correcting line instead, so the history stays readable.
- Adding charges that the lease does not set. Every charge should trace to the lease or an addendum.
- Letting it fall behind. A ledger updated once a quarter misses the short payment you could have followed up in the first week.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a rent ledger and a tenant ledger?
Many owners use both names for the same record: one tenant's charges, payments and balance. Others keep a rent ledger for a whole property, with a line per unit each month. Our guide to rent ledgers and tenant ledgers walks through both.
Can a rent ledger serve as proof of payment?
A ledger shows the history of the account. Back each payment line with a receipt or a bank record, so anyone reading it can check the line against its source.
How should I record a partial payment?
Record the payment on the date it arrived, for the amount received. The balance then shows what is still owed, and the next payment line brings it down.
Should late fees go on the rent ledger?
If your lease sets a late fee and you charge it, add it as its own charge line on the date you apply it. The late fee calculator works out the amount from your lease terms.
Let every lease keep its own ledger
KeyRing records each tenant's lease, rent charges, payments and deposit as they happen, so every lease has its own account with a current balance, for every property you own. Your first subscription starts with a 14-day free trial.