Rent tracker or spreadsheet: what do you need?
A spreadsheet is a perfectly good way to track rent for a while. The honest question is when it stops being good. Here is how to tell, and what to do when it does.
When a spreadsheet is enough
If you rent to one or two tenants, keep a close eye on your sheet and enjoy writing formulas, a spreadsheet will serve you well. It costs nothing, it is flexible and you already know how to use it. Our free rent tracker template gives you a clean starting point.
Where spreadsheets start to hurt
- Even with a good late-rent formula, you only see it when you open the sheet. Nothing nudges you on the day after rent is due.
- Several tenants in one space need rows, notes and sums that someone has to keep in step.
- A formula that breaks after a sort or a copied row can quietly make your totals wrong.
- Phones are awkward for editing a wide sheet, and rent usually arrives when you are away from a desk.
- Sharing a sheet with a partner means anyone can change any cell, including amounts.
Side by side
| Task | Spreadsheet | wrentrack |
|---|---|---|
| Set up | Build columns and formulas yourself | Add a property, a space and a tenant |
| Spot late rent | Add a formula and check it by hand | Overdue rent turns red on its own |
| Mark rent paid | Type a date and update a status | Tap Mark paid |
| Monthly total | Write and maintain a SUM | Updates as you mark rent paid |
| Several tenants in a space | Extra rows and careful sums | Each tenant has their own slot |
| On your phone | Possible, but fiddly | Made for a quick tap |
| Let a helper mark rent paid | They can edit every cell | They can only mark rent paid |
| Cost | Free | Free to start, with a paid plan for more. See the pricing page. |
How to switch without a headache
- Start with one propertyAdd the property and its spaces. You do not need to move your whole history over.
- Add your tenantsA name and the rent is enough. Copy them from your sheet.
- Mark this month's paymentsTap Mark paid for the people who have already paid and leave the rest.
- Keep the old sheet as an archiveYour old formulas and custom columns will not come across, because wrentrack has its own simple layout. Save the sheet somewhere safe and stop updating it. From now on, wrentrack is the one place.
Our honest take
If your spreadsheet is working, keep it. The moment you catch yourself scrolling to find out who is late, or fixing a total that does not add up, that is the sign a rent tracker would save you time. You can start free and move over a property at a time.
Common questions
Is a spreadsheet good enough to track rent?
For one or two tenants, yes. As the number of tenants and properties grows, late rent gets harder to spot and the formulas get harder to trust.
Can I import my spreadsheet into wrentrack?
You add properties, spaces and tenants directly, and it takes a few minutes for a handful of rentals. Many landlords move one property at a time.