Transparency With Owners in AppFolio

December 13, 2022
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Property management companies have a lot of responsibilities, among collecting rent, leasing properties, coordinating maintenance departments, and paying vendors. One of the biggest challenges is providing accurate Owner Statements month over month. Keep reading if you're interested in learning how to remain transparent with your owners, and maintain reliable books in AppFolio.

The Owner Statement

At minimum, fee managers should be sending their owners a monthly statement. However, there are issues that can arise each month that cause the ending balance and actual property cash balance not to match. This difference is generally caused by one of the following:

  • Over or under collected additional fees (check your diagnostics Negative and Positive Additional Fee balances sections)
  • Prepayments (if you suppress them from the owner's statement)
  • Additional fees paid with a Zero Dollar Receipt (learn more in this blog)
  • Suppressed fees at move out done incorrectly (learn more in this blog)

You can compare your Owner Statement to a General Ledger or Balance Sheet. If your cash balance is different between the reports, check the items above! Still stuck? We can take a look, just email info@apmhelp.com if you are not a current client, or support@apmhelp.com if you are!

Be... Transparent... B... E... Transparent!

Thankfully, most owners are not trained accountants, so typically, they don't require more than 2-3 additional reports. As a minimum, we recommend that you include a Cash Flow 12-Month or an Income Statement 12-Month in addition to the Owner Statement.

This gives your owners a breakdown of the income and expenses each month, it as, after all, their money! The following are good reports to include in an Owner Packet:

  • Cash Flow 12-Month: This will give your owner a look at their income, expenses, and any other GL accounts you want to include (assets, liabilities, capital, etc.) and their affect on operating cash.
  • Income Statement 12-Month: It gives your owner less information, and they cannot see assets, capital, and liability accounts if you want them to. This is good for owners that care to see the income and expense on their properties.
  • Balance Sheet: Generally, this is included with one of the two reports above if you don't want to add the Other GL account types to the Cash Flow. The Balance Sheet also gives your owner their cash balances (both operating, and security deposit). It's straight forward and appreciated by a lot of owners!
  • Check Register Detail (Enhanced) and Deposit Register: Okay, we know, it's a ton of detailed information. This is a rare set of reports to include, and is typically only sent to large owners, or owners with accounting backgrounds. It provides a detailed list of every income and expense item seen on the reports above.

Every property management company is different, so take these recommendations lightly. However, including these reports can improve relationships with your owners and they will appreciate the transparency. With trust accounting, you are managing other peoples money, and they are enTRUSTing that you are doing it correctly. Go ahead and show them that their money is save and sound with you!

Crank it up a notch

Do you really want to blow your owners away? Maybe even attract a few new ones? We have just the thing for you! APM Help also offers daily audits via Triple Tied Out. This software looks at property balances, bank reconciliations, and tenant liabilities daily! If you're clean, you can add a Triple Tied Out badge to your website and dazzle the world with your property management skills. Trust us, you'll be happy you have it!

If you have any questions on owner statements, additional reports, or Triple Tied Out, please reach out to us! You can either go to our website, send an email to info@apmhelp.com or call (281) 949-8755!

Our Services

On-Demand Consulting

On-Demand Consulting

Consulting with AppFolio, Buildium, Propertyware, & Rent Manager experts to answer any and all software related questions in less than an hour. No long-term contracts and easy to get started.

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On-Demand Consulting

Trust Bookkeeping Services

Bookkeeping services provided by expert accountants for AppFolio, Buildium, Propertyware, & Rent Manager. For less than the cost of a full-time bookkeeper you can have a whole team of experts.

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Corporate Bookkeeping

Let us take care of your corporate payables, receivables, reporting, and payroll with Quickbooks and Gusto. With us you can focus less on accounting and more on growth!

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Daily Bank Reconciliations

Get your bank reconciliations done every single day! Keep your books accurate by making sure that everything is  accounted for. Available for AppFolio, Buildium, Propertyware, & Rent Manager.

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Daily Audits

Curious just how clean your books are? Find out with Triple Tied Out! It's our daily auditing service that checks your bank recs, liabilities, and property balances. For AppFolio, Buildium, & Propertyware.

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Why Choose APM Help

Expertise

Our consultants are well-versed in the software solutions commonly used in property management. Whether you're using AppFolio, Buildium, Propertyware, or Rent Manager, we have the expertise to clean up your books and maintain their accuracy.

Scalable Solutions

As your business grows, so do your accounting needs. Our U.S.-based account managers with industry experience are dedicated to managing your books, giving you the time and confidence to focus on expansion.

Audit Support

Going through an audit can be a daunting task. We offer daily audits and audit preparation services to ensure your books are always audit-ready, providing you with peace of mind.

Back-Office Services

Beyond bookkeeping, we offer a range of back-office services to streamline your operations, including maintenance coordination, property improvement loans, and corporate bookkeeping.
Your Success, Our Priority
APM Help is not just a service provider; we are your partners in success. We understand thatproperty management demands a holistic approach, which is why we offer a suite of services tailoredto address the diverse needs of your business. Our goal is to empower property managers to excel intheir markets by providing them with clean books, efficient processes, and the time they need tofocus on building strong client relationships and achieving their growth ambitions.

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