Rent Book helps a property manager answer two practical questions: what does each tenancy owe, and which payments have actually arrived? It connects tenancy records with incoming payment information, using weekly or monthly rent periods and a review process for uncertain matches.
The money moves from the tenant's bank to the manager's bank. This workflow records and reconciles that information; it does not hold the rent or initiate Direct Debit collection.
Set up the tenancy accurately
Start with the property, rent amount, frequency and due-date information. A weekly tenancy should use weekly periods rather than a monthly approximation. The payment reference is important because it helps connect a bank credit to the correct tenancy.
Review the records before importing payments. A tidy reference scheme reduces ambiguity, but the system should still make uncertain cases visible rather than silently guessing.
Import the payment information
Statement import provides a route that does not require a connected bank account. Where a supported bank connection is configured and available in your account, its consent and sync flow provides another route. Availability depends on that setup; this is not a promise that every bank or country is supported.
Incoming credits are assessed against tenancy references. A payment that resolves to one tenancy contributes to that balance. A payment that resolves to no tenancy or more than one stays available for review.
Understand part-payments and advance payments
A rent account needs to handle more than one exact payment per period. A tenant may pay part of the amount due, pay early or pay ahead. Rent Book uses the matched credits to build the balance across the tenancy's rent periods.
In an illustrative example, a credit covers part of a period. The remaining balance is still outstanding. Another tenancy may have enough credit to cover the periods due and retain a balance paid ahead. These are accounting states, not proof of a separate conversation with the tenant.
Review unmatched payments
The unmatched tray is a working queue. It shows credits that could not be confidently assigned to one tenancy. Review the source information and allocate the payment appropriately rather than assuming every imported credit was matched.
A useful daily review checks the exceptions: which balances remain due, which records are part-paid and which payments still need attention. The aim is clarity about the record, not simply a green dashboard.
Keep rent and repairs in the same working environment
Property managers can use Plan@Job for property records, repairs, quotes and completion evidence alongside Rent Book. These workflows support different parts of the portfolio. A maintenance job does not automatically change the tenant's rent liability or replace the manager's wider accounting process.
Common questions
Does Rent Book collect the money?
No. The tenant pays into the manager's bank. Rent Book records and reconciles incoming payment information.
Do tenants receive automatic reminders?
Automatic tenant reminders and tenant-facing rent links are not included in the workflow described here.
Where should I begin?
Read the Rent Book feature guide and review your account's supported import and bank options. New property managers can follow the property-manager onboarding route.