Rent ledger template
Three free ways to keep a rent ledger: print a blank one, use a spreadsheet, or let the online ledger keep the balance for you.
Blank printable PDFLetter size, ruled lines for date, description, charge, payment, method and balance.
Spreadsheet (CSV)Opens in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets. The balance column is already a formula.
Online rent ledgerRunning balance, monthly rent in one click, ledger PDF and receipts. Free for one tenant.
Rent receiptA numbered PDF receipt for a single payment.
How to fill in a rent ledger
- At the top, write the tenant, the property and unit, the monthly rent and the day it is due.
- On the due date, write a line with the month's rent in the Charge column.
- When money arrives, write a line with the amount in Payment and how it was paid in Method / ref.
- Balance = previous balance + charge − payment. A positive balance is what the tenant owes.
- Late fees and other charges go in Charge; credits you give go in Payment, with a description.
Example
| Date | Description | Charge | Payment | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09/01/2026 | September rent | 1,250.00 | 1,250.00 | |
| 09/07/2026 | Late fee | 50.00 | 1,300.00 | |
| 09/09/2026 | Check #1042 | 1,000.00 | 300.00 | |
| 10/01/2026 | October rent | 1,250.00 | 1,550.00 |
Made-up example.
Paper, spreadsheet or online?
Paper works for one unit if you are careful with the arithmetic. A spreadsheet adds the balance for you but needs a new tab per tenant and a separate receipt. The online ledger keeps the balance, numbers your receipts and makes a clean PDF to hand to a tenant. With several units, Pro posts rent for everyone at once and adds up rent per property for Schedule E.
Is this rent ledger template free?
Yes. The PDF and the spreadsheet are free with no sign-up, and so is the online ledger for one tenant.
Should a tenant keep a rent ledger too?
It helps. Tenants can use the same template to track what they paid and keep each receipt.
Related: tenant ledger · rent receipt · all guides