How do I keep track of which tenants owe rent?
Short answer
Keep one list of every charge that is past its due date and still unpaid, by tenant, and update it the day money comes in, rather than relying on memory or bank alerts. Remind tenants before rent falls due, follow up in writing after, and keep a record of each step. In Ledge, the tenants list filters to everyone past due with what they owe, and reminder emails go out before and after each due date.
The method
A simple arrears routine
Give every charge a due date
Rent, service charge and anything else the tenant owes. A charge without a due date can never be late, so it never gets chased.
Mark payments the day they land
An arrears list is only as good as its last update. A list that is a week behind tells you to chase people who have paid.
Work from one past-due list
One list, by tenant, with the amount and how long it has been outstanding.
Remind early, follow up in writing
For yearly rent, the first reminder should go out a month or more ahead. After the due date, put the follow-up in writing so there is a record.
Escalate with the record
If it reaches a lawyer, a statement of what was due and paid, and copies of every reminder and notice, is what moves it forward.
| When | What to send |
|---|---|
| 30 or more days before due | Friendly reminder of the amount and date |
| 7 days before due | Second reminder with payment details |
| On the due date | Note that rent is now due |
| 7 days after | Written follow-up asking for a payment date |
| After that | Formal demand, then legal advice |
With Ledge
What Ledge does, and what it leaves to you
Ledge does
- Filters the tenants list to everyone past due, with each tenant's past-due total.
- Counts a charge as past due once its due date passes, even if its status has not been updated yet, so a late update does not hide it.
- Shows estate committees a defaulters list for each estate.
- Emails each tenant once before a charge is due (7 days by default, at least 30 days for yearly rent) and once after it becomes overdue.
- Writes WhatsApp reminder messages from templates you can edit, ready to send with a tap.
- Produces a tenant statement PDF of what was due and what was paid.
You still
- Follow up after the first overdue email. Ledge sends one before and one after; it does not keep chasing on a schedule.
- Send the WhatsApp messages. Ledge prepares them; it does not send them for you.
- Allow for part payments. Ledge does not store how much of a part-paid charge was received, so its totals count the whole charge.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
- How early should I remind a tenant about yearly rent?
- A month or more ahead is common practice, because a tenant paying a year's rent needs time to raise it. Ledge sends its first reminder at least 30 days before yearly rent is due.
- Can Ledge send rent reminders on WhatsApp automatically?
- No. Automatic reminders go by email. For WhatsApp, Ledge writes the message from your template and you send it with a tap.
- Can my tenant see what they owe?
- Yes. The tenant portal shows an outstanding total, the payment history and a downloadable statement.
- What should I do when a tenant stops paying?
- Follow up in writing, agree a date, and keep a record. If it does not resolve, take legal advice before serving any notice. Ledge keeps the statement and notices you will need, but it does not work out notice periods.
More answers
- What software can a Nigerian landlord use to manage tenants and rent?For landlords
- How do I record rent and issue rent receipts in Nigeria?Rent receipts and records
- What documents does a landlord in Nigeria need for a tenancy?Tenancy documents
- How should a property manager report to landlords in Nigeria?Owner statements
- How do Nigerian estates collect service charge and levies?Estate service charge
- How do estate gate passes work without an app?Estate gate passes
Run your rentals on Ledge
Built in Lagos for Nigerian practice: naira pricing, rent paid yearly, quarterly or monthly, and Paystack for online payments.