Rent & money
Rent ledgers, receipts and missing payments
The managing party must keep an accurate rent record, and a tenant who asks for a copy of the rent ledger should receive it within seven days.
Key facts
- An accurate rent ledger must be maintained
- A requested copy is due within 7 days
- Cash payments require a receipt
- Keep bank records even when the ledger looks correct
What your ledger should show
A rent ledger should make it possible to follow the rent charged, the date each payment was received, the period covered and any balance. Ask questions promptly if a payment is missing, split across periods or allocated to something other than rent.
The managing party must retain the rent record for at least one year after the tenancy ends. A tenant can request a copy in writing and the RTA says it must be provided within seven days.
Receipts depend on how you paid
A cash rent payment requires a receipt. For a cheque payment, a receipt must be provided if requested. Electronic payment records are useful, but still keep the payment confirmation and the bank transaction reference.
Under the RTA guidance, electronically paid rent is taken to be paid when it leaves the tenant's account, not when it later arrives in the recipient's account.
Fix a mismatch in writing
Send a short table listing the payment date, amount, reference and the period you believe it covers. Attach the transaction evidence and ask for a corrected ledger rather than relying on a telephone conversation.
Do not stop making later rent payments because an earlier entry is disputed. Keep paying the undisputed rent and obtain tenancy advice if an alleged arrears balance could lead to a formal notice.
Treat the ledger as a running explanation of rent
A rent ledger should let a tenant and managing party see the amount due, payments received, credits, arrears and the period each payment covers. It is not the same as a bank statement: the bank shows money leaving an account, while the ledger shows how the managing party allocated it. Keep both records and compare them regularly.
Check the opening balance, weekly rent, due day, rent increases, rent in advance and any adjustment after a payment. A single misallocated transfer can make every later line look wrong. Circle the first incorrect entry rather than arguing only about the final arrears total.
Ask for a receipt that labels the purpose
Cash rent requires a receipt, and a cheque payment requires one when requested. For every electronic payment, keep the bank confirmation and use a reference that identifies rent, the property and the period where possible. If bond, rent and a utility amount are transferred together, ask for an itemised receipt instead of relying on an agent’s memory.
A receipt should not silently turn rent into bond or a fee. If the document is split, check each line before filing it. Ask for a correction as soon as you notice a mismatch and attach the original receipt so the new record can be understood as an amendment, not a replacement with no history.
Reconcile payments after rent increases or changes
When rent changes, note the last payment at the old amount, the first due date at the new amount and any part-week calculation. Compare the written notice, agreement, receipt and ledger. If a payment was scheduled before a change was announced, ask how the difference will be handled rather than making an unexplained extra transfer.
The same check helps when a co-tenant leaves, a payment method changes or rent in advance is applied. Record the date the old arrangement ends and the new reference begins. Clear transition dates prevent a ledger from looking like two overlapping tenancies.
Request and review a copy on a regular basis
The managing party must keep a rent ledger for one year after the tenancy ends, and the RTA guidance says a tenant can request a copy at any time. Ask in writing and keep the date of the request. Review it before a routine inspection, renewal, notice response or bond claim rather than waiting for an arrears message.
When the copy arrives, save the original file and mark the entries you understand and those you do not. Ask one question at a time: ‘What does the $200 entry on 17 February represent?’ A focused request is more likely to produce a correction than a general complaint that the ledger is unfair.
Use the record if an arrears notice arrives
Compare the alleged arrears date with bank transactions, receipts and the agreement. If the money was paid but allocated to another purpose, state the payment date, label, amount and ledger line you say is wrong. Attach a redacted bank record that shows the necessary facts without unrelated spending information.
Do not withhold future rent just because the ledger is disputed. Pay undisputed amounts on time and ask for the record to be corrected. If a Form 11 or a risk of termination is involved, contact the RTA or QSTARS promptly and keep every version of the ledger and correspondence.
Primary source checked
RTA — Rent payments