Glossary
What is a rent roll in property management?
Quick answer
A rent roll is a report that lists every unit in a property with its resident, lease dates, market rent, lease rent, deposit, and current balance. Owners, lenders, and buyers use it to check occupancy and income. Its totals should tie to the general ledger: the scheduled rent, the past-due balances, and the deposits held.
A rent roll is a unit-by-unit list of the leases at a property on a given date. It shows who lives in each unit, what they pay, when the lease ends, and what they owe.
How a rent roll works
A typical rent roll has these columns:
Unit number and unit type
Resident name, or "vacant"
Lease start and end dates
Market rent and lease rent
Security deposit held
Current balance or past-due amount
The rent roll is a snapshot. Run it on the same date each month so you can compare months. Lenders and buyers ask for it during refinancing and sales, and they compare it with the general ledger and bank deposits. A rent roll that does not tie to the ledger raises questions.
Example: a six-unit building on October 31
Unit | Resident | Lease end | Market rent | Lease rent | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
101 | Resident A | Mar 31, 2027 | $1,500 | $1,450 | $0 |
102 | Resident B | Dec 31, 2026 | $1,500 | $1,500 | $0 |
103 | Vacant | $1,550 | $0 | ||
201 | Resident C | Jun 30, 2027 | $1,600 | $1,525 | $125 |
202 | Resident D | Nov 30, 2026 | $1,600 | $1,600 | $1,600 |
203 | Resident E | Aug 31, 2027 | $1,650 | $1,575 | $0 |
Total | $9,400 | $7,650 | $1,725 |
What the totals show:
Gross potential rent at market: $1,500 + $1,500 + $1,550 + $1,600 + $1,600 + $1,650 = $9,400.
Physical occupancy: 5 of 6 units, or 83.3%.
Vacancy loss: Unit 103 at $1,550.
Loss to lease: occupied market rent is $9,400 - $1,550 = $7,850. Lease rent is $7,650. The gap is $200.
Past due: $125 + $1,600 = $1,725.
The pieces add up: $7,650 + $200 + $1,550 = $9,400. Unit 202 owes a full month and its lease ends in 30 days. That unit needs a collections decision and a renewal decision now.
Related terms
Gross potential rent
Loss to lease
Physical occupancy
Delinquency rate
Where software helps
Software builds the rent roll from live lease and ledger data, so it ties to the books without manual work. A rent roll is also a useful check when you change systems. Darcy migrates properties, units, tenants and leases, opening balances, and security deposits, and it proposes the import in batches that reconcile to your files' totals to the cent. See multifamily property management software, or book a demo.
Questions, answered
What is the difference between a rent roll and a rent ledger?
A rent roll lists every unit at one point in time. A rent ledger lists every charge and payment for one resident over time. The rent roll's balance column comes from the resident ledgers.
Why do lenders ask for a rent roll?
A rent roll shows the income a property produces and how secure it is. Lenders compare it with bank deposits and the general ledger to confirm the income. They also look at lease end dates and past-due balances.
Should vacant units appear on a rent roll?
Yes. List every unit, including vacant and down units, with its market rent. Leaving them out makes occupancy look higher than it is.
Sources and method
We read each vendor’s own pricing and product pages, then review sites and news. Prices and features change, so confirm details with the vendor before you buy.
Rent roll is an industry term with no legal or tax definition. The lease or management agreement sets the method. The example figures are illustrative.
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