Rent Roll Template (Free Excel + Fillable PDF) and What a Rent Roll Is
A rent roll is a one page list of every unit you own on a single date: who lives there, the lease dates, the monthly rent, the deposit you hold and whether the rent is paid. Lenders, buyers and insurers often ask for one, and it is the fastest way to see how your rentals are doing this month. Below is a free rent roll template in Excel and as a fillable PDF, a filled in example and the steps to make your own.
Free rent roll template. Room for 12 units with unit, tenant, status, lease start and end, monthly rent, deposit held, paid this month, balance due and notes, plus a summary with occupancy, scheduled rent, collected rent and deposits held. The Excel version does the math for you and includes a filled in example.
The Excel file also opens in Google Sheets and Numbers.
Want more forms? Join our email list and get the free Landlord Starter Kit: the filled in example ledger, the Quick Start guide and 5 printable forms.
What is a rent roll?
A rent roll is a snapshot of a rental property on one date. It lists each unit in its own row, including vacant units, with the tenant, the lease dates, the rent and the payment status. At the bottom it totals the rent, the balances and the deposits, and shows how many units are occupied.
Big apartment owners run rent rolls from property management software. With a few units you can keep one in a simple spreadsheet and update it once a month, on the same day.
Rent roll vs rent ledger: what is the difference?
| Rent roll | Rent ledger | |
|---|---|---|
| Covers | All units of a property | One tenant or one unit |
| Time | One date (a snapshot) | Every payment over time (a history) |
| Main use | Showing lenders, buyers or yourself how the property is doing | Proving what a tenant paid and when, and what they owe |
| Update | Once a month | Every time money comes in or a charge is added |
You need both. The ledger is your proof for each tenant, and the rent roll is the summary. Get the free rent ledger template, or see how to track several units in one ledger.
What should a rent roll include?
- Property address and an “as of” date. A rent roll without a date is not useful to a lender or buyer.
- Unit number or name, one row per unit.
- Tenant name(s) as written on the lease.
- Status: occupied or vacant. Keep vacant units on the list.
- Lease start and lease end, or “month to month”.
- Monthly rent the tenant actually pays under the lease.
- Deposit held. Track the full deposit story in a security deposit record.
- Paid this month and balance due.
- Notes, such as a payment plan, a renewal offer or the asking rent for a vacant unit.
Leave out Social Security numbers, bank account numbers and dates of birth. A rent roll gets emailed and printed, so keep private data in your locked tenant files instead.
Rent roll example for a fourplex
This is the example tab in the Excel template: a fourplex at 418 Maple Street, rent roll as of November 5, 2026.
| Unit | Tenant | Status | Lease | Rent | Deposit | Paid | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jordan Lee | Occupied | 06/01/2026 to 05/31/2027 | $1,250 | $1,250 | $1,250 | $0 |
| 2 | Maria and Sam Ortiz | Occupied | Month to month since 09/01/2025 | $1,150 | $1,150 | $600 | $550 |
| 3 | Vacant | ||||||
| 4 | Chris Patel | Occupied | 01/01/2026 to 12/31/2026 | $1,300 | $1,300 | $1,300 | $0 |
What the summary shows: 3 of 4 units occupied (75% occupancy), $3,700 scheduled rent, $3,150 collected, a $550 balance in unit 2 and $3,700 in deposits held. Unit 3 is listed at $1,200, so the building’s full potential rent is $4,900 a month once it is rented. Unit 4’s lease ends December 31, which reminds the owner that a renewal decision is coming.
How to make a rent roll in 5 steps
- Pick your date. Use the same day each month, for example the 5th, after rent is due.
- List every unit, occupied or vacant.
- Copy the lease details: tenant names, start and end dates, monthly rent and deposit.
- Enter what was paid this month from your rent payment records. In the Excel version the balance fills in by itself.
- Check the totals and save a copy named by month, such as “Rent roll Nov 2026”. Twelve saved copies give you a full year of history.
When will you need a rent roll?
- Refinancing or a new loan. Lenders often ask for a current rent roll along with copies of the leases. Fannie Mae, for example, collects rent roll data from lenders on multifamily loans.
- Selling. Buyers usually want a rent roll to check the income, and then compare it with the leases.
- Insurance and taxes. A year of monthly rent rolls makes it easy to confirm your total rents for Schedule E.
- Your own monthly check. One look shows late balances, vacant units and leases ending soon. Filling a vacant unit? Start with our free rental application form.
For everything else to keep, see our guide to landlord record keeping.
A lender or buyer may ask for its own rent roll format, so check what they need before you send yours.
Need more than rents? See what each property owns and owes with our free rental property balance sheet and income statement template (Excel).
Watch: how to make a rent roll
Simple Rent LedgerFree landlord tutorials on YouTubeFrequently asked questions
What is a rent roll in real estate?
A rent roll is a list of all units in a rental property on a specific date, showing each tenant, lease dates, rent, deposit and payment status, with totals for the whole property.
Is a rent roll the same as a rent ledger?
No. A rent roll is a snapshot of every unit on one date. A rent ledger (or tenant ledger) is the full payment history of one tenant over time.
Should vacant units be on a rent roll?
Yes. List every unit and mark vacant ones as vacant, so occupancy and potential rent are clear.
How often should a landlord update a rent roll?
Once a month on the same day is enough for most small landlords. Also make a fresh one whenever a lender or buyer asks.
Do I need a rent roll if I only have one or two units?
Not always. With one or two units, your rent ledger already shows who paid. A rent roll helps once you have several units to check at a glance, or when a lender, buyer or insurer asks for a summary of all units.
Should I give rent receipts as well as keep a rent roll?
Yes, if your tenants pay in cash or ask for proof. The rent roll is your summary; a rent receipt is the tenant’s proof of each payment. Some states, such as New York, require a receipt for rent paid in cash.
