Manage Rent Invoices | RentMouse

Operate a clean rent ledger by creating recurring invoices, applying payments, handling credits, and resolving exceptions. This workflow covers everything from initial invoice templates to reconciliation with the RentMouse ledger and accounting exports.

At a Glance#

Who it’s for: Landlords, accountants, and bookkeepers who manage monthly rent billing.
Time to complete: Initial setup takes 30 minutes; ongoing monthly upkeep usually 10 minutes per property.
Prerequisites: Property and units created, rent amounts confirmed, payments enabled, and accounting roles assigned.

What You Can Do#

Build recurring invoice schedules per unit that auto-generate each billing cycle.
Create one-off invoices for deposits, parking, or utilities.
Apply full, partial, or split payments and automate reminder notices.
Issue credits, concessions, or write-offs that sync with ledger reporting.
Export invoices and payment history into CSV or accounting integrations.

Before You Begin#

Permissions: Requires finance.manage role or higher. Assistant-level users can draft invoices but cannot post payments.
Plan requirements: Starter tier and above support automated schedules and reminders; Free tier can issue manual invoices only.
Regional notes: US landlords can enable late fees as percentage or fixed dollar. Canadian landlords can add GST/HST by toggling tax rules in Settings ▸ Finance.
Data checklist: Confirm move-in dates, rent proration policies, and existing balances imported from other systems.

Step-by-Step#

Breadcrumb: Finance ▸ Invoices

Create a recurring invoice schedule
Click New schedule, choose the property and unit, set the recurrence (monthly, quarterly, custom), specify rent amount, due date, and late fee policy, then hit Create schedule. The first invoice generates instantly if the due date is in the future.

Breadcrumb: Finance ▸ Invoices ▸ Schedule Details

Add line items and taxes
Open the schedule details page, click Edit line items, add rent, utilities, or service fees, and toggle tax rules as needed. Save to apply changes to all future invoices.

Breadcrumb: Finance ▸ Invoices ▸ Drafts

Review drafts before posting
Draft invoices appear under the Drafts tab three days before the due date. Review each draft, adjust amounts or descriptions if necessary, and select Post invoice to notify tenants.

Breadcrumb: Finance ▸ Invoices ▸ Posted

Apply payments and credits
When a tenant pays, open the invoice, click Apply payment, choose the source (online, manual, external), enter the amount, and attach any memo or receipt. For partial payments, leave the balance open. Apply credits by selecting Add credit and referencing the credit memo.

Breadcrumb: Finance ▸ Invoices ▸ Exceptions

Resolve exceptions and write-offs
Use the Exceptions queue to handle overdue, disputed, or failed payments. Select an invoice, choose Resolve, add notes, and either create a payment plan, issue a write-off, or re-send reminders.

Breadcrumb: Finance ▸ Exports

Export invoice history
Navigate to Finance ▸ Exports, pick Invoices & Payments, choose date range and properties, and export CSV or push data to QuickBooks. Schedule automatic exports weekly for consistent reconciliation.

Monthly Checklist#

Run the Exceptions report every Monday to address overdue invoices.
Verify auto-pay enrollment via /help/tenant-autopay and nudge tenants who opted out.
Review ledger balance deltas using /help/track-rental-reporting to ensure payments match invoices.
Sync with the accounting team to align RentMouse transactions with the general ledger.

Screenshots & Media#

rm-invoices-schedule-step1-v1.png — Alt: “New invoice schedule modal with recurrence options”; Title: “Create recurring schedule”; Description: Show recurrence dropdown, due date selector, and rent amount field; Caption: “Set the cadence and rent amount for the unit’s invoice schedule.”
rm-invoices-line-items-step2-v1.png — Alt: “Line items editor with rent and utility fees”; Title: “Add line items”; Description: Highlight add line item button, tax toggle, and ordering; Caption: “Add line items and taxes that will carry into each invoice.”
rm-invoices-drafts-step3-v1.png — Alt: “Drafts tab listing upcoming invoices with Post button”; Title: “Review draft invoices”; Description: Include sample drafts with due dates and amounts; Caption: “Review drafts before posting to tenants.”
rm-invoices-payment-step4-v1.png — Alt: “Apply payment dialog showing amount and method fields”; Title: “Apply payments”; Description: Show payment method options and memo field; Caption: “Record online, manual, or external payments against the invoice.”
rm-invoices-exceptions-step5-v1.png — Alt: “Exceptions queue with overdue and disputed tags”; Title: “Resolve exceptions”; Description: Display queue filters and resolution actions; Caption: “Handle overdue or disputed invoices from the Exceptions queue.”
rm-invoices-export-step6-v1.png — Alt: “Exports page with date range selector and CSV button”; Title: “Export invoices”; Description: Highlight export type dropdown and scheduling options; Caption: “Export invoice history or sync to accounting tools.”
rm-invoices-ledger-reconcile-v1.png — Alt: “Ledger reconciliation dashboard comparing invoices vs payments”; Title: “Reconcile ledger balances”; Description: Show comparison charts for payments vs invoices; Caption: “Monitor reconciliation metrics to catch discrepancies early.”

Troubleshooting#

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
Recurring schedule skipped this month	Due date set to past date when schedule created	Edit the schedule and set the next run date to the upcoming month; future invoices generate automatically.
Late fees not applying	Late fee rule disabled or tenant on payment plan	Re-enable late fees in schedule settings; payment plans suppress late fees until plan completion.
Double invoices generated	Imported data duplicated schedule	Delete the duplicate schedule and void the extra invoice; audit import logs to prevent re-creation.
Payments do not auto-apply	Payment received without matching invoice reference	Open payment activity, click Apply to invoice, search by tenant, and map manually. Encourage tenants to pay through the portal to auto-link.
Export missing certain properties	Filter excludes property group	Re-run export with the All properties filter or select the missing group explicitly.

FAQ#

Can I change the rent amount mid-lease?
Yes. Edit the schedule, adjust the rent line item, and choose whether to update future invoices only or include drafts. RentMouse logs the change with timestamp and user ID.

How do I handle prorated move-ins?
Create a one-time invoice with custom dates or use the proration calculator during schedule creation. Confirm amounts align with local regulations.

Can tenants see pending credits?
Yes. Credits appear in their portal balance as "Available credit" and automatically apply to the next posted invoice unless you mark them as restricted.

What if an invoice was posted in error?
Void the invoice from the detail view before payments apply. Voiding reverses ledger entries without deleting the history.

Do write-offs affect reporting?
Write-offs adjust the unit ledger and mark the invoice as resolved. They appear in financial reports with a write-off tag so you can reconcile within /help/track-rental-reporting.

Can I automate email reminders?
Yes. Turn on reminder sequences in Finance ▸ Reminders for 3-day-before, due date, and 5-day-after notices. Customize message templates per property.

Security & Privacy Notes#

Invoice data is encrypted at rest and scoped to the organization; only finance roles can modify schedules.
Payment activity inherits the security posture of Stripe Connect; no card or bank numbers are stored in RentMouse.
Audit logs capture every invoice creation, update, post, and void event with user metadata.
Feature flag invoicing_suite_v4 must stay enabled to access schedules, exceptions queue, and exports.

Version & Region#

Feature flag: invoicing_suite_v4
Last verified build: RentMouse web 2025.10.28
Last verified date: 2025-11-01
Supported regions: United States (USD, late fee rules), Canada (CAD, GST/HST support)

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