How Do Property Managers Track Utility Charges Per Property?

[Chris F.]

Hey folks —

Question for those who either self-manage at scale or work with professional PMs.

If you have multiple properties and the property manager pays all utility bills (e.g., SCE, LADWP, SoCalGas) using a single company credit card, how do they accurately track which utility charge belongs to which property?

The issue I’m running into is this:

The credit card statement just shows multiple charges to “SCE” with no reference to which address it’s for. Then the manager has to manually cross-check each SCE charge with each property’s bill, which is time-consuming and prone to error.

Curious how top-tier managers handle this:

• Is there a system in place to match each charge automatically?
• Does accounting software (like AppFolio, Buildium, etc.) help with this?

Just trying to figure out what the best operators do to keep this clean and audit-proof.

[Lauren Robins]

What you're experiencing is a very common challenge when managing multiple properties and using a single credit card to pay for utilities across them. When the credit card statement simply shows generic charges like “SCE” or “SoCalGas,” without indicating which property each charge is for, it creates a manual and error-prone reconciliation process. Professional property managers have developed systems to handle this more efficiently and accurately.

Top-tier operators typically ensure that each property has its own dedicated utility account. Even if all accounts are paid using a single credit card, having a unique account number tied to each property allows for easier matching of charges to addresses. Many property managers also request that utility providers send monthly PDF bills to a centralized email address, which can then be uploaded into property management software like AppFolio or Buildium.

In fact, property management platforms like AppFolio, Buildium, and Propertyware often support utility billing workflows. These platforms allow you to upload bills and assign expenses directly to the correct unit or property. Some even integrate with third-party utility billing services like Conservice or SimpleBills. These services automatically retrieve bills from providers, match them to the correct property via account numbers, and sync the charges into your accounting software. While they do charge a fee, they save significant time and reduce the risk of mistakes—especially helpful during audits or year-end accounting.

For those who don’t use integrated software, some managers add internal job codes or property numbers in the memo field when making payments via online portals or bill pay systems. This creates a reference trail that simplifies matching expenses during reconciliation. While this method doesn’t fully automate the process, it adds a layer of clarity that saves time down the line.

When no automation is in place, managers often fall back on downloading all utility bills each month and manually logging them into a spreadsheet or accounting system. Each charge is assigned to a property based on the utility account number. This process can work if your team is organized and follows a clear set of procedures—many property managers delegate this task to a virtual assistant or bookkeeper.

Note: This information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. No attorney-client, fiduciary, or professional relationship is established through this communication.