I used to keep spreadsheets, but I found something better.

Managing Your Property
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I used to keep spreadsheets, but I found something better.

Jeffrey Felcan
Member since 2026 · 3 posts · 1 vote


So, I used to do everything on a spreadsheet, and I got kind of old. Any ideas for record keeping or anything? I was able to test a managing app, does anybody have anything comparable?

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Ed BaronePro Member
Saratoga Springs, NY · Member since 2018 · 109 posts · 56 votes
2mo

Hi Jeffrey,

I think the biggest question is how much complexity you actually need. Buildium and AppFolio could be the right choice if you need things like trust accounting or are managing a larger portfolio.

If you don't need that level of complexity, there are less expensive options worth looking at. In full transparency, I'm one of the co-founders of RentRedi, which is included with your BiggerPockets Pro membership. It has built-in accounting along with tools for rent collection, tenant screening, maintenance, and managing your rentals.

Definitely worth looking at a few options and seeing which one fits how you operate.

See you at BPCON in Orlando!

Ed

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  • Patrick O'SullivanBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Phoenix, AZ · Member since 2024 · 531 posts · 203 votes
    2mo

    Hey Jeffrey, we run a portfolio ourselves and moved off spreadsheets a while back too. Buildium's been solid for us, handles rent collection, maintenance requests, and owner reporting all in one place. Pretty straightforward to set up, too.

    [email protected]480-795-7938
    get MULTIfamily Property Management4.7220 Reviews
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  • Jeffrey Felcan
    OP
    Member since 2026 · 3 posts · 1 vote
    2mo

    Thank you for this. I was testing an android app called LedgerLord. It was pretty good for stuff on the go and had a lot of features. But I was browsing the website for Buildium, it looks like they offer a lot. I'll have to check them out 

    0Reply
  • Richard F.
    Honolulu, HI · Member since 2008 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    2mo

    Spreadsheets are for numbers. Databases are for information. Use a PROPERLY SET UP, double entry accounting system, making good use of a full chart of accounts; and depending on the software set up your properties so you can, in the future, generate consolidated reports to see critical "totals" for your combined portfolio.

    It amazes me the number of otherwise well run businesses of ALL sizes (and types), that continue utilizing spreadsheets for whatever "lists" of things they want to track. Unless it is a one man business, you inevitably end up with multiple, non synchronized lists of outdated information. 

    In 30 years I've never seen an "all in one" killer app for PM, and do not expect to see one even with the advent of AI. In spite of claims by gurus and uninformed players, PM is complex, and there are a ton of variables at every step. Making something that complex is one thing, making it user friendly is entirely a different issue. The best you can hope for is to identify specific processes for specific types of properties and find/create a tool that simplifies that process. Problem with this is, you need to understand the process completely in order to evaluate the value of a particular tool and/or it's output. If you just blindly place trust in a system without the knowledge, you will never know if improvements are needed. Credit scores are a perfect example. You can rely on a specific number and call it "good", but if you have no idea what, specifically, resulted in that number, you may be accepting more risk than you expect, or you may be missing out on prospective tenants that present less risk than the number indicates "on average".

    0Reply
  • Aditya Kumar
    Accountant · Kolkata West Bengal, India · Member since 2026 · 10 posts · 2 votes
    2mo
    Quote from @Jeffrey Felcan:


    So, I used to do everything on a spreadsheet, and I got kind of old. Any ideas for record keeping or anything? I was able to test a managing app, does anybody have anything comparable?

    You own a couple MFRs with 10-12 doors. Spreadsheets are superb. But not so much when the portfolio starts getting any bigger. I keep books for a Cleveland, OH portfolio, nearly 67 active units. I use Buildium. It's good. But anything above a 100 units, it is best to move to Appfolio. Browser-based, very high-calibre. There is another crazy software called Rent Manager. It's interface really looks like a blast from the Windows XP era. It is slow, but has a lot of stuff like Job Costing, Unit-level balance sheets, budgeting, owner invoicing, separating accounting locations so that you can sequester the books if you have portfolios in different states. That was very high-calibre but slow and quaint. I kept books for a huge MHP portfolio on that.

    There are a bunch of new cloud-based property management software hitting the market→ Yardi, Stessa, Rentvine, Baselane. They all are essentially very similar interfaces, close to Buildium and Appfolio, othing revolutionary. They trade-off on calibre and features and bring in speed and more app-like user experience

    0Reply
  • Ed BaronePro Member
    Saratoga Springs, NY · Member since 2018 · 109 posts · 56 votes
    2mo

    Hi Jeffrey,

    I think the biggest question is how much complexity you actually need. Buildium and AppFolio could be the right choice if you need things like trust accounting or are managing a larger portfolio.

    If you don't need that level of complexity, there are less expensive options worth looking at. In full transparency, I'm one of the co-founders of RentRedi, which is included with your BiggerPockets Pro membership. It has built-in accounting along with tools for rent collection, tenant screening, maintenance, and managing your rentals.

    Definitely worth looking at a few options and seeing which one fits how you operate.

    See you at BPCON in Orlando!

    Ed

    1Reply
  • Drew SygitBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Royal Oak, MI · Member since 2012 · 12k+ posts · 9k+ votes
    2mo
    Quote from @Jeffrey Felcan:


    So, I used to do everything on a spreadsheet, and I got kind of old. Any ideas for record keeping or anything? I was able to test a managing app, does anybody have anything comparable?


     How many units do you have?

    [email protected]248-209-6824
    Logical Property Management4.9458 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    0Reply
  • Jeffrey Felcan
    OP
    Member since 2026 · 3 posts · 1 vote
    2mo

    I have 8 units

    0Reply
  • Jim Johnson
    Real Estate Agent · Memphis · Member since 2026 · 558 posts · 326 votes
    2mo

    I was in the same boat for a while. Spreadsheets work early on, but once you start tracking leases, maintenance, expenses, documents, and renewals, they become harder to maintain than the properties themselves.

    I've found that a good property management platform usually pays for itself in organization alone. Tools like RentRedi, Avail, TurboTenant, or Buildium all have their strengths depending on your portfolio size, but the biggest benefit is having everything—leases, maintenance history, payments, and documents—in one place instead of spread across multiple files.

    For me, the goal isn't just replacing a spreadsheet—it's creating a system where I can quickly find information and understand what's happening with a property without digging through folders or old emails.

    0Reply
  • Michael Swan
    Rental Property Investor · San Diego, CA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    2mo

    Make sure you have a good RE tax guy.  I use Dan Kaminsky in the Clevelwnd area for my few hundred units.  He knows his stuff for RE. I highly recommend him!!

    Swanny (Michael Swan)

    OG BP Podcast 238 Guest

    0Reply
  • Andrea Fernandes
    Specialist · Goa, India · Member since 2026 · 175 posts · 36 votes
    2mo

    One thing that hasn't come up yet: the switch itself is usually the messy part, not picking the tool. Whatever you land on (Buildium seems like a good fit at your size), the biggest risk is losing historical data in the move — old maintenance records, past tenant info, expense history. Worth exporting your spreadsheets to clean CSVs before you commit to anything, so whatever platform you choose can actually import your history instead of you starting from zero.

    At 8 units you're right in the range where a platform like Buildium or TurboTenant should genuinely do the job without needing anything extra layered on top — so I'd focus on picking one and getting the data migration clean rather than overcomplicating it.

    0Reply
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