Questions
Questions agencies and landlords ask
Answers from what Estate Ledger does today. If yours is not here, ask a person on the help page.
Money and the books
What does “paid up to” mean?
The date a tenant’s rent is paid to. When a tenant pays ahead, the money is kept as credit and settles each new bill as it is raised; “paid up to” shows how far it reaches.
In which order does a payment settle bills?
The oldest bill first, by due date. On the same date: the deposit, then the rent, the fees beside the rent, utilities, one-off charges and late fees last, so a payment never goes to a penalty before the rent.
Is the rent billed in advance?
Yes, for each period, a few days before it starts (five by default), monthly or every three, six or twelve months. The period runs from the move-in day, or from the 1st with a part-month first bill if you set it so.
Do you charge late fees?
Estate Ledger charges none unless you switch late fees on. Then each rent bill unpaid after the grace days gets one fee, flat or a percentage, kept by the agency or the landlord as you choose.
People and access
Can a caretaker see every building?
No. A caretaker sees only the properties they are assigned to. The property manager, the accountant and the account owner see all of them.
Do tenants and landlords sign in as staff?
Never. On the paid plans they have their own portal sign-in and see only their own figures. One person can be a tenant with one agency and a landlord with another.
How are tenants’ ID numbers kept?
Encrypted, and never shown in logs or exports except on the tenant’s own record.
Working with it
Is there a phone app?
An Android app is coming. It is not released yet and is not on Google Play. There is no iPhone app. Today Estate Ledger is a web portal that works in the browser of any phone or computer.
Does Estate Ledger send messages to tenants by itself?
No. It writes each receipt and reminder, and you send it from your own WhatsApp or SMS in one tap.
Can we keep other books in the same account?
No. An Estate Ledger account keeps only the rental books, so the landlords’ and the tenants’ money never mixes with anything else.
What does it cost?
A landlord with up to 10 units uses it free. After that, plans go by the units you manage, from UGX 35,000 a month, with no setup fee, and a year costs ten months. A new account starts on a 30-day trial, and tenant and landlord portals are on the paid plans. See the plans.
More about Estate Ledger
Can tenants pay their rent online through Estate Ledger?
No. Tenants pay as they do today: cash at the office or to a caretaker, mobile money to your number, or the bank. You record each payment in Estate Ledger, and you send the receipt to the tenant on WhatsApp from your own phone. On the paid plans, the tenant's own portal shows how to pay you.
How is the commission worked out?
On each bill, as a percentage or a flat amount, set on the landlord, the property or the lease. A part payment carries its share of the commission, and once the bill is paid in full the commission is exactly what was agreed, to the shilling. Fees beside the rent, such as garbage or security, carry commission only when you tick them.
What happens to the deposit when a tenant moves out?
Estate Ledger first uses the deposit to settle what the tenant still owes, damage you charge included, then refunds the rest or keeps it on the lease to refund later. The settlement prints for the tenant to sign. Until then the deposit is the tenant's money, never income, held by the agency or the landlord as you choose for each property.
Does it work offline?
No. Estate Ledger is a web portal and needs a connection, at the office and on a caretaker's phone. An Android app is coming, but it is not released yet.
Can I correct a payment I entered by mistake?
Yes, by reversing it with a reason. Posted money is never edited or deleted: the reversal is a new entry with a name and a time on it, the bills it paid open again, and the landlord's statement shows both. That is why the books still add up a year later.
We use another system today. Can we move?
Yes. Fill in the CSV templates for landlords, properties, units, tenants and leases, with what each tenant owed or had paid ahead, what you owe each landlord and the deposits you hold. A dry run lists every row it would add and every row to fix before anything is saved.
Plans and support
Can I pay by the year?
Yes. Estate Ledger's plans are priced by the month, and a year costs ten months. You pay from inside your account, by mobile money or card, and can change plan at any time.
Who do I talk to if I get stuck?
Call us on +256 783 204 665 or send us a WhatsApp message (Monday to Saturday, 8:00 to 20:00), or use the contact page and a person will reply, usually within one working day.
Ask a person
Ask a person. We answer on WhatsApp, by phone and by email, and we can help you set up. How to reach us