On this page
Make your rent roll
Type straight into the table. The totals below it update as you go. Add a row per unit, or print it blank and fill it in by hand.
Everything you type stays in your browser. Nothing is sent to us or stored. Print or save a PDF before you close the page.
Rent roll
| Unit | Tenant | Status | Lease start | Lease end | Rent (asking if vacant) | Deposit held | Balance owed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
What a rent roll is
A rent roll is every unit in a property on one date: who lives there, when their lease ends, what they pay, the deposit you hold and anything they owe, with the totals underneath. A rent ledger follows one tenant over time; a rent roll is the whole building at one moment. Lenders, buyers and your accountant all ask for the second.
Example: a fourplex with one vacancy
As of November 1, 2026. Unit 3 has given notice and unit 4 is empty, advertised at $1,300. On a vacant unit the rent column holds the asking rent.
| Unit | Tenant | Status | Lease end | Rent | Deposit | Balance owed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tenant A | Occupied | 2027-01-31 | $1,250 | $1,250 | |
| 2 | Tenant B | Occupied | 2026-11-30 | $1,200 | $1,200 | $300 |
| 3 | Tenant C | Notice given | 2026-12-31 | $1,150 | $1,150 | |
| 4 | (vacant) | Vacant | $1,300 asking |
| Total | Value | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Physical occupancy | 75% | 3 of 4 units have a tenant. A unit under notice still counts until it is empty. |
| Gross potential rent | $4,900 | What the building would bring in fully let: rent in place plus market rent on the vacant unit. |
| Rent in place | $3,600 | What the current tenants are actually contracted to pay. |
| Economic occupancy | 73.5% | Rent in place as a share of gross potential rent. Lower than physical occupancy here because the empty unit is the most expensive. |
| Leases ending in 90 days | 2 | Units 2 and 3. Unit 1 ends on day 91, just outside the window. |
Computed with this page's rent roll code, the same code that runs the tool above.
Who asks for one, and what they actually check
Multifamily lenders want it fresh. Freddie Mac's small balance loan inspection process requires a rent roll dated within 45 calendar days of the inspection request, then an updated one at least two business days before the inspection, dated within seven business days of it. A rent roll from last quarter will not do.
A conventional loan on 1 to 4 units mostly does not use one. Fannie Mae's rental income rules document rental income with your tax return, Schedule E showing the property rented for 365 fair rental days, or with a lease in specific cases such as a purchase with a lease that transfers to you. When a lease is used, the lender verifies it is in effect, generally with the two most recent months of bank statements or electronic rent transfers, and a newly signed lease must run at least six months. Have the leases and bank statements ready, not just the roll.
A buyer will test it. In a sale the rent roll is checked line by line against the leases and the bank deposits. Any unit where the three disagree becomes a question, and often a price reduction.
Keeping it accurate
- Date every version. A rent roll without an as-of date is close to useless to anyone reviewing it.
- Record contracted rent, not what came in. Arrears go in the balance column, so the two numbers tell different stories on purpose.
- Use real market rent on vacant units, what comparable units are leasing for now, not what you hope to get.
- Keep deposits out of income. They are money you hold, not rent.
- Update it the day something changes: a move-in, a move-out, a renewal or a rent increase.
Related tools: the rent ledger for each tenant's payment history, the move-in and move-out checklist for turnovers, and rental property accounting software once a spreadsheet stops keeping up.
Frequently asked questions
What is a rent roll?
A list of every unit in a rental property on a specific date, showing the tenant, lease dates, rent, deposit held and any balance owed, with totals such as occupancy and gross potential rent.
What is the difference between a rent roll and a rent ledger?
A rent roll shows all units at one date. A rent ledger shows one tenant's charges and payments over time. Lenders and buyers ask for the rent roll; the ledger backs up a single tenant's history.
What is gross potential rent?
The rent a property would collect if every unit were let: rent in place on occupied units plus market rent on vacant ones.
What is the difference between physical and economic occupancy?
Physical occupancy is the share of units with a tenant. Economic occupancy is rent in place as a share of gross potential rent. They differ when vacant units rent for more or less than the average.
How current does a rent roll need to be for a lender?
It depends on the lender. Freddie Mac's small balance loan process requires one dated within 45 calendar days of the inspection request and an update dated within seven business days of the inspection. For a conventional loan on 1 to 4 units, Fannie Mae relies on tax returns or leases and bank statements rather than a rent roll.