Why landlords choose SheetLink
Many landlords juggle bank statements, receipts and manual spreadsheets. SheetLink takes care of the busywork:
- One-click sync for rent deposits. Tenant payments come in when you press Sync now.
- Expense tracking: maintenance, repairs, utilities, property taxes, insurance.
- Multiple properties in one spreadsheet.
- Cash flow analysis. See which properties are profitable and which need attention.
- Tax-ready records, organized for Schedule E.
- Affordable. Pro is $4.99 a month; property management software runs $50-150 a month.
How to set up your rental property tracker
Get your rental finances organized in under 10 minutes:
Install the SheetLink Chrome extension
Connect your property bank accounts
Connect your business credit cards
Create your property finance sheet
Press Sync now
Tag by property
Calculate cash flow
What rental property expenses to track
SheetLink syncs every property-related transaction, so you can track every cost:
Operating expenses
Maintenance and debt service
Calculate cash flow per property
The key metric for a rental is net cash flow: income minus all expenses. Here’s an example.
Example: 123 Main St (single-family rental)
| Line | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Rent income | $2,500 |
| Mortgage payment (principal and interest) | -$1,200 |
| Property taxes | -$300 |
| Insurance | -$150 |
| Maintenance (average) | -$200 |
| Property management (10%) | -$250 |
| Net cash flow | $400 a month ($4,800 a year) |
| Cash-on-cash ROI ($60,000 down, 20% of $300,000) | 8.0% |
Build these calculations once with Google Sheets formulas, and they update every time you sync.
Track multiple properties in one spreadsheet
If you own several rental units, SheetLink brings the finances for all of them into one sheet:
Tag transactions by property
Filter to view individual properties
=-SUMIF(AI:AI, "123 Main St", M:M).Build a portfolio dashboard
Identify problem properties
Handle common landlord scenarios
Vacancy tracking
A vacant unit still has expenses (mortgage, taxes, insurance) but no rent. Tag the period “Vacant: 123 Main St” to track vacancy costs and lost income.
Security deposits
Security deposits aren’t income: they’re a liability. Tag deposit receipts separately so they don’t inflate your income, and track refunds and deductions for damages.
Late rent and evictions
Track expected rent against rent received. If a tenant pays late or you need to evict, note the lost cash flow. It makes forecasting future income more accurate.
Capital improvements vs repairs
Repairs (fixing a broken pipe) are expensed immediately. Capital improvements (new roof, HVAC) are depreciated over time for taxes. Tag transactions accordingly.
Rental property tax prep with SheetLink
Landlords file Schedule E (Supplemental Income and Loss) for rental properties. Your synced sheet has what it needs:
- Gross rental income: every rent deposit, synced when you press Sync now
- Deductible expenses: mortgage interest, property taxes, insurance, repairs, management fees
- Depreciation tracking: note capital improvements for depreciation schedules
- Passive loss rules: work out whether you qualify for rental loss deductions
- 1099 reporting: track payments to contractors (plumbers, handymen) that may need a 1099
SheetLink vs. property management software
| Feature | SheetLink | Property software |
|---|---|---|
| Bank sync and cash flow | ||
| Tenant communication | ||
| Lease management | ||
| Pricing | Free, or Pro at $4.99/month | $50-150/month |
Best use case for SheetLink: landlords with 1-10 properties who handle tenant relationships directly and just need financial tracking. Combine it with a tenant portal (such as Apartments.com or Zillow Rental Manager) if needed.
Two example landlords
James: 3 single-family rentals
Challenge: James reconciled bank statements by hand to see which property had which expenses. It took hours every month.
Solution: SheetLink syncs all his transactions with one click. He added a “Property” column, tags each transaction, and built a dashboard showing cash flow per property.
Result: One property had negative cash flow because of high maintenance. He raised the rent and turned it profitable.
Lisa: a 12-unit apartment building
Challenge: Lisa needed cash flow across 12 units but couldn’t justify $150 a month for property management software.
Solution: SheetLink syncs her business checking account and credit card. She tags transactions by unit number (1A, 1B, 2A and so on).
Result: A pivot table shows revenue and expenses per unit. She found 3 units with frequent maintenance issues and adjusted their rent.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1 bank, your last 7 days, Google Sheets |
| Pro | $4.99/mo or $39.99/yr | Every bank you connect, up to 2 years of history, Google Sheets and Excel, priority email support |
| Max | $10.99/mo or $99/yr | Everything in Pro, plus investments, CLI automation, Postgres and SQLite output, and Claude |
Questions
How do landlords track rental property cash flow?
Install the SheetLink Chrome extension and connect the bank accounts you use for your rentals through Plaid. SheetLink syncs rent deposits, maintenance expenses, mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance and utilities to Google Sheets when you press Sync now, so you stay in control, and it suits weekly or monthly reviews. Tag transactions by property to track cash flow per unit or across your whole portfolio.
Can I track multiple rental properties in one spreadsheet?
Yes. SheetLink syncs every bank account and credit card you connect into a single Google Sheet (more than one bank needs Pro). Add a “Property” column to tag each transaction (for example “123 Main St” or “Oak Ave Duplex”). Use filters or pivot tables to calculate cash flow, expenses and ROI per property, or view portfolio-wide performance.
What expenses should rental property owners track?
Track every property-related cost: mortgage payments (principal and interest), property taxes, insurance, HOA fees, maintenance and repairs, utilities (if the landlord pays them), property management fees, advertising and vacancy costs, and capital improvements. SheetLink brings these in from your bank and credit card accounts each time you press Sync now.
Is SheetLink better than property management software for landlords?
SheetLink is built for financial tracking (Pro is $4.99 a month) but doesn’t handle tenant communication, lease management or maintenance requests like full property management software ($50-150 a month). For landlords who just need cash flow tracking and tax records, SheetLink is more affordable. Combine it with a free tenant portal if you need one.