A rent aging report: how to read unpaid tenant balances by age

What the report is

Accounts receivable is the money other people owe you. For a landlord it is mostly tenants' unpaid rent and charges. An aging report takes each tenant's open balance and places it in a bucket by age. It is built from the tenant ledger, so the ledger must record every charge, payment and credit first.

Example made-up numbers. Tenant B owes two months at $1,350, one now 45 days old and one over 60. The report total is $3,900 ($1,200 plus $2,700). Tenant B alone is 69% of it ($2,700 of $3,900, about 69%).

How age is counted

Age runs from the day each charge was due, not from today's date and not from the lease start. Rent due on the 1st and unpaid on the 20th is 19 days old. When a tenant makes a partial payment, apply it to the oldest charge first unless your lease or state law says otherwise, and keep the same rule every time. Partial payments and what accepting them can do to a notice are covered in partial rent payments.

What to do with each bucket

• Current: nothing, other than your normal reminder before the due date.
• 1 to 30 days: a friendly message, then the late fee if your lease and state law allow it. Check the cap in rent late fee limits by state.
• 31 to 60 days: a written notice that follows your state's rules and, if useful, an offer of a payment plan in writing.
• Over 60 days: decide whether to start the legal process. Each state has its own notice and filing rules, so check yours or ask a local attorney.

Do not treat one tenant differently without a reason. Applying a fee or a deadline to some tenants and not others can raise a fair housing question, as explained in waiving a late fee for one tenant.

Why it does not change your tax return

Most small landlords use the cash method. IRS Publication 527 says rental income is generally reported in the year you receive it, so rent a tenant owes but has not paid is not income yet, and there is no loss to deduct for it. IRS Publication 538 describes the cash and accrual methods in detail. Under accrual, you would record rent when earned and could write off an uncollectible balance. Ask your preparer which method you use. See deducting unpaid rent for what applies when rent is never paid.

Turn the report into one number

Divide the amount over 30 days by one month of scheduled rent to see how much of the portfolio is seriously behind. Track it monthly. A rising number is an early warning that comes before vacancy shows up. The related measures are in occupancy, economic occupancy and delinquency.

How DoorKeeping handles it

DoorKeeping keeps a ledger for every tenant and matches bank deposits to the right lease using the unit memo, the exact amount with its cents and the sender. Late fees follow state caps. You can ask Claude or ChatGPT who is behind and by how long, and any notice or fee waits for your one-tap approval. Rent and payments stay in your own bank accounts, and tenants pay the owner directly.

Sources

1. IRS, Publication 527, Residential Rental Property (2025), read Oct 30, 2026
2. IRS, Publication 538, Accounting Periods and Methods, read Oct 30, 2026

Questions

What are the buckets on a rent aging report?

Common ones are current, 1 to 30, 31 to 60 and over 60 days, counted from the day each charge was due.

Do I report unpaid rent as income?

Under the cash method, generally no. Rental income is reported when you receive it. Ask your tax preparer which method your return uses.

Which balance should I follow up on first?

Start with the oldest and largest, but contact everyone on the same schedule so tenants are treated alike.