How can a landlord give a bookkeeper access without giving up control?
Give the bookkeeper their own login with the lowest level of access that lets them do the work, preferably view-only for bank accounts, and never share your own bank sign-in or the codes sent to your phone. Keep the power to move money, approve payments and change bank details with you. This is the idea behind least privilege: each person can reach only what the job needs, and every action traces back to one login.
What a bookkeeper actually needs
A rental bookkeeper categorizes transactions, matches rent to tenants, tracks bills and prepares reports for the accountant who files the return. For that, they need to see transactions and documents. They rarely need to send money, change a payee or open a new account.
| Task | Access that is enough |
|---|---|
| Categorize bank and card activity | View-only on the accounts, or a bank feed into the accounting tool |
| Match rent payments to tenants | View access to the tenant ledgers |
| Enter and code bills | Permission to enter bills, not to pay them |
| Prepare reports for the accountant | View access to reports and documents |
| Pay bills or move money | Owner only, or owner approval each time |
How to set it up
- Ask each bank whether it offers a view-only or accountant role. Many banks and card issuers do, and the name varies. If not, use a bank feed through your accounting software instead of sharing a login.
- In the accounting or property software, add the bookkeeper as a user with the lowest role that works, and give them their own email and password.
- Never give them your bank password or the text-message codes. If the only option is a shared login, treat that as a reason to change banks or tools.
- Turn on two-factor sign-in for their account. CISA describes it as one of the most effective steps an organization can take to protect accounts.
- Keep payment approval with you. Many tools let a bookkeeper prepare a payment that you approve.
- Write a short agreement that covers confidentiality, where records are stored and what happens to them when the work ends.
Protect tenant data in the process
Many owners think of access as all or nothing, which is how a bookkeeper ends up with the bank password. A better habit is to ask, for each task, what the smallest permission is that lets it get done. Categorizing a month of bank activity needs a view of the transactions. Matching rent needs a view of the ledgers. Neither needs the ability to send money, and a person who cannot send money cannot be tricked into sending it by a fake email.
A bookkeeper does not need full Social Security numbers, copies of IDs or applications. If tax IDs are needed, as for a vendor's 1099, show only the last four digits wherever you can. The FTC's guide for businesses says to keep sensitive data only where it is needed and to limit access to the people who need it for their jobs.
Ask the bookkeeper how they protect files and whether they use a password manager and two-factor sign-in. Make sure they send you questions through a secure place, not by emailing spreadsheets of tenant data back and forth.
Review what they can do, and what they did
Every quarter, open the user list in each tool and check that every account is still needed and still at the right level. Look at the activity log for new payees, changed bank details and large edits, which are the classic marks of fraud or a mistake. If the bookkeeper moves on, remove their access the same day.
DoorKeeping gives helpers roles, so a bookkeeper can be given access to the books without being able to move money. Money and legal steps wait for the owner's one-tap approval. It is $2 per unit per month, and it does not give tax or legal advice.
Sources
- CISA, More than a Password (multifactor authentication), read Oct 30, 2026
- FTC, Protecting Personal Information: A Guide for Business, read Oct 30, 2026
- FTC, Cybersecurity for Small Business, read Oct 30, 2026
Questions
- Should my bookkeeper have my bank login?
- No. Use a view-only role, an accountant role or a bank feed so they have their own login, and keep the ability to send money with you.
- Can a bookkeeper see tenant Social Security numbers?
- They usually do not need to. Limit what they can see, and show only the last four digits of any tax ID.
- How often should I review who has access?
- At least quarterly, and the day anyone stops working for you.