How to record a rent payment (and issue the receipt)

Every payment lands on the append-only ledger in a transaction, generates a printable receipt PDF, and emails the receipt on record — whatever the payment method.

Steps

1. Under Financials, open Payments and record a new payment.
2. Pick the lease, enter the amount and date, and choose the method: cash, check, money order, bank, card, or other.
3. Save. The credit posts to the lease ledger, the running balance updates, and the receipt goes out automatically.
4. Need paper? Print the receipt PDF from the payment record.

If you make a mistake

There is no edit button on a posted payment — that's what makes the ledger court-ready. Reverse the payment instead: the reversal posts as its own visible entry and the balance corrects. The history stays honest.

Partial payments and roommates

Record what was actually received; the ledger's running balance carries the rest. Every resident on the lease sees the same ledger in their portal, so there's one version of the truth.

Common questions

Does Stonerow process the payment?

No. You record a payment you have already received — cash, check, money order, bank transfer, or a card taken elsewhere. Stonerow is the system of record for that payment, not the processor. Online collection is a bring-your-own-provider integration that ships switched off, so no card or bank credentials pass through the software.

Does the tenant get proof?

Yes. Every payment generates a printable receipt PDF on the payment record and an automatic receipt email to the address on file. Issuing receipts without being asked is the cheapest dispute prevention available to a landlord.

What if a check bounces?

Reverse the payment. The reversal posts as its own dated entry and the balance corrects, while the original stays visible. A ledger showing a payment recorded and then reversed is credible; a ledger where the payment simply vanished is not.

Can a tenant see their own ledger?

Yes. Any resident with portal access sees their leases, balances, per-lease ledger, and invoices. You can also issue a revocable, read-only statement link for a co-signer, a housing agency, or a court clerk who has no login and does not need one.

How do I apply one payment across several charges?

Record what was actually received and let the running balance carry the remainder. Stonerow deliberately does not scatter a payment across specific charges, because a payment allocated by guesswork is the first thing a tenant's lawyer takes apart.