Expert Entrata Bookkeeping Services For Scaling Property Investors & Managers In San Francisco
San Francisco portfolios split between pre-1979 rent-controlled multifamily buildings, Costa-Hawkins-exempt condos, and single-family rentals, each carrying different rent ceiling and increase documentation rules. Entrata was built multifamily-first, with leasing, resident services, and accounting sharing one record, which fits the rent-controlled buildings well but means a concession or lease correction posted by leasing staff lands directly in the general ledger. Our team reconciles Entrata's resident ledger against San Francisco's rent ceiling rules unit by unit, so a leasing entry never quietly becomes an accounting error.
We work with accountant access inside your own Entrata instance, exactly as you would grant an internal hire.
California rules that apply here
- Deposit return deadline
- 21 calendar days
- Statute
- Civil Code 1950.5
Why Entrata Operators in San Francisco Come to REA
Multifamily-first, with leasing and accounting on one record
Rent ceiling tracking unit by unit
On a rent-controlled building, a concession or lease correction a leasing agent enters in Entrata posts straight to the general ledger, no separate review. We check every leasing-side adjustment against the unit's documented rent ceiling before closing the books, because a leasing mistake on a covered unit becomes a compliance problem, not just a bookkeeping one.
Renewals across a mixed portfolio
Entrata's renewal and reporting tools are built for multifamily, which suits San Francisco's rent-controlled buildings well, but portfolios here often include Costa-Hawkins-exempt condos and single-family homes on the same reporting cadence. We separate lawful increase documentation for covered units from market-rate renewals on exempt ones inside the same Entrata reports, so the two never get treated as one rule set.
Ellis Act withdrawals tracked cleanly
When a building goes through an Ellis Act withdrawal, relocation payments and unit costs need to stay separate from ongoing operating accounts, not folded into general multifamily expense categories. Entrata's resident ledger handling can track those costs at the unit level, but only if the chart of accounts is set up that way beforehand, which we handle ahead of filing.
Entrata and California Deposit Rules
Civil Code 1950.5
California Civil Code 1950.5 gives landlords 21 calendar days to return a security deposit or send an itemized statement after move-out. Entrata ties the deposit balance to the same resident record leasing staff use for move-out charges, so a credit or fee posted late on the leasing side can shift the deposit disposition after accounting has already started the statement. We close the resident ledger and confirm every leasing-side entry before the 21-day clock runs out, not after.
California Civil Code section 1950.5(g)(1) requires the deposit, or an itemized statement plus the remaining balance, within 21 calendar days of the tenant returning possession. Deductions above $125 must be supported by receipts for labor and materials.
All California requirementsHow we keep you inside it
- Deposit liabilities tracked per tenant in Entrata, so a 21 calendar days deadline is answerable from the ledger
- Trust accounts reconciled three ways every month
- Deduction documentation recorded against the correct ledger
- Aging deposits flagged before the statutory window closes
Entrata Accounting & Bookkeeping Services
For San Francisco Portfolios
- Process Review & Set Up
- Bank Reconciliations
- AP / AR
- Accurate NOI, Balance Sheets
- Recording HUD's & Accruals
- Owner Distributions
- Monthly Statements & Reports
- Management Fees
- Corporate Bookkeeping
- Tenant Chargebacks
Take the Whole Close, or One Function
San Francisco operators use REA for the full monthly close or for the single function that has become a bottleneck. Each one is performed inside your Entrata instance.
Trust Accounting
Compliant, audit-ready trust funds
Learn moreBank Reconciliation Services
Three-way reconciliation, every account
Learn moreAccounts Payable & Receivable
Bills paid, rent collected, owners paid
Learn moreBookkeeping Cleanup & Catch-Up
Back books fixed and current
Learn moreCAM Reconciliation
Annual commercial true-ups
Learn moreOn a Different Platform in San Francisco?
We Work Inside All of Them
Experts In All Property Types
- Single-Family
- Multifamily
- Student Housing
- Affordable Housing
- Community Associations
- Commercial
Experts In All Property Types
Residential, commercial and everything in between. The asset class changes what the books have to prove, and our teams are staffed accordingly.
- Single-Family
- Multifamily
- Student Housing
- Affordable Housing
- Community AssociationsSee the page
- CommercialSee the page
Check Out What Our Clients Have To Say About Us
Property Managers, Investors & Owner Operators
Following a series of erroneous financials from my previous bookkeeper, who lacked expertise in real estate, it's been truly remarkable to receive not only accurate financials on a consistent basis but also proactive advice without prompting. The REA team is a game-changer in real estate accounting!
As REA exclusively specializes in Real Estate, I rest easy knowing my financials are precise every month while saving money at the same time, an invaluable benefit.
I highly recommend Real Estate Accounting (REA) services from this group. They truly are great and have helped us tremendously at a time we needed it the most. I felt very comfortable giving up all my accounting responsibilities to this team and I'm still glad I made the decision to work with this group. Nothing less than an amazing experience!
Frequently Asked Questions
How does California's 21-day deposit rule work with Entrata's accounting?
California Civil Code 1950.5 requires the deposit returned or an itemized statement sent within 21 calendar days of move-out. In Entrata, the deposit balance lives on the same resident record leasing staff use for final charges, so we reconcile that ledger against actual move-out costs as soon as a unit closes, rather than waiting for a formal accounting request, so the statement goes out inside the deadline every time.
Why does Entrata need extra review from the accounting side?
Entrata was built multifamily-first, so leasing, resident services, and accounting all write to the same record instead of separate systems. That is a strength for resident ledger accuracy, but it also means a concession, a lease correction, or a misapplied credit that a leasing agent enters lands directly in the general ledger with no accounting review step in between. Our month-end close includes checking leasing activity itself, not just the resulting entries.
Do you work with San Francisco's mix of rent-controlled buildings, condos, and single-family rentals?
Yes. San Francisco portfolios rarely run on one rule set: pre-1979 buildings under the Rent Ordinance, newer condos and single-family homes exempted under Costa-Hawkins, sometimes all inside the same management company across different neighborhoods. We keep rent ceiling documentation for covered units separate from market-rate accounting for exempt ones inside Entrata, so a single portfolio report never mixes the two together or applies rent control math to a unit that is not subject to it.
More in California
Other California markets, the platforms we work in, and the functions available on their own.
Entrata Bookkeeping for San Francisco
Schedule a call and we will review your Entrata setup, your California deposit handling, and what it takes to close clean every month.