Expert Yardi Bookkeeping Services For Scaling Property Investors & Managers In San Francisco
San Francisco portfolios run the gamut from pre-1979 rent-controlled multifamily buildings with ground-floor retail to standalone condos and single-family rentals, which is exactly why the Voyager versus Breeze question comes first on every Yardi engagement here. A rent-controlled building carrying commercial tenants needs Voyager's CAM handling and rent ceiling tracking. A handful of condos rarely does. We confirm which product you're actually running before we touch a single ledger, then build the chart of accounts around what the city's rent ordinance requires you to document.
We work with accountant access inside your own Yardi 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 Yardi Operators in San Francisco Come to REA
Voyager for enterprise, Breeze for smaller portfolios
Voyager or Breeze, decided first
Every Yardi engagement starts with confirming which product you're on, because the two fail differently. A misconfigured chart of accounts in Voyager propagates through every entity it touches. Breeze users who outgrow its reporting often track rent ceilings and lawful increases in spreadsheets outside the system, which is exactly the gap San Francisco's rent ordinance doesn't forgive.
Rent ceilings tracked at the unit
Costa-Hawkins exempts post-1979 construction and single-family homes from rent control, so many San Francisco portfolios mix rent-controlled pre-1979 units with exempt ones in the same building. We structure the chart of accounts, in Voyager or Breeze, so lawful increases and rent ceilings are documented at the unit level, not blended into one property-wide number that hides which units are exempt.
Mixed-use retail and CAM
A lot of San Francisco's older buildings pair ground-floor retail with rent-controlled units upstairs, which needs commercial lease and CAM accounting that Breeze was never built to handle. Voyager tracks CAM reconciliations and commercial lease terms alongside the residential rent roll in the same entity. For Ellis Act withdrawals, we carry relocation and conversion costs on their own ledger lines.
Yardi and California Deposit Rules
Civil Code 1950.5
California Civil Code 1950.5 gives you 21 calendar days from move-out to return a security deposit or send an itemized statement of deductions. Voyager's move-out workflow can tie the deposit ledger directly to work order costs, so an itemized statement is a report pull, not a scramble. Breeze doesn't have that same move-out to invoice linkage built in, so operators tracking repair costs in spreadsheets outside the system are the ones most likely to blow the 21-day window. We set up the workflow to match whichever product you're on.
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 Yardi, 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
Yardi 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 Yardi 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
Real Estate Accounting truly is a special company. They helped as if they were a part of our company, with the concern and caution as an employee would have, but even more. They quickly ascertained our needs and developed an effective team to help with our accounting needs. They were extremely responsive and always accurate. I would recommend their services to anyone who needs help with their property management accounting.
Adam the owner took a personal interest in my situation and was willing to work with me to see if his company was a good fit. I may be too small for them but I would highly recommend them to anyone considering a bookkeeper for their property management business.
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!
Frequently Asked Questions
How does REA make sure security deposit refunds meet California's 21-day rule in Yardi?
California Civil Code 1950.5 requires the deposit returned or an itemized statement sent within 21 calendar days of move-out. In Voyager we tie the move-out ledger to work order costs so the itemized statement generates straight from the system. In Breeze, that link isn't automatic, so we set a hard internal deadline separate from the software to make sure the statement still goes out on time.
Is Yardi Voyager or Yardi Breeze better for a San Francisco rental portfolio?
It depends on what you're running, not a general preference. Voyager fits enterprise portfolios and mixed residential-commercial buildings that need multi-entity consolidation and CAM handling, but a misconfigured chart of accounts propagates through every entity it touches. Breeze fits smaller residential-only portfolios, but operators often outgrow its reporting and start keeping rent ceiling and lawful increase records in spreadsheets outside the system, which we don't recommend.
Do you work with San Francisco's mix of rent-controlled buildings, condos, and mixed-use properties?
Yes, that mix is the norm here, not the exception. Pre-1979 rent-controlled multifamily buildings, Costa-Hawkins-exempt condos and single-family homes, and mixed-use buildings with ground-floor retail often sit inside the same portfolio, sometimes the same entity. We set up the ledger to keep rent ceiling tracking, lawful increase documentation, and Ellis Act cost accounting separated by unit and by exemption status, not averaged across the portfolio.
More in California
Other California markets, the platforms we work in, and the functions available on their own.
Yardi Bookkeeping for San Francisco
Schedule a call and we will review your Yardi setup, your California deposit handling, and what it takes to close clean every month.