Real Estate Accounting in Billings
Billings is Montana's largest and most conventional rental market, and it is where the mechanics of the state's deposit rules get exercised at volume. One of those mechanics involves a party outside the tenancy entirely.
Proud AppFolio Stack™ Partners, working directly inside your AppFolio instance.
Montana rules that apply here
- Deposit return deadline
- 10 days clean, 30 days with deductions
- Statute
- MCA 70-25-202
Why Montana Real Estate Professionals Choose REA
AppFolio Expertise, Applied to Billings
Experts in AppFolio Bookkeeping
Montana's 10-day clean return depends partly on the tenant being able to demonstrate that no utilities are unpaid. That inserts a third party into the move-out process, because the evidence sits with the utility provider rather than with either the landlord or the manager. A portfolio that has not built a way to confirm it is simply unable to use the shorter path, and defaults to 30 days on every unit whether or not deductions exist.
Assigned, Responsive Team
Unpaid utilities are also a legitimate charge in their own right, and they are the charge most often estimated rather than evidenced. An itemisation carrying an approximate utility figure is weaker than one carrying the final bill, and Montana's standard for itemisation is descriptive rather than categorical, so an estimate labelled as a utility charge invites exactly the dispute it should foreclose.
Accurate Monthly Bookkeeping
Handled properly this is a sequencing problem more than an accounting one. Final readings and closing bills have their own timeline, and it does not automatically align with either the 10-day or the 30-day deposit clock. Knowing which deadline applies to a given move-out, and when the supporting evidence will exist, is what keeps the file complete.
Deposit Compliance for Billings Portfolios
MCA 70-25-202
Montana runs TWO deadlines. Where inspection finds no damage, no cleaning required and no unpaid rent, and the tenant can demonstrate no unpaid utilities, the deposit must be returned within 10 DAYS. Where deductions are made, the landlord has 30 days to provide a written list of rent due and damage and cleaning charges, delivered with payment of any difference. Operators who run everything on the 30-day assumption are late on every clean move-out.
Montana's itemisation standard is descriptive rather than categorical. A line reading cleaning with an amount is not an itemisation; the charge must describe the work performed and its cost. That makes the inspection record and the supporting invoice part of the compliance file rather than internal documentation, and it makes the decision to charge at all a deliberate one, since any deduction moves the tenancy off the 10-day path.
All Montana requirementsHow we keep you inside it
- Deposit liabilities tracked per tenant in AppFolio, so a 10 days clean, 30 days with deductions 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
Appfolio Bookkeeping Services from REA
Available to Billings Operators
Trust Bookkeeping
Leverage Appfolio's powerful bookkeeping capabilities with REA's tailored service.
See how it worksCorporate Bookkeeping
REA's skilled team, in combination with Appfolio's comprehensive toolset, addresses the complexity of your corporate financial activities.
See how it worksBank Reconciliations
Employing Appfolio's state-of-the-art system, REA offers bank reconciliation services that brings meticulous accuracy to your finances.
See how it worksFinancial Diagnostic Cleanup
REA utilizes Appfolio's advanced diagnostic tools to swiftly and effectively troubleshoot financial anomalies.
See how it worksTrust Compliance
REA pairs its accounting prowess with Appfolio's detailed reporting to deliver comprehensive Trust Compliance Verification services.
See how it worksAppFolio Accounting & Bookkeeping Services
For Billings 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
Billings operators use REA for the full monthly close or for the single function that has become a bottleneck. Each one is performed inside your AppFolio 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 moreExperts 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
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!
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do utilities affect the deposit timeline?
Because Montana's 10-day clean return depends partly on the tenant demonstrating no unpaid utilities. If you have no way to confirm that, you cannot use the shorter path and default to 30 days on every unit.
Can we charge estimated utilities against a deposit?
You can charge unpaid utilities, but an estimate is weak. Montana expects descriptive itemisation, so a final bill supports the charge in a way an approximation does not.
How do you manage the timing?
By tracking which deadline applies to each move-out and when the closing bills will actually exist, because utility timelines do not align themselves to either the 10-day or 30-day clock.
More in Montana
Other Montana markets, the platforms we work in, and the functions available on their own.
AppFolio Bookkeeping for Billings
Schedule a call and we will review your AppFolio setup, your Montana deposit handling, and what it takes to close clean every month.