Expert Buildium Bookkeeping Services For Scaling Property Investors & Managers In Austin
Austin's rental supply now spans build-to-rent single-family communities, student housing near the University of Texas, and a growing base of HOA and condo associations tied to development that isn't limited by traditional zoning. Buildium is one of the few platforms built to run rental and association portfolios from a single instance, which matches how many Austin firms are actually structured. That same overlap is where the accounting risk lives: rental trust funds and HOA assessments can sit in one general ledger unless someone actively keeps them apart. Our team builds that separation in from the start.
We work with accountant access inside your own Buildium instance, exactly as you would grant an internal hire.
Texas rules that apply here
- Deposit return deadline
- 30 days
- Statute
- Texas Property Code Ch. 92
Why Buildium Operators in Austin Come to REA
Residential and association management in one system
Separating rental and HOA funds
When one Buildium instance holds both rental trust accounts and HOA assessments, the platform will not stop a bookkeeper from posting a reserve contribution to an operating GL code. We map bank accounts, GL codes, and property groups so rental trust money and association reserves stay separated by structure, not by habit, before reconciliation ever starts.
Reconciliation at Austin's volume
Austin's build-to-rent pipeline keeps adding single-family units to existing portfolios faster than most markets, and Buildium's general ledger is straightforward enough to keep up if bank feeds and property mapping are set up correctly from onboarding. We reconcile on a schedule built around that pace, not a generic monthly cycle, so new units post correctly the month they come online.
Reporting owners actually read
Many Austin operators run lean teams managing a mix of build-to-rent communities and off-campus student housing near UT, where owners and investors expect clear reporting without a finance department to interpret it. Buildium's reporting is accessible enough for that audience, and we structure the chart of accounts so owner statements reflect the actual portfolio mix instead of a generic template.
Buildium and Texas Deposit Rules
Texas Property Code Ch. 92
Texas Property Code Chapter 92 gives us 30 days from move-out to return a tenant's security deposit or send an itemized statement of any deductions. Buildium tracks deposit liability accurately once it's posted, but it has no built-in Texas-specific countdown tied to a move-out date, so a deposit can sit correctly booked and still miss the deadline. We tie deposit disposition to the move-out date in the workflow itself, not just the ledger, so the 30-day clock gets met on every unit instead of relying on someone to remember.
Texas Property Code Chapter 92 requires the deposit to be returned within 30 days of lease termination, with itemized written deductions.
All Texas requirementsHow we keep you inside it
- Deposit liabilities tracked per tenant in Buildium, so a 30 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
Buildium Accounting & Bookkeeping Services
For Austin 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
Austin operators use REA for the full monthly close or for the single function that has become a bottleneck. Each one is performed inside your Buildium 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 Austin?
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
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
Does Buildium track the 30-day Texas security deposit deadline automatically?
Not on its own. Texas Property Code Chapter 92 sets the 30-day deadline from move-out, but Buildium doesn't flag it by state, it's a generic ledger. We build the move-out date and deposit disposition into the same task in our process so the deadline is tracked outside the software, then reconciled against Buildium's deposit liability account to confirm nothing was missed.
Can Buildium keep our rental trust accounting separate from HOA association funds?
Buildium can run both in one instance, but it doesn't wall off rental trust money from HOA reserves and operating assessments by default, that separation depends on how bank accounts and GL codes are structured. We set up distinct bank account mapping and chart of accounts for each fund type at onboarding, so the platform enforces the separation instead of leaving it to whoever posts a transaction.
We manage a mix of build-to-rent single-family homes and off-campus student housing near UT. Does that change how our books should be set up?
Yes. Build-to-rent portfolios add units on a rolling basis and student housing near UT turns over heavily each August, so both push more transaction volume through Buildium than a stable single-family book. We structure property groups and reconciliation timing around that turnover instead of a flat monthly close, so new units and lease turns post correctly the same month they happen.
More in Texas
Other Texas markets, the platforms we work in, and the functions available on their own.
Buildium Bookkeeping for Austin
Schedule a call and we will review your Buildium setup, your Texas deposit handling, and what it takes to close clean every month.