Outsourcing AppFolio Bookkeeping: What to Hand Off and What to Keep

AppFolio gives landlords, investors, and property management companies a strong place to run their rental accounting. But software does not keep the books by itself. Someone still has to post payments correctly, reconcile the bank, pay bills on time, and send owner statements that make sense. When that work falls behind, the software just shows you how far behind you are.

Outsourcing the bookkeeping is one way to keep those records current without hiring in-house. Here is how to think about what to hand off, what to keep, and how Integrity Property Management handles it remotely.

What bookkeeping work you can hand off

Most of the recurring accounting work in a rental portfolio follows the same pattern every month, which makes it a good fit for an outside team:

• Recording rent and other tenant payments to the right tenant and property

• Entering and paying vendor bills

• Reconciling bank accounts so the books match the bank

• Preparing owner statements

• Producing rent-roll and delinquency reports

• Keeping supporting invoices attached to transactions

What you keep

Outsourcing the books does not mean giving up control. You keep the decisions: who you lease to, which vendors you use, how you price your units, and how you run maintenance. With Integrity's bookkeeping service, funds can stay in your own accounts, so the money does not move to a third party just because the accounting does.

Why the software choice matters

Consistent records are easier when everyone works in the same system. AppFolio is the recommended software for Integrity's bookkeeping clients. Working in one platform keeps payments, bills, reports, and owner statements in one place, and makes it easier to review the books whenever you want.

Start with clean books

If your records have fallen behind, ongoing bookkeeping works best after a cleanup. Catch-up work brings the ledger current, reconciles the accounts, and fixes miscategorized transactions so each month starts from accurate numbers. Integrity's cleanup and catch-up work is $45 per hour. For more detail, read rental property bookkeeping cleanup and catch-up.

Option 1: Accounting only for owners and investors

If you manage your own rentals and mainly need the books done right, Integrity's accounting-only bookkeeping is 1.5% of monthly rent collected. The team includes CPA professionals. See property management bookkeeping and accounting, and read how property management bookkeeping is priced.

Option 2: Back Office Tools for self-managing owners

If you want more than the books, Back Office Tools is 3.5% of rent roll. You keep your maintenance and local team, and Integrity handles rent collection with automatic late fees, leases, renewals and rent increases, direct deposit, bill pay, twice-monthly owner statements, delinquency and rent-roll reports, accounting with attached invoices, a 24/7 emergency line, and owner and tenant portals.

Option 3: Accounting Only or Full Back-Office for property management companies

Property management companies can outsource their accounting without handing over their clients. Accounting Only for PM companies is 1.5% of monthly rent collected, and Full Back-Office is 3.5% of monthly rent collected. Integrity never competes for your clients. Read more in outsourced back office for property management companies.

Low risk to start

If you are not completely satisfied within the first 60 days of retaining Integrity, there is no obligation to continue.

Get your books current

Owners and investors: tell us about your properties on the owner inquiry form. Property management companies: use the back-office form. You can also call (845) 512-7368 or email christopher@integritypropertymgt.com.