How to write a rent receipt
A rent receipt is the tenant's proof that a month was paid. It costs the landlord a minute and settles, in advance, arguments that would otherwise be one person's word against another's.
Name the landlord and the tenant, give the address of the property, the period covered, the rent and the charges separately, the total received and the date it was paid. Sign it and give it to the tenant.
Fill in the free templateStep by step
- Name both parties and the property
The landlord who receives, the tenant who pays, and the full address of the home being rented.
- Set the period
The month, or the exact dates, that the payment covers. One receipt per period keeps the record clean.
- Split rent and charges
Rent excluding charges on one line, charges on another, total underneath. The split matters whenever either figure is recalculated later.
- Date it, sign it, send it
Add the date the money actually arrived, sign, and give the receipt to your tenant.
When a tenant can ask for one
In many countries a tenant who has paid in full may demand a receipt, and the landlord must provide it free of charge.
Tenants need them more often than landlords expect: housing benefit claims, loan applications and rental applications all ask for the last few months.
Only ever for what was actually paid
A receipt says money was received. If the tenant paid part of the rent, write the amount actually received and say what it covers.
Never sign for the full amount to keep things simple: the receipt then proves a payment that did not happen, and it is the tenant who holds it.
Keeping the series complete
Issue one receipt per month, in order, and keep a copy of each one. A gap in the series is what turns a simple question into an argument.
A complete run of receipts is the simplest possible answer to a dispute about arrears, and it takes about a minute a month to maintain.
Frequently asked questions
Is a landlord obliged to give a rent receipt?
In many places yes — on request, free of charge, once the rent has been paid in full. Check the rule where the property is; even where it is optional, issuing one is in everybody's interest.
Can I send it by email?
Yes, a PDF by email is fine and is now the norm. Some countries require the tenant's agreement to receive documents electronically, so ask once and note the answer.
What if the tenant pays late?
Date the receipt with the day the money arrived, not the day it was due. The receipt records what happened; late payment is a separate conversation.