What you will get from this guide
If you manage rentals, the bank statement is the source of truth: rent payments, deposits, and utility prepayments all flow through it.
Converting statements to CSV makes it easy to filter by tenant name/reference and to spot missing payments quickly.
Step-by-step
1. Export or convert your statement to CSV
Use CSV exports for recent periods; convert PDFs for older periods. Keep the reference text intact to match tenant identifiers.
2. Add tenant and category columns
In a spreadsheet, add simple columns like tenant, month, rent/deposit/utilities. This keeps reporting and reconciliation lightweight.
3. Reconcile monthly and flag missing payments
Filter per month and tenant. Any missing payment becomes obvious when you can sort and group transactions.
Best practices
- Use consistent references (tenant + property) so filtering works across years.
- Treat deposits separately from rental income to avoid mixing postings.
FAQ
Can I automate this?
Yes. Once you have a clean CSV export, you can build simple rules in Excel/Sheets or import into your accounting tool for recurring categorization.
German original (more detail)
If you want the full German version with screenshots and extra edge cases, open the original guide here: