Field notes from the long tail

The RentRoll Blog.

Practical writing on small-portfolio property management — CAM reconciliation, percentage rent, the math behind owner statements, and the gap between spreadsheets and enterprise software.

Tenant Paid Owed Acme $12,400 $12,108 Bayer $8,900 $9,512 Carlow $15,200 $14,890
CAM

CAM reconciliation explained — without the spreadsheet pain

Year-end CAM doesn't have to be a week of manual math. Here's how pro-rata math actually works, why most landlords get it wrong, and what a clean reconciliation looks like.

June 2026 · 8 min read
A B C D !
Operations

The rent roll spreadsheet trap (and how to escape it)

Most small portfolios run on a spreadsheet that's slightly out of date and quietly mistrusted. Here's why it breaks down, when to give up on it, and what to replace it with.

June 2026 · 6 min read
Breakpoint Tenant sales over time
Commercial

Percentage rent, demystified

Natural breakpoints, stated breakpoints, and the math that determines what your tenant actually owes when they have a great quarter. With the formulas you'll actually use.

June 2026 · 7 min read
R RentRoll INVOICE #1042 Acme Coffee Due July 1, 2026 Minimum Rent $4,250 CAM $840 Total $5,090
Statements

Tenant statements that look like you charge enough to send them

The compounding effect of a Word-doc invoice vs a properly branded statement. Why polished beats functional when you're collecting commercial rent.

June 2026 · 5 min read
QB $25/mo RR $29/mo all-in YARDI $400+/mo Built for the gap
Comparison

QuickBooks, Yardi, and everything between

A frank comparison of where each tool fits — and why neither end of the spectrum serves the 80% of landlords who manage between 5 and 50 units.

June 2026 · 9 min read
OPEN DONE IN PROG
Maintenance

Work orders without text messages

What "Bob, did you ever fix the toilet?" actually costs you. A simple workflow that keeps maintenance requests, vendor status, and tenant comms in one place.

June 2026 · 6 min read
Get more like this

Property writing in your inbox.

A weekly note on small-portfolio property management — CAM math, lease structures, the operational details nobody writes about. From Phil at RentRoll. Unsubscribe anytime.

By subscribing, you agree to receive occasional emails from RentRoll. No spam, no sharing. Unsubscribe link in every email.