Understanding rent arrears
How to read arrears by age, and why early follow-up matters.
Kabisa for landlords Rolling out
Rent invoices out. Payments tracked. Receipts ready.
Set up your properties and tenants once. Kabisa handles the monthly rent paperwork and shows who still owes you.Set up your properties and tenants once. Kabisa helps prepare recurring rent invoices, track recorded payments, issue professional receipts and show exactly who still owes you.
October rent
Illustrative example
KES 2,125,000
COLLECTED of KES 2,450,000 expected
86.7%
86 PAID4 PARTIAL10 UNPAID
KKabisayour rent clerk
Who hasn't paid October rent?
Kabisa14 tenants still have balances.
🔴 10 unpaid
🟠 4 partially paid
Total outstanding: KES 325,000
🔴 10 unpaid
🟠 4 partially paid
Total outstanding: KES 325,000
Automatic billing
Set up tenants once.
Payment records
Paid, partial and unpaid clearly separated.
Professional receipts
Give tenants proper records.
WhatsApp first
Ask about your rent in normal language.
Stop managing rent from memory, notebooks and scattered messages.
Rent collection gets hard when tenant records, M-Pesa messages, invoices, receipts and balances live in different places. Kabisa connects the paperwork around every rental relationship.
rent_oct_FINAL(2).xlsx
A12 Jane25,000✓A13 Peter25,000B01 Mary15,000?B04 ...32,000✓
QKL8X2M4 Confirmed. Ksh15,000.00 sent to GREENVIEW… for account A12 on 4/10
sorry landlord nitamaliza next week 🙏
Receipt No. 0147
Recd from Jane
Ksh 15,000/-
Bal 10k?
Recd from Jane
Ksh 15,000/-
Bal 10k?
October rent · one view
KES 2,125,000
86 PAID4 PARTIAL10 UNPAID
Set it up once. Run rent every month.
01
Set up
Add your property and tenants.
02
Bill
Kabisa prepares the month's rent invoices.
03
Send
You approve; invoices are generated and sent to tenants.
04
Record payments
Balances update when payments are recorded or matched.
05
Receipt
Professional receipts, and every tenant's ledger kept.
Your property account
Everything starts with a professional property account.
One two-minute WhatsApp setup gives your rental business its own identity, documents and records.
99/-One-time setup
Create my account — 99/-Included
- Landlord / business profile
- Business or property name
- Phone & WhatsApp number
- Email & physical address
- Payment details (PayBill, Till, bank)
- KRA / tax details where applicable
- Property & unit details
- Tenant records
- Dashboard
- WhatsApp assistant
Also included, free
- Free logo creation
- Professional rent invoice template
- Professional receipt template
- Professional tenant statement template
Your rental business should look professional too.
Don't have a logo? We'll create one for you as part of setup — free.
You tell Kabisa
Business / property
GREENVIEW APARTMENTS
Location
Westlands, Nairobi
Phone
+254 712 000 000
rent@greenview.co.ke
Payments
PayBill 247247 · Account = unit
Your logo
One property or an entire portfolio.
Each property keeps its address, units, manager, payment details and recurring charges.
Illustrative example
Greenview Apartments
Westlands
48
Units
46
Occupied
2
Vacant
ExpectedKES 1,150,000
CollectedKES 1,010,000
OutstandingKES 140,000
87.8%
Riverside Court
Kileleshwa
32
Units
29
Occupied
3
Vacant
ExpectedKES 780,000
CollectedKES 695,000
OutstandingKES 85,000
89.1%
Kilimani Heights
Kilimani
20
Units
20
Occupied
0
Vacant
ExpectedKES 520,000
CollectedKES 420,000
OutstandingKES 100,000
80.8%
Already managing tenants? Bring them with you.
Fill in Kabisa's Excel template and send the file to Kabisa on WhatsApp — nobody should re-type 100 tenants.
Or add one at a time: ADD TENANT Jane Wanjiku A12 25000
96 tenants imported
93 ready
3 need attention — missing unit numbers
JW
Jane Wanjiku
Greenview Apartments · Unit A12 · 0722 000 111
Rent
KES 25,000
Deposit
KES 50,000
Billing
25th
Due
5th
Each tenant can hold
- Name & phone
- Property & unit
- Rent & deposit
- Lease start & end
- Billing & due day
- Payment reference
- Opening balance
- Recurring charges
The monthly rent run
One rent run. Every tenant.
Kabisa prepares every occupied unit's invoice from your settings. Untick anyone you need to, approve once, pay once — and it runs on Kabisa's servers even if you close your phone.
Occupied units
100
Expected rent
KES 2,450,000
Invoices
100
Kabisa document cost: 100 × 10/- = KES 1,000
November rent run
Illustrative example
- Jane WanjikuA12KES 25,000
- Peter MwangiA13KES 25,000
- Mary NjeriB04KES 32,000
- Otieno OumaB05KES 22,000
- + 96 more tenants
- 100 invoices ready
- Landlord approves
- M-Pesa payment — KES 1,000
- Generating
- Delivering
What your tenant receives
A proper invoice, straight to their phone.
Clear amount, clear due date, your payment details and a PDF they can keep. This is what each 10/- document creates — paid by your business account, never charged to the tenant.
KGreenview Apartmentsbusiness account
KabisaGREENVIEW APARTMENTS
Hi Jane, your November rent invoice is ready.
Total due: KES 25,000
Due: 5 November
PayBill 247247 · Acc GV-A12
Hi Jane, your November rent invoice is ready.
Total due: KES 25,000
Due: 5 November
PayBill 247247 · Acc GV-A12
RNT-000148_Jane_Wanjiku.pdf
PDF · 1 page
PDF · 1 page
Know exactly where your rent stands.
Kabisa keeps invoiced rent separate from recorded collections, so an invoice is never mistaken for money received.
Illustrative example
Expected
KES 2.45M
Collected
KES 2.125M
Outstanding
KES 325K
86 PAID4 PARTIAL10 UNPAID
KES 25,000 RECEIVED
Reference QKL8X2M4 · 5 Nov, 10:21
Possible match
Jane Wanjiku · A12
Greenview Apartments · balance KES 25,000
Also possible: Peter Mwangi · A13 · KES 25,000
Confirm matchOther tenant
A forwarded M-Pesa message is a clue, not proof — you confirm the match unless a connected payment integration has verified it.
Payment recorded. Receipt ready.
Every receipt states exactly what was received and what remains. Receipt — 10/-.
- Payment KES 25,000
- Tenant account updated
- Receipt generated
- Tenant receives receipt
One normal tenant month
Rent invoice 10/-Tenant paysRent receipt 10/-
Kabisa's document fees are paid by your property business account — tenants are never charged by Kabisa.
GREENVIEW APARTMENTS
Westlands, Nairobi
RENT RECEIPT
REC-004829
Received from Jane Wanjiku · Unit A12
For: November rent
PaidKES 25,000
BalanceKES 0
M-Pesa ref QKL8X2M4
5 November 2026
genuine ✓
Partial payments and arrears, handled.
Partial payment? Kabisa remembers the balance.
4 Oct · Rent due KES 25,000
Payment KES 15,000
PARTIAL
Balance KES 10,000
11 Oct · Rent due KES 25,000
Payment KES 10,000
PAID
Balance KES 0
Each receipt reflects exactly what was received — never “paid in full” when it isn't.
See arrears before they disappear into old messages.
- CurrentKES 120,000
- 1–30 daysKES 95,000
- 31–60 daysKES 60,000
- 61–90 daysKES 30,000
- 90+ daysKES 20,000
Total outstandingKES 325,000
View tenantsYour rent clerk on WhatsApp
“Kabisa, who hasn't paid?”
No reports to open, no spreadsheet to filter. Ask in normal language — English, Kiswahili or both — and get the answer from your records.
KKabisayour rent clerk
Kabisa, who hasn't paid?
KabisaOctober has KES 325,000 outstanding.
🔴 10 tenants unpaid — KES 240,000
🟠 4 partially paid — KES 85,000
🔴 10 tenants unpaid — KES 240,000
🟠 4 partially paid — KES 85,000
View allPrepare reminders
KKabisayour rent clerk
Did Jane A12 pay?
KabisaJane Wanjiku — A12
Rent: KES 25,000
Recorded: KES 15,000
Balance: KES 10,000
Status: PARTIAL
Rent: KES 25,000
Recorded: KES 15,000
Balance: KES 10,000
Status: PARTIAL
Run your rent collection by asking.
No special commands to learn. These all work the way you'd say them.
- Who hasn't paid?
- How much did I collect today?
- What does A12 owe?
- Show Greenview arrears.
- Jane paid 15,000.
- Create Jane's receipt.
- Which leases expire next month?
- How many units are vacant?
- What did repairs cost this month?
- Prepare November invoices.
Reminders, records and statements — all from the same history.
Follow up without searching your tenant list.
12
Due soon
8
Due today
6
1–7 days late
3
8–30 days late
1
30+ days late
Hello Peter, a friendly reminder that your October rent of KES 25,000 for Unit A13 is now due. You can pay to PayBill 247247, account GV-A13. Thank you — Greenview Apartments.
Every tenant has one clear history.
Jane Wanjiku
Greenview Apartments · A12
Rent KES 25,000 · Deposit KES 50,000 · Lease 1 Jan – 31 Dec
Current balance
KES 0
PAIDLedgerInvoicesReceiptsLeaseMaintenanceDocuments
- 1 OctInvoice issued — KES 25,000
- 4 OctKES 15,000 recorded
- 4 OctReceipt issued
- 8 OctReminder sent
- 11 OctKES 10,000 recorded
- 11 OctPaid in full ✓
Stop calculating tenant balances manually.
TENANT STATEMENT · JANE WANJIKU · A12
1 OctOpening balance5,000
1 Oct+ October rent25,000
1 Oct+ Service charge2,000
4 Oct− Payment QKL8X2M4(15,000)
11 Oct− Payment QKM2P9Z1(17,000)
Closing balanceKES 0
Every unit at a glance.
Illustrative example
A12
Jane Wanjiku
KES 25,000
PAID
A13
Peter Mwangi
KES 25,000
UNPAID
A14
Vacant
Potential KES 18,000
VACANT
B01
Mary Njeri
KES 30,000
PARTIAL
B02
Otieno Ouma
KES 22,000
PAID
B03
Faith Achieng
KES 22,000
PAID
B04
Kevin Mutua
KES 32,000
PAID
B05
Vacant
Potential KES 18,000
VACANT
Know what isn't earning rent.
6
vacant units
KES 132,000
potential monthly rent
A14 vacant 18 days · B05 vacant 41 days. Potential rent is not collected revenue.
5 leases expire within 60 days.
- Peter Mwangi · A1330 NovKES 25,000
- Grace Wairimu · C0715 DecKES 28,000
- Brian Kiprop · D0231 DecKES 20,000
Schedule a renewal and next year's rent change in advance.
Deposits, leases and charges kept straight.
Keep deposits separate from rent.
Jane Wanjiku · deposit heldKES 50,000
Never counted in rent collected.
On move-out
DepositKES 50,000
− Approved deductions (repainting)(KES 6,000)
RefundKES 44,000
Move-in to move-out.
- Vacant
- Add tenant
- Deposit
- Lease
- Occupied
- Notice
- Final account
- Deposit settlement
- Vacant
Past tenants' records stay on file after they move out.
Recurring charges on one invoice.
RentKES 25,000
Service chargeKES 3,000
ParkingKES 2,000
WaterKES 1,500
TotalKES 31,500
Set recurring charges per unit, and add one-off charges when you need them.
Expenses and maintenance, next to the rent.
Rent collected is only half the story.
Illustrative example
Rent collectedKES 2,125,000
Expenses recorded− KES 425,000
Approximate property cash flowKES 1,700,000
- Repairs
- Security
- Cleaning
- Water
- Electricity
- Caretaker
- Insurance
- Other
A record-keeping view of money in and out — not an accounting profit or tax figure.
Repairs tracked from report to fix.
A12 — Kitchen sink leaking
Reported 12 Oct by Jane Wanjiku
Assigned to Bidii Plumbing Services · estimate KES 3,500
- Open
- Assigned
- In progress
- Completed
When the job is done, its cost can go straight into the property's expense records.
October property report
Illustrative example
Expected
KES 2,450,000
Collected
KES 2,125,000
Outstanding
KES 325,000
Occupancy
94%
Expenses
KES 425,000
Collection rate, last 6 months
At month-end, know what actually happened.
- Portfolio summary
- Rent billed & collected
- Outstanding & arrears aging
- Property performance
- Occupancy & vacancies
- Expenses & maintenance
- Deposits held
- Lease expiries
- Month-on-month comparison
- Operational observations
Bought only when you want it. Billed, collected and outstanding are always reported separately.
Better records. Better property decisions.
Short, practical guides from Kabisa Knowledge. General guidance — not legal or tax advice.
Keeping clean tenant payment records
One record per tenant makes disputes easy to settle.
Using unique payment references
A reference per unit makes matching M-Pesa payments reliable.
Why digital receipts matter
Tenants get proof; you get a history that can't go missing.
Understanding property cash flow
Rent collected minus recorded expenses — and what it leaves out.
Preparing month-end property records
A simple checklist before you close the month.
Services your property may need.
Optional listings from local providers, kept well away from your rent records.
Example listings · sponsored content is always labelled
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Maintenance
Simple enough to remember.
No monthly software subscription. Pay for the documents you create.
Set up
99/-
One time
- Property / business account
- Free logo creation
- Rent invoice template
- Receipt template
- Statement template
- Tenant records
- Dashboard
- WhatsApp assistant
Create
10/-
Per document
- Rent invoice
- Receipt
- Statement
- Other supported documents
Change
5/-
Issued document revision
- Draft editing is always free
- Original stays in history
Understand
99/-
Monthly property report
- Bought only when you need it
99 to start. 10 to create. 5 to change. 99 to understand.
10 tenants
Rent invoices: 10 × 10/-
KES 100
50 tenants
Rent invoices: 50 × 10/-
KES 500
100 tenants
Rent invoices: 100 × 10/-
KES 1,000
+ receipts for all 100: KES 1,000
Document charges are paid by your Kabisa business account — never charged to tenants.
Built for every size of rental business.
Individual landlords
A few rental units without complicated software.
Apartment owners
Recurring rent and tenant records in one place.
Commercial property owners
Track invoices, payments and balances.
Property managers
Several properties, several owners.
Property companies
Portfolio visibility and staff workflows.
3 units or 3,000.
The same core workflow, whatever the size.
- Property
- Unit
- Tenant
- Invoice
- Payment
- Receipt
- Report
Questions landlords ask.
Is Kabisa for Landlords available now?
It is rolling out. Today you can set up your property business and send professional rent invoices on WhatsApp. Rent runs, receipts, tenant records, reminders and reports are being released over the coming months, and your account carries over.
Does Kabisa collect the rent?
No — your tenants keep paying through your own PayBill, Till or bank. Kabisa handles the invoices, payment records, matching and receipts around the rent.
Do tenants need Kabisa accounts?
No. Tenants receive their documents through supported channels such as WhatsApp; they never need to log in to anything.
Can I import my existing tenants?
Yes — Excel/CSV import with a ready-made template, or add tenants one by one. (Coming with tenant records.)
Can I manage several properties?
Yes. One account can hold one property or a whole portfolio.
What happens when someone pays partially?
Kabisa records exactly what was paid and keeps the remaining balance. The receipt shows the amount received and the balance — never 'paid in full' when it isn't.
Can I generate receipts?
Yes, as receipts roll out. Each generated receipt is 10/-, paid by your business account — never charged to tenants.
Can Kabisa automatically create monthly invoices?
The rent run prepares every tenant's invoice from your settings each month. You review it, untick anyone you need to, and approve — nothing goes out without you.
Does Kabisa know when M-Pesa payments arrive?
Where a supported payment integration is connected, incoming payments can be matched automatically. Otherwise you record or confirm payments — Kabisa never treats a forwarded message as proof on its own.
Is 99/- monthly?
No. 99/- is a one-time setup. The monthly property report is optional at 99/- when you want one.
Is logo creation included?
Yes. If you don't have a logo, Kabisa designs three for you to choose from as part of setup — or upload your own.
Can I change an invoice before generating it?
Yes — draft corrections are always free. 5/- applies only to changing a document that has already been issued.
Kabisa for landlords
Know who paid. Know who owes. Let Kabisa handle the paperwork.
Set up your property business for 99/- and turn monthly rent administration into one simple workflow.
Free logo & professional templates included · Documents from 10/- · No monthly software subscription