Luba / Guides

Rent receipt: what to include, plus a free template

We make Luba, the app in the “With Luba” boxes. The template and everything else on this page work just as well if you write receipts by hand or on a computer.

What you need: The tenant’s name and the property address · The amount and the period it covers · The printed template, Word, or an Android phone

1. What a rent receipt should include

   There’s no official format. What matters is that anyone reading it can tell who paid, how much and what for:

   Receipt number and date: 0001, 0002… When a tenant says “I already paid for that month,” you can find it in seconds.

   Who paid: the tenant’s full name.

   Amount: “$750.00.” If it covers more than rent, like a late fee or utilities, list each one.

   Property: the street address and unit, like “Room 1, 418 Elm St.”

   Rent period: “October 5 to November 4, 2026.” It’s the detail people forget most, and the one that prevents the most arguments.

   How it was paid: cash, check (with the check number), money order, or an app like Zelle or Venmo.

   Balance due: “Paid $500.00. Balance due: $250.00.”

   Signature and name of the person who received the money, plus their title if they’re a manager or agent.

   Note

   Rules vary by state. In New York, for example, landlords must give a written receipt for rent paid in cash or by anything other than a personal check, showing the date, the amount, the property, the period covered and the name and title of whoever received it (Real Property Law § 235-e). Check your state’s rules or ask a local attorney.

2. A filled-out example

   Here’s a receipt for one month’s rent on a room, paid in cash:

   

   Writing one by hand? Copy this and fill in the brackets:

   “Received from [tenant’s name] the sum of [amount] for rent at [address and unit] for the period [start date] to [end date]. Paid by [cash, check no., money order or app]. Balance due: [amount or $0]. [Date].” Then sign it and print your name below.

   With the example’s details: “Received from Jessica Wilson the sum of $750.00 for rent at Room 1, 418 Elm St, Austin, TX, for the period October 5 to November 4, 2026. Paid in cash. Balance due: $0. October 5, 2026.”

3. Download the free template

   The template has two receipts on a letter-size page, so you can cut it in half. No email or sign-up.

   Download the Word template to fill it out on a computer: type in each box, then print it or save it as a PDF. It also opens in Google Docs.

   Download the PDF to print and fill out by hand. Keep a few printed copies for rent day.

   Note

   Fill in everything before you sign, and cross out any empty boxes. A signed receipt with blanks can be filled in later with something else.

4. Hand it over and keep a copy

   Give a receipt every time you’re paid, including partial payments and the security deposit. Snap a photo before you hand it over: that’s your copy. If the tenant paid through an app, text or email the receipt.

   File your copies by tenant and month. When someone says “I already paid that month,” you’ll find it in a minute, and they’ll help at tax time.

   With Luba

   Luba makes the receipt when you log the money you received. Open the tenant’s lease from Today or Properties and tap Record a payment. Enter the Amount, pick the method under Paid with, and in Notes write the period it covers: that note prints on the receipt. Tap Save and the receipt is ready, with its own number. Tap it in the list, then Send to share it as a PDF by WhatsApp, email or text, or tap the printer button to print it on paper or on a thermal printer.

   

   

   

5. Partial payments, deposits and proof of rent

   Partial payment: write a receipt for what you got, note “partial payment of October rent,” and show the balance due. When they pay the rest, write another receipt.

   Security deposit: give it its own receipt that says it’s a security deposit and for which property. When you return it, list anything you kept and why. Many states set deadlines and rules for deposits, so check yours.

   Proof of rent: tenants sometimes need rent receipts to show what they pay for housing, for example when applying for benefits like SNAP. A clear receipt with the period and the address makes that easier.

   Taxes: the rent you receive is income. Keep your copies and ask a tax professional how to report it.

   With Luba

   In Luba, the deposit goes in the same place: if the lease has one, tap Record a payment and choose Guarantee (the security deposit) under What you receive, and it gets its own receipt. If a tenant pays only part of the rent, the lease shows what’s still owed.