For small dormitory, apartment, and rental-room operators

How to record water and electricity meters and prepare traceable rental bills

A useful bill is more than a total. Keep the opening reading, closing reading, usage, rate, charge, and each payment connected so you can answer a question without reconstructing the month from paper notes.

1. Fix the billing period and room list

Choose the month or date range, confirm which rooms have an active stay, and review rent, water, electricity, and recurring items before walking the property. Avoid changing rates midway without recording the agreed reason.

• Room and current tenant match the real stay.
• The previous reading comes from the last closed cycle.
• The unit and rate are explicit.
• Flat water charges are not mixed with metered usage.
• Every recurring item has a clear name and amount.

2. Record the current reading in context

Work room by room with the previous value visible. If you keep a photo, make the digits and meter identity readable, then confirm the typed value before moving on. A photo supports the record; it should not remove the user's confirmation step.

If the current value is lower, do not silently force usage to zero or a positive number. Check for a replaced meter, a rollover event, or a transposed digit and record the event that actually occurred.

3. Calculate the utility charge using the property's rule

A property may use a flat water charge instead of a meter formula. Apply the rule in the rental agreement and do not invent unit conversions or rates.

4. Review unusual values before creating bills

Compare usage with the prior period and inspect figures that are unexpectedly high, low, or negative. Recheck the physical meter or evidence photo, especially for an empty room that still shows usage or a value below the previous reading.

5. Make each bill readable

Show the previous reading, current reading, usage, rate, and charge as separate fields. Preview the final image, PDF, or printout before sending it to a tenant.

6. Record payments without rewriting history

Save the actual amount and date for a full or partial collection. The remaining balance should come from the original bill and its payment records, not from editing the bill after collection.

7. Back up after important work

After bills or collections are complete, export a current .hordee package to a private location you control. RoomBillDee includes the database and app-owned attachments in that package. The backup is not encrypted, so protect the file and do not publish it.