Moving from a rental spreadsheet without losing your history

Keep an untouched original

Save a dated copy of the workbook before cleaning or importing it. Keep its formulas and supporting files together. Use a working copy for changes, and note which date marks the last complete month. Your original remains the reference if a balance looks different later.

Clean the structure before the numbers

Use a single header row and one type of record per sheet. Separate properties, units, tenants, leases, payments and expenses. Replace merged cells, repeated section headings and subtotal rows with ordinary records. Give properties and units stable names so that “Maple 1” and “Maple Unit 1” do not become two different rentals.

Decide what historical detail you need

Importing every historical line preserves more context but requires more reconciliation. Starting with a documented opening position can be simpler, provided older records remain accessible. Do not invent a payment to force a tenant balance to match. Keep a written explanation of the chosen starting point and any opening adjustments.

Preview a small sample first

Use a copy containing one property, one tenant and a few transactions. Check date interpretation, decimal amounts, property relationships and refunds. Confirm that a payment date and its rent period remain separate. Review the import preview before committing the full workbook.

Reconcile before retiring the sheet

Compare property counts, occupied units, rent balances and income and expense totals for a completed month. Investigate differences rather than rounding them away. Export the new records and confirm that you can locate their receipts. Only switch the day-to-day workflow once those checks agree. StayVue keeps an import review step so owners can inspect mappings before saving records.

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