Rent Receipt: Free Template to Fill In and Print

A rent receipt is a short written record that a landlord received rent from a tenant. Fill in the form above, print it, and give the tenant a copy while you keep one for yourself.

What a rent receipt includes

A rent receipt proves that rent was paid. It protects the tenant, who can show they paid on time, and the landlord, who has a clean record of what came in.

The most complete official lists we found come from New York and New South Wales. They overlap on the date, the amount, the rented premises and the period. The payer's name and the receiver's name come from the New South Wales list, and the receiver's signature and title come from the New York list. The form above combines the items from both lists and shows them by default. No place we read requires every one of them on an ordinary receipt.

The date the rent was paid.
The amount paid.
The name of the person who paid.
The address of the rented property, with the unit if there is one.
The period the payment covers.
The name of the person who received the rent, with a signature and title.

Other fields are common practice rather than a rule: a receipt number, the payment method, the unpaid balance, and the landlord's contact details. Leave any of them blank if they do not apply.

How to write a rent receipt for a tenant

Fill in the form from top to bottom. The editor follows this order:

Add a receipt number if you want to match each receipt to your records.
Enter the date you received the payment.
Enter the landlord's or agent's name and contact details.
Enter the tenant's name.
Enter the full address of the rental, including the unit number.
Enter the rental period, from the first day to the last day the payment covers.
Choose how it was paid, such as cash, check, money order or transfer.
Add the rent as a line item, then enter the amount received. The form shows any unpaid balance for you.
Sign the receipt and add your title, for example landlord or agent.

Then print two copies. Give one to the tenant and keep the other. New South Wales allows a receipt to be emailed to an address the tenant has given. The sources we read do not cover other places, so check your local rules.

A filled-out rent receipt example

Picture a landlord who receives a monthly payment by money order. The receipt shows today's date, the tenant's full name, and the apartment address with its unit. The rental period runs from the first to the last day of that month. The amount matches the rent in the lease, the method says money order, and the unpaid balance is zero because nothing is owed. The landlord's name is printed at the top, and the landlord signs and writes "Landlord" under the signature. That covers the items the New York and New South Wales lists ask for.

Rent receipts for partial payments and multiple tenants

If a tenant pays only part of the rent, enter the amount actually received so the unpaid balance shows. Issue a new receipt when the rest arrives. Do not mark a partial payment as paid in full.

If the tenant moves in or out partway through a month, the first or last payment may be a prorated amount. The Rent Proration Calculator can work out that figure before you write the receipt.

For several tenants on one lease, you can put all the names on one receipt when they pay together. When roommates pay separately, write one receipt for each payment and name the person who paid.

Why landlords should keep a copy of every rent receipt

A receipt only helps if you can find it later. A kept copy helps settle disputes about whether a payment was made, which month it covered and how it was paid. It also makes your own bookkeeping easier.

Some places require it. New York, for one, requires landlords to keep a record of cash rent receipts for a set period. Even where no rule applies, keeping every copy is a sensible habit. If you also bill tenants for other charges, the Invoice keeps those separate from rent. For other kinds of payments, use the Receipt.

Does a landlord have to give rent receipts?

We found no nationwide rule in the US or Australia, so the answer depends on the state or country, and often on how the tenant pays. The rules we found focus mostly on cash. Several places require a receipt for cash, and some require one whenever the tenant asks.

In England and Wales, a landlord who charges rent weekly must provide a rent book, unless board makes up a substantial part of the rent, and a single receipt does not replace it. Other places have their own rules, and some of them have exceptions, such as public housing in New South Wales.

Whatever the local rule, giving a receipt for every payment is a good habit. It costs little and prevents most arguments.

What a rent receipt must show in your region

This table comes from our research on official guidance.

Field	United States	United Kingdom	European Union	Canada	Australia
Receipt number	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional
Date of payment	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional
Landlord or agent name	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional
Landlord address	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional
Email	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional
Phone	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional
Tenant name	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional
Rented property address	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional
Rent period from	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional
Rent period to	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional
Payment method	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional
Signature	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional
Title	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional

Sources

Not legal or tax advice. This is general information about rent receipts and rules differ by place.

Questions

Does a landlord have to give rent receipts?

In some places. New York, Washington and Maryland require one for cash payments or when the tenant asks, and New South Wales requires one when rent is paid in person other than by cheque. Check the rules where the property is.

How do I write a rent receipt for a tenant?

Fill in the form above from top to bottom, sign it, and print two copies, one for the tenant and one for you.

What should a rent receipt include?

At least the payment date, the amount, the rented property and the period it covers. These are the items the New York and New South Wales lists share. Other items differ by place.

Can I make a rent receipt for multiple tenants?

Yes. List every tenant who shares the payment, or write the name of the person who actually paid and note that it covers the household. If each roommate pays separately, give each one their own receipt for the amount they paid.

Is a rent receipt the same as a general receipt?

Not quite. A rent receipt is made for rent. It names the rental property and the period being paid for, which a general receipt does not always do. For other sales, use the Receipt tool.

Do I need a rent receipt for taxes?

We can't say whether your tax rules require one. A receipt is useful proof of what was paid and when, for both landlord and tenant, and a tax professional can tell you what applies to your case.