Rent Logger

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Xero tracking categories

A tracking category is Xero’s label for a transaction. Rent Logger puts one option on each property so the invoices and costs for that property can be separated inside the same Xero organisation. Connect Xero and link the portfolio first, as in Getting started.

1. Why use tracking

Accounts such as residential rent income hold every property in that organisation. Tracking is what tells Xero which property a line belongs to, so a profit and loss can be filtered to one property.

  • Rent invoices, deposit invoices, agent statement postings, and other property costs that Rent Logger sends to Xero pick up the option saved on the property.
  • Invoicing still runs if tracking is left blank. The line is posted, but it cannot be split out by property afterwards. That is why the property screen marks tracking as recommended.
  • Use one option per property. If two properties share an option, Xero treats their income and costs as the same group. Share an option only when those properties should be reported together, for example units in one block.
  • Xero allows two active tracking categories on an organisation. The standard setup uses one of them, named Investment Property, with an option for each property. The second category stays free for something else, such as a region.

2. Where to set it

Either screen opens the same manager. The Properties tab lists every property on that organisation.

In the app

  1. Xero API
  2. Open the organisation
  3. Properties
  4. Manage
  1. Properties
  2. View Properties
  3. Open the property
  4. Xero
  5. Manage
  • The organisation Properties tab appears after a portfolio linked to that organisation has properties. A row that still says Tracking not set needs a choice.
  • On the property, open the Xero tab and find Tracking Categories. The organisation must already be linked, or Manage is not available.
  • Names you add here are saved in Xero, not only in Rent Logger. Choosing an option then saves that choice on the property. New postings use it. Documents already in Xero are left as they are.

3. Create the standard category

If the organisation does not already have a property tracking category, use the standard tool rather than inventing a new name for each property.

  • In the manager, click Auto-create Investment Property, then Create in Xero.
  • That creates a category called Investment Property and one option. From the organisation list, the option name is the property short description. From the property’s own Xero tab, a property in a block uses the block name instead, so those units can share one option.
  • Creating it does not assign it. Click Select for this property on the highlighted option. If the same name already exists, the tool points at that option and asks you to select it.
  • To type a name yourself, use Add category or Add option. The name is saved in Xero, up to 100 characters, and still has to be selected for the property afterwards.