rent roll

Definition

A spreadsheet listing all tenants in a rental property along with their lease terms, payment history, and unit details—basically the property's financial DNA. It's the first thing savvy investors scrutinize when evaluating a deal.

Example Usage

The rent roll revealed that six of the twelve units were on month-to-month leases, a major red flag.

Origin

From the literal 'roll' or list of tenants and their rents, dating back to when landlords kept paper scrolls of tenant records

Fun Fact

A 'trailing twelve-month rent roll' showing actual collected rent is far more valuable than the current rent roll, which may include fantasy rents from vacant units.

Source: Property management and investment terminology

Related Terms

Beginner

comparables analysis

The process of evaluating recently sold similar properties to determine market value, essentially treating home pricing like comparison shopping for toasters. It's the foundation of appraisals and every pricing strategy that claims to be data-driven.

🏠 Real Estate

Advanced

whisper listing

An even more secretive version of a pocket listing, shared only with a select few high-net-worth clients. It's so exclusive that talking about it too loudly could violate the whole point.

🏠 Real Estate

Beginner

operating expenses

The recurring costs of keeping a property functional—utilities, maintenance, management, insurance, and property taxes—everything except debt service. It's the monthly financial hemorrhaging that separates rental income from actual profit.

🏠 Real Estate

Intermediate

post-dated check scam

A rental fraud where scammers request post-dated checks for future rent, then cash them immediately or use the banking information for identity theft. It's why legitimate landlords now say 'no thanks' to your grandma's preferred payment method.

🏠 Real Estate

Beginner

As-Is

The seller's polite way of saying "we know it's broken and we don't care." Buying a property as-is is basically adopting a feral house and hoping love alone can fix the plumbing.

🏠 Real Estate

Beginner

DOM

Days On Market—the number of calendar days a listing has been active, serving as a digital scarlet letter that either signals a property is priced wrong or has bodies buried in the backyard. The higher the number, the more desperate everyone becomes.

🏠 Real Estate

Translate This Term

See “rent roll” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

Try the Translator

Share This Term

Post on X Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn

Discover a Term

Beginner

pebkac

problem exists between keyboard and chair...