I track building dues in Excel — at how many units does switching to software make sense?

We stubbornly stuck with Excel for 3 years in our 48-unit complex. We finally switched to software last year; we pay 22 TL per unit each month. I used to spend at least 8 hours a month matching bank receipts, now it takes less than 5 minutes a day. Our biggest win was how much faster dues get collected; most of the funds are collected by the fifth of the month.

Software isn't a silver bullet. We bought one for our 24-unit building, and two months in, the elderly neighbors said they didn't understand the app and tried handing cash to the building attendant again. The bank integration doesn't work flawlessly with every bank either some charge an extra monthly statement service fee. Imo, for under 30 units a well-set-up Google Sheet is still plenty.

Don't jump into an annual commitment right away. Bring it up at the next general assembly and clearly include the software cost in the operating budget. If you don't record it in the decision book as a software expense, someone might object later, claiming you spent money on dues management software without consulting anyone.

i know the misery of hunting down receipts all too well it makes you resent your neighbors but went through the exact same thing in a 20-unit building. instead of stressing over broken sheets and shifted formulas, switching to dedicated software with a tiny dues increase saves the manager's sanity 100% recommend it.

If you decide to stick with Excel, assign a unique reference code to each unit and download bank statements as CSVs to match them with formulas. However, calculating late fees and tracking carryover balances across 32 units in Excel is highly prone to human error and will cause headaches during legal disputes.

we still use excel for 18 units but we hang a printout on the board every month and no one complains. over 30 units definitely needs software imo tracking gets impossible.

Pursuant to the Kat Mülkiyeti Kanunu, the property manager is obligated to maintain accountability and present the books to the auditors. Since spreadsheets do not constitute legal accounting evidence, software capable of generating official operating ledger printouts provides legal protection in the event of a dispute.

edit: fixed a few typos.

What's the tenant turnover like in the building? If tenants are constantly moving in and out, tracking rollover balances and landlord allocations turns into an absolute nightmare in Excel. Also, do you have neighbors asking to pay their dues by credit card?

This approach has a cost, which isn't discussed. Access credentials should be opened in the company's name, not personal accounts.

This is my opinion, I'm not claiming it's absolute truth.

Great work.

Could you elaborate on that? If you get three different answers on a topic, the question was asked wrong.

If you post the result here it will help others too.

Generally correct, but one part is missing. When you try to change everything at once, nothing settles.

That's all, sorry if I went on too long.

My questions are cleared up, thanks. Everyone rushing into tracking building dues in Excel gets stuck at the same point.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

Noted, thanks.

we experienced almost the exact same thing last year. every "we'll look at it later" in a meeting means unbilled work.

code without setup documentation isn't yours, even if you have it. just leaving this note it might be useful.

I've been down this road, let me tell you. If acceptance criteria aren't written, when the work is done is open to debate.

This is my opinion, I'm not claiming it's absolute truth.

Ill try it.

I've been dealing with this for a long time. People defend habits not processes. Resistance comes from there.

If you post the result here, it will help others too.