First rent charges on active tenancies

As existing accounts don't get migrated into Alto, you'll need to manually add your first rent charge onto each active tenancy.

Once you have added the first rent charge to an active tenancy, the next date is the one which your tenant is due to pay. You can choose to automatically send an invoice to your tenants when the rent charge is raised.

When the next rent due charge is added, Alto will continue to raise the charge at the frequency you have selected, i.e. monthly/weekly/four weekly/annually. This charge will only need to be added once.

Adding first rent charges

1. Click Tenancies on the main navigation bar
2. Select the relevant tenancy from Recent & Favourite Tenancies
   1. Alternatively, find the tenancy using the Search Tenancies bar in the top right
3. Click Actions
4. Within the dropdown menu, click Charge
5. Click Add Charge
6. The Add Charge for this Tenancy window opens on the Charge tab
   1. Charge Date - Set this as the next date which the tenant is due to pay their rent
   2. Charge To - This determines whether the charge is to be raised against the tenancy or to a specific tenant. By default, this is set as the tenancy at the corresponding address
   3. Frequency - Set this as the frequency which your tenant agreed to pay rent on their tenancy agreement 
   4. Charge Item - This is where you set the item the charge relates to. In this example, click Landlord Income and then tick Rent
   5. Description - We advise that you don't edit or delete this as it allows Alto to generate the monthly description based on the charge date and the frequency
   6. Net Amount - Enter the amount you will be charging
7. Click OK, or click the Options tab first to set any of the charge options below 

You will now be back on the Charges for this Tenancy screen. If automated charging is turned on, you can leave that screen without raising the charge, as Alto will raise it for you automatically when it becomes due.

Charge options

The Options tab on the Add Charge and Edit Charge windows controls how a tenancy charge behaves: whether it shows in arrears, whether an invoice is sent, how the tenant pays, and when the charge is raised or ends. Click the Options tab, set any of the following, then click the Charge tab to return and click OK:

• Never Show in Arrears - Tick to keep this charge out of the arrears list. See Stopping a charge showing in arrears below
• Show in Arrears List After - Enter the number of days after the charge is due before it appears in the arrears list, if it's still unpaid
• Produce and Send Documents - Tick to send the tenant an invoice for this charge. The lead tenant receives it by the Account Delivery Method set on their contact record
• Payment Method - Select how the tenant pays this charge, for example Bacs or Direct Debit 
• Payment Reference - Enter the unique reference the tenant quotes when they pay, so imported receipts can be matched to this charge
• Raise Days in Advance - Enter how many days before the Charge Date the charge is raised. If Produce and Send Documents is ticked, this is also how far in advance the invoice is sent
• End Date - For a recurring charge, set the date it stops. Leave it as Never end to keep it running

Sending a rent payment reminder (invoice) to your tenants

If you'd like to send a rent payment reminder - an invoice to your tenants a number of days before the rent due date - this can be set in the Options tab of the rent charge.

1. Follow steps 1 - 6f above in Adding first rent charges
2. Click the Options tab
3. Tick Produce and Send Documents 
4. In the Raise Days in Advance field, type the number of days before the due date the invoice will be sent 
   (If you Import receipts in Alto, follow the steps here) 
5. Once done, click the Charge tab to return
6. Click OK

The Lead Tenant will receive the invoice by the Account Delivery Method set on their contact record.

Stopping a charge showing in arrears

If you don't want an outstanding charge to appear in the arrears list, set it to never show in arrears on the charge's Options tab.

1. Click Tenancies on the main navigation bar
2. Select the relevant tenancy from Recent & Favourite Tenancies
   1. Alternatively, find the tenancy using the Search Tenancies bar in the top right
3. Click Actions
4. In the dropdown menu, click Charge
5. Click Edit next to the charge
6. Click the Options tab
7. Tick Never Show in Arrears
8. Click the Charge tab
9. Click OK

You can also do this from the tenant's contact record, starting from Actions.

If the charge has already been raised

Reverse the charge, then add it again with Never Show in Arrears ticked. For more information, see Reversing an expense charge on a tenancy.

Invoicing for rent in arrears

You can invoice rent in arrears, at the end of the rental period rather than the start, by changing the wording on the recurring rent invoices.

For example, if the original charge is:

• Charge Date - 01/01/2026
• Description - Rent for the month SS/SS/SS to EE/EE/EE

This would result in a charge due 01/01/2026 with the Description 'Rent for the month 01/01/2026 to 31/01/2026'.

However, to invoice in arrears, you would do:

• Charge Date - 31/01/2026
• Description - Rent for the month to SS/SS/SS

This would result in a charge due 31/01/2026 with the Description 'Rent for the month to 31/01/2026'.

The above would also work for other frequencies of payments (eg 4-weekly) with modification of the Description.

Shared tenancy charges

If you wish to raise a charge on a tenancy and split these charges between tenants on a joint tenancy, you can set up a shared charge on a tenancy.
For more information on Raising shared charges on a joint tenancy, click here

• Related Help Centre articles that you may find useful.

  Raising an expense charge on a tenancy