NovReporting from your property manager
If somebody else manages the apartment, the report is the only thing connecting you to reality. Not an annual visit and not messages in a chat, but a document showing what came in, what was deducted, whether the tenant is paying, what was repaired and what it cost. Owners who settle for "all fine, money sent" are usually the last to hear about problems.
What belongs in the report
| Section | What it contains | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Receipts | Rent for the period and the date it was actually received | Shows whether the tenant pays on time, not merely whether they pay |
| Deductions | Management fee, costs, taxes — line by line | A "net to remit" figure with no breakdown cannot be checked at all |
| Repair costs | What was fixed, by whom, the amount, the supporting document | Without an invoice it is not a cost but a claim of one |
| Occupancy | Let or vacant, and the lease end date | Lets you prepare for a change of tenant in advance |
| Building charges | Whether fees and utilities are paid, and any arrears | A debt surfaces at sale, and it is always a surprise |
| Incidents | Leaks, complaints, breakdowns, notices from building management | A small problem nobody mentioned becomes a large one |
| Remittance | Amount, date and details of the transfer to you | Checked against your bank statement in a minute |
A report without supporting documents for costs is not a report but an assertion. Asking for invoices is normal, and any conscientious manager expects it.
The statement needs an opening and closing balance
A list of receipts and deductions is not enough. Start with the money held for the unit on the first day of the period, then show every receipt, every paid cost, the owner remittance and the balance remaining on the final day. The bridge must reconcile: opening balance plus receipts, less payments and owner distributions, equals closing balance.
Where the manager keeps a standing owner reserve for routine costs, show it separately rather than burying it in the amount due to the owner. Any difference remains an open reconciling item with an explanation, origin date and person responsible for clearing it. This reveals both the month's result and the money still controlled by the manager.
Separate rent charged from rent received
Attach a tenant ledger showing the contractual amount and due date, the actual receipt date and amount, arrears or credit at period end, any agreed concession or rent-free period, and the lease expiry. Advance rent for a future period should not look like ordinary income for the current month, while a short payment should not disappear inside total receipts.
For a partial payment, record the month or obligation to which it was allocated. A disputed charge carries its status and supporting correspondence. This schedule distinguishes bank movement from lease performance and reveals a developing pattern of arrears before it becomes a large balance.
Report the tenant deposit and owner reserve separately
A tenant deposit is not rental income. State the amount, receipt date, actual holder, permitted basis for deductions, every movement and current status. If it is transferred to another operator or returned to the tenant, link the entry to evidence of that transaction.
Show the owner's repair or operating reserve in its own schedule with opening balance, contributions, use and closing balance. RICS Property agency and management principles requires managers within its scope to account for all client money and not deduct costs without contractual authority or written approval. That is a professional benchmark, not an automatic statement of Cambodian law for every operator.
How often
The frequency is fixed by contract. A sensible minimum for a let apartment is monthly: a month is the natural step of the rental cycle, and it reveals a late payment immediately rather than a quarter later.
Give every statement a period, issue date and version
Each statement should identify the unit, exact period start and end, issue date and version number. A corrected statement does not silently overwrite the first one: it lists the amended entries, reason and correction date, while the original remains in the archive.
For a late invoice or receipt, record both the period to which the obligation belongs and the date on which cash actually moved. Carry every unresolved item into the next statement under the same identifier. This prevents a cost, arrear or credit from disappearing simply because the reporting month or file changed.
Quarterly reporting is acceptable where it suits both sides, but note the price: you see a problem two months after it arises. In that time a non-paying tenant can build arrears the deposit will not cover.
Agree separately on immediate notification, without waiting for the reporting period: an emergency, a tenant leaving, a demand from building management, or any money matter beyond ordinary repairs.
How to check it
A report nobody checks stops being accurate over time. Checking takes ten minutes a month.
- Match the remittance against your bank statement. Any discrepancy is the first question.
- Check the arithmetic: receipts minus deductions must equal exactly what was sent.
- Look at the costs: is there a supporting document for each line, and does the amount match.
- Once a quarter, confirm there are no arrears on building charges directly with the building's management, not only on your manager's word.
- Once a year, ask for fresh photographs. The property's condition is reporting too, just visual.
Reconcile the report against three records
The unit should have three connected records: the owner statement, the property-specific ledger and bank evidence for the relevant receipt or distribution. The owner does not need a bank statement exposing transactions for other clients, but can request evidence of their own transfer, their own ledger and confirmation that their balance forms part of the manager's regular reconciliation.
RICS Client money handling describes a reconciliation between the bank balance, cash book and individual client ledgers, with every difference explained. A Cambodian management agreement can adopt an appropriate version of that control: who prepares and reviews it, how unidentified receipts are treated and when outstanding differences must be resolved.
Build a complete evidence chain for each expense
A repair line should connect more than an invoice or receipt. Include the request number, reason for the work, the manager's spending authority, owner approval where required, contractor quotation, supplier, completion date, invoice or other acceptable source document, payment evidence, before-and-after records and any warranty supplied.
Disclose a related contractor, manager markup or benefit received for referring the work before approval. RICS requires written disclosure of referral fees or other benefits, while its client-money standard expects payment requests to carry checked and authorised supporting evidence. These are professional controls rather than a substitute for the particular contract.
Warning signs
- Reports arrive late and only after reminders, rather than on schedule.
- A single "amount payable" figure instead of a breakdown.
- Repair costs rising with no supporting documents.
- A specific question about a figure met with generalities.
- The manager cannot name the tenant or the lease end date.
- Deductions appearing regularly that are not in the contract.
One sign proves nothing on its own. Two or three together are reason to move to written communication and start recording the breaches.
Add an action and exception register
Support the financial statement with a short action register. For every leak, complaint, arrear, building notice, repair or approaching lease expiry, record the date, risk, responsible person, next action, deadline, owner decision required and evidence of closure.
An immediate alert and a periodic statement serve different purposes. An emergency is reported through the agreed urgent channel and then appears in the statement with the complete cost and outcome history. Open matters roll forward until there is evidence of completion or a written decision to stop the action.
If a guaranteed income programme applies
Where the apartment sits inside a guaranteed rental programme, reporting is provided by the programme operator and its contents are set by that contract. Do not conflate two different questions here: whether you are receiving the promised amount, and what is actually happening to the apartment. The first is visible from the payments; the second only from a report on condition and occupancy.
Ask for both. The programme ends and the apartment remains, and by the time you exit it helps to know what condition it is in and who has been living there.
If reporting stops
Verbal reminders are useless in this situation. Act in writing and in order.
- Send a written request listing which reports were not received and when they were contractually due.
- Set a reasonable deadline for a response and state it explicitly.
- In parallel, ask the building's management for the arrears position — an independent source.
- Keep all the correspondence. If it comes to terminating the contract you will need documents, not recollections.
- If the situation does not resolve, move to changing the manager. NovAsia can help arrange it.
Require a full closing account when management ends
The closing statement should run to the actual handover date and cover cash held, unpaid rent, tenant arrears, deposit and owner reserve, unpaid contractor invoices, building liabilities, open repairs, the lease file, notices, keys, access rights and records. Every transferred balance should identify the date, recipient and transfer method.
Article 641 of Cambodia's Civil Code provides, for a mandate relationship, that the mandatary reports the current status when requested and gives a full account without delay when the mandate ends. Article 642 addresses delivery of money and other objects received while administering the mandate. A Cambodian lawyer should confirm whether those provisions govern the particular management arrangement, but the contract should still state the closing-account and handover requirements expressly.
What the management contract should contain so these situations resolve faster is set out in the management agreement checklist.
How this works with us
NovAsia works with a rental management partner, and the owner receives regular reporting. The exact contents, frequency and evidencing of costs are fixed by the contract with the operator — availability and terms are confirmed for the specific property. In some projects management is provided by the building's management company or by the income-programme operator, and reporting comes from them.
Unclear what is happening with your apartment? We can review your management contract and the reporting you are entitled to require, and suggest how to put a proper routine in place.
Ask about your propertyor on TelegramFrequently asked questions
What must the report contain?
Receipts and deductions for the period, itemised; the status of the tenant's payments; repair costs with supporting documents; occupancy status; and a list of incidents. A report without evidence for the costs is not a report but an assertion.
How often should it arrive?
The frequency is fixed by the management contract. A sensible minimum for a let apartment is monthly, because a month is the natural step of the rental cycle. Quarterly reporting is acceptable but you will see a problem two months after it arises.
What if the reports stop coming?
Record the breach in writing, stating which reports were not received and by when they were due. Verbal reminders are useless here: if it comes to terminating the contract you will need correspondence, not recollections. NovAsia can help arrange a change of management company if the situation does not resolve.
Sources
Practice supporting owners in Phnom Penh · NovAsia corpus on ownership and management · checked July 2026. A statutory form and frequency for a manager's report in Cambodia are not confirmed in this review — the contents of reporting are set by the contract with the operator. This content is for general information only.
Template: monthly manager report form — a CSV table that opens in Excel and Google Sheets. It is a working draft, not a legal document: the fields should be adjusted to the specific unit and contract terms.