Utility Reimbursements - Payments to a Utility Company

Setup Utility Company as Landlord

  1. The Utility Company will need to be setup as a Landlord for this process to work.
  2. Refer to Landlord Master for instructions.
  3. The only difference is that a Utility Company will not require an EIN or Social Security Number. In addition, a 1099 is not sent to the Utility Company.

Utility Setup Verification

Select a tenant that is currently receiving a Utility Reimbursement by running the report. The report will identify all tenants receiving a Utility Reimbursement that is not redirected to a Utility Company. This report should be run every month to locate those tenants. If setup correctly, no tenants should appear on the report.

NAVIGATION: ACCOUNTING menu > Accounting Preparation > Utility Verification

  1. Cycle: enter or select the payment cycle from the drop down. The options will be those setup in Payment Cycles.
  2. Effective Date: enter or select the first day of the new month
  3. Sort By: select how you want the report sorted
    1. Tenant Number
    2. Tenant Name
  4. Tenant ACH Not Setup Only: check this box to see only tenants that do not have ACH setup
  5. Preview or print the report (see Report Preview, Print and Save Options).

Setup Tenant to Redirect Their Utility Reimbursement

  1. In the Tenant Master, select the tenant using the Tenant Number or Tenant Name field.
  2. Go to QUICK LINKS menu > Utilities.
  3. Enter the tenant's utility account information in the appropriate utility field. Account numbers may be entered for one or more utilities
  4. Select the Vendor (Utility Company/Landlord) using BROWSE. A Vendor may be selected for the Gas/Fuel, Electric, Water, Sewer, and/or Trash Accounts.
  5. Check the Enable for Direct Payment box for each utility that is to be paid the utility reimbursement. Checking this box tells the system to send the Utility Reimbursement to the selected vendor.
  6. SAVE and CLOSE the Tenant Enhanced Utility Setup dialog box.
  7. Go to QUICK LINKS menu > Rent/FSS > Rent Calculation.
  8. There will be a new tab or view called Utility Payments. Click on this tab to open it.
  9. The total amount of the reimbursement will be shown in Utility Reimbursement.
  10. Under Direct Payment Setup, each utility that has been setup will be displayed with the account # shown in the Direct To field. This information interfaces from QUICK LINKS menu > Utilities.
  11. Enter the dollar amount to be redirected in the correct utility field. Fields that have not been enabled for payment will not allow any information to be entered. If multiple utilities have been setup the dollar amount should be allocated to the correct utility.
  12. Please be aware that when a tenant has a change in their Utility Reimbursement amount, it will need to be changed on the "Utility Payment" tab in the Rent Calculation program.
  13. SAVE and CLOSE the Rent Calculation Worksheet dialog box.
  14. Close the Tenant Master.
  15. When processing checks for the 1st of the month, please run the Tenant Utility Reimbursement Verification Report. Select the Payment Cycle and enter the Effective Date.
  16. The report is designed to display tenants that are receiving a UR and have not been setup properly to have their payment sent to the Utility Company.

12/2023

NEED MORE HELP?  Submit a ticket to the Help Desk or call (814) 535-7810 or (800) 889-3388