Check printing for landlords and property managers
Check Writer 123 lets landlords and property managers print checks from any browser and printer: contractor invoices, security deposit refunds and owner payouts, with a separate bank account for each property. Plans start at $9.99 per month after a 14-day free trial with no card. Keep your books in QuickBooks or a spreadsheet, print the checks here, and export the register to CSV for your records.
14-day free trial, no card needed. Prints on blank check stock, pre-printed stock or plain paper. Works with the printer you already own.
Where checks get messy for landlords
Several properties, several bank accounts
A duplex in one LLC, a single-family house in your own name and a rental in a third entity do not share a checkbook. Ordering pre-printed checks for each account means three reorders, three sets of numbers and a stack of stock that is easy to grab from the wrong drawer.
Contractors who want a check today
The plumber, the roofer and the lawn crew all send invoices at different times and often prefer paper. You need the right payee name, the invoice number and the property address on every payment, or the bill is hard to trace when you prepare your rental income and expenses.
Security deposit refunds with deductions
A refund is rarely the full deposit. You subtract cleaning or repairs, name every tenant correctly, send an itemized statement and meet a state deadline. A hand-written check and a typed statement on separate pages invites mistakes and disputes.
Records scattered at tax time
Check stubs in a drawer, a register in a notebook and invoices in a glovebox do not make a clean expense list. Your accountant needs payee, date, amount and property for every payment, and you need to know who is nearing the 1099 reporting threshold.
How a landlord uses Check Writer 123
Set it up once for each bank account, then every check takes about a minute. Here is the routine most landlords end up with.
- 1
Add a bank account for each property or entity
Enter the account holder name, routing number and account number exactly as they appear on your bank records. The routing number lookup checks the checksum, so a typo is caught before it becomes a returned check. Upload a logo if the entity has one.
- 2
Run a test print and save the alignment
Print on plain paper first, hold it against a real check in front of a light, and nudge the page until it lines up. The alignment is saved for that account. Test prints are free and never count toward your plan.
- 3
Save your regular payees
Add the plumber, the electrician, the lawn service and the insurance agent to your vendor list once. Reusing the same name every time keeps the register searchable and makes year-end totals accurate.
- 4
Write the check with the property in the memo
Choose the bank account, pick the payee, enter the amount and put a short property code and invoice number in the memo. The amount in words and the check number fill in automatically. Paste invoice lines onto the stub if a bill has several parts.
- 5
Print, file and export the register
Print on your check stock, sign, and file the invoice. At month end, compare the register with the bank statement. At year end, download the register as CSV and hand it to your accountant.
Features that fit rental work
Multiple bank accounts
Keep one account per property or LLC in a single login. Plans include 2, 4 or unlimited accounts, and alignment is saved for each one.
Saved vendors and payees
Store contractors, utilities and tenants once so payee names stay consistent from check to check.
Invoice lines on the stub
Paste rows from a spreadsheet to list parts, labor and deposit deductions on the stub so the payee can see how the amount was reached.
Attach a supporting document
Attach one PDF, PNG or JPG up to 1 MB, such as an itemized deposit statement, and print it right after the check.
Check register, report and CSV
Search past checks, print a register report or download a CSV to sort by payee or by the property code in your memo.
Batch printing, reprint and void
Enter up to 25 checks at once for a monthly bill run, reprint a jammed check for free, and print a voided check when a payment must be replaced.
Example: three rentals, one afternoon of bills
A landlord owns three rentals: a duplex and a house held in one LLC, and a condo in her own name. She keeps two bank accounts, one for the LLC and one for the condo. On the first of the month she opens Check Writer 123, selects the LLC account and prints a $385.00 check to the plumber for a water heater valve at the duplex, with 'DUP-A Inv 2207' in the memo.
Then she switches to the condo account and pays the HOA $240.00 with the unit number in the memo. A tenant who moved out of the house is owed a deposit refund. The deposit was $1,200.00, the carpet cleaner charged $185.00 and a smoke detector cover cost $12.50, so the check is $1,002.50. She pastes the three figures onto the stub, attaches her itemized statement and prints.
That is three checks from two accounts, each in the register with its property code. These figures are only an illustration. Your own amounts, deadlines and deductions depend on your lease and your state.
An illustration with made-up figures, not a real customer.
How should a landlord organize checks across several properties?
Start with how the properties are owned. If they sit in separate LLCs, most landlords give each its own bank account and keep money from crossing over. If you own a few small rentals personally, one account with a clear naming habit can work. Your accountant or attorney should decide which structure is right for you.
Whatever you choose, make the paperwork match the structure. Each account should have the right name and logo on its checks, its own saved alignment and, ideally, its own folder for invoices. When accounts are shared, a short property code at the start of the memo lets you sort a spreadsheet by building later.
Check Writer 123 holds all of the accounts under one login. You pick the account on each check, and the preview shows the name and numbers before you print. Looking at that preview is the habit that prevents most wrong-account mistakes.
- Name accounts by street address or entity so the right one is obvious in the drop-down.
- Use one memo format for every check, such as property code, invoice number, then a word about the work.
- Ask for a separate invoice for each property when one vendor serves several buildings.
- Keep tenant security deposits where your state and lease say they belong, and do not pay repair bills from that account unless your attorney confirms you may.
What goes on a security deposit refund check?
The check amount is the deposit, plus any interest your state requires, minus lawful deductions. The payee line should follow the names on the lease. When two or more tenants signed, ask your attorney whether to write one check to all of them or separate checks, and get the tenants' written instructions if they want to split it.
Most states want an itemized list of deductions and set a deadline for sending it, so a refund check usually travels with a statement. You can paste each deduction onto the check stub and attach the statement as a PDF to print right after the check. Photograph or scan both before they go in the envelope.
Send the envelope with a method that gives proof, such as tracked or certified mail. Your state may count the deadline from move-out or from receipt of keys, so read your statute and the lease. Our guide on returning a security deposit by check walks through a worked example.
What records do landlords need from their checks at tax time?
For each rental payment, your accountant generally wants the date, payee, amount, property and what the money was for. Invoices and W-9s back up the entries. Whether a repair is deductible or must be treated as an improvement is a tax question, so ask your accountant instead of guessing.
A register that records every check you print gives you most of that list without extra typing. Download it as CSV once a quarter, sort by payee and see who is approaching the IRS reporting threshold for Form 1099-NEC. The threshold changes, so check the current amount or ask your accountant.
Keep your books in QuickBooks, a spreadsheet or whatever you use now, and treat the register as the clean list of what you wrote. Reconcile it against each bank statement every month. Our guide to paying contractors from a rental account shows what to collect before each payment.
- Ask each new contractor for a W-9 before the first payment.
- Write the invoice number on the memo so the check and the bill can be matched later.
- Export the register on a regular schedule and keep the file with your yearly records.
What it costs
One flat monthly price with every feature on every plan. The plans differ only in checks per month and bank accounts. You also pay for your own paper and ink.
Occasional Pack
$9.99
per month
20 checks a month
2 bank accounts
Mid Tier
$13.99
per month
60 checks a month
4 bank accounts
Unlimited
$29.99
per month
Unlimited checks
Unlimited bank accounts
A check counts when you press Print. Reprints and Test Prints are free. 30-day money-back guarantee on your first payment; see the refund policy.
Frequently asked questions
Can landlords print their own checks for repairs and contractors?
Yes. A landlord can print checks on blank check stock or plain paper using a browser and an ordinary printer. Choose the bank account for the property, enter the payee, amount and invoice number, and print. Whether a bank accepts a check printed this way is up to that bank, so confirm with yours before you rely on it.
How do landlords return a security deposit by check?
Subtract lawful deductions from the deposit, write the refund to the tenants named on the lease, and send it with an itemized statement before your state's deadline. Use the forwarding address and keep copies of the check and statement. Deadlines and rules vary by state, so check your statute or ask an attorney.
Can I print checks for multiple rental properties with different bank accounts?
Yes. You can add several bank accounts, each with its own name, routing number, account number and logo, and choose the right one for each check. Plans include 2 bank accounts, 4 bank accounts or unlimited. With blank check stock, the same paper works for every account because the account details are printed by the software.
How do landlords keep their books while printing checks here?
Keep your books wherever you already do, whether that is QuickBooks, a spreadsheet or a ledger, and print the checks here. Each check goes into the register with payee, date, amount and memo, and you can download the register as CSV once a month or at year end. Many landlords compare that CSV with their books and the bank statement to confirm every payment is recorded.
How much does check printing cost for a small landlord?
There is a 14-day free trial with no card needed. After that, the Occasional Pack is $9.99 per month for 20 checks and 2 bank accounts, Mid Tier is $13.99 per month for 60 checks and 4 accounts, and Unlimited is $29.99 per month. Every plan has all features. You still pay for your own check stock and ink or toner.
Do I need a W-9 before paying a contractor on my rental property?
Collecting a W-9 before the first payment is standard practice for independent contractors, because you may need their details if a Form 1099-NEC is required. The IRS reporting threshold changes, so check the current rules or ask your accountant. Keep each W-9 with the vendor file along with their invoices.
What is the best way to pay vendors who want a check each month?
Enter all of that month's bills in one batch session, up to 25 checks at once, and print them together. Choose the account for each property, add the invoice number in the memo, sign the checks and deliver them by hand or by mail. Saved vendors keep payee names identical, and the register records every check for your monthly reconciliation.
How do I keep tenant security deposits separate from repair money?
Your state and lease may say where deposits must be held, and some states restrict mixing them with operating funds, so ask your attorney. In Check Writer 123, you can keep a separate bank account for deposits and pick the right account for every check. The preview shows the account name and numbers before you print.
Guides for landlords and property managers
- How to Pay Contractors From a Rental Property Bank Account
- How to Return a Security Deposit by Check
- How to Print Checks for Multiple Rental Properties
- How to Print Contractor Checks
- How to Print Rent Checks for Your Business
- How to Print Checks for Multiple Bank Accounts
- How to Keep a Digital Record of Printed Checks
Also for
Print your first rental check today
Start the 14-day free trial, add your first bank account and run a free test print on plain paper. No card is needed to start, and you can cancel anytime in Settings.