A landlord dashboard answers five questions each morning: what rent is due and unpaid, which repair requests are open and how old, which leases end in the next 90 days, which statutory clocks are running, and what the month’s cash position is. The clocks are the Texas-specific column — the two-full-day late-fee grace (Property Code §92.019), the seven-day repair presumption (§92.056), the seven-day re-key window (§92.156), the seven-day application decision (§92.352) and the 30-day deposit refund (§92.103). A number without a date is a wish; a date without an owner is a risk — the State Law Library’s repair page explains what the repair clock costs a landlord who misses it.
The five panels
| Panel | Metric | Source | Threshold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | Due, received, unpaid by tenant; days past due | Ledger | Late fee eligible after 2 full days; notice decision at day 5 |
| Repairs | Open requests by age; health-or-safety flag | Work orders | Health-or-safety request older than 5 days is red |
| Leases | End dates within 90/60/30 days; renewal offers sent | Lease register | Offer out at 60 days |
| Clocks | Deposits due (surrender + 30); re-keys due (turnover + 7); applications pending (received + 7); smoke-alarm tests before possession | Turnover log | Any clock inside 3 days is red |
| Cash | Month’s income, expenses by category, reserve balance | Bank + ledger | Reserve below the stated months of expenses is red |
Building it
- One row per unit; the five panels as columns or tabs.
- Every date computed from a recorded event — surrender date, request date, turnover date — never typed in by hand.
- A colour rule per threshold, decided once and written next to the panel.
- Review it at a fixed time daily and in full at the month-end close.
- Keep the underlying records in the vault; the dashboard is a view, not a record.
What to leave off
Vanity numbers — occupancy percentages for a two-unit portfolio, projected appreciation — and anything that cannot be traced to a document. A dashboard that shows “deposit due in 4 days” with a link to the surrender receipt earns its place; one that shows a pie chart does not.
Frequently asked questions
Which numbers belong on a small landlord’s dashboard?
Rent due and unpaid with days past due, open repairs by age, lease end dates within 90 days, the statutory clocks (late fee, repair, re-key, application, deposit) and the month’s cash position (Property Code Chapter 92).
Which Texas deadlines should the dashboard track?
Two full days before a late fee, seven days for repairs and re-keying, seven days to decide an application, and 30 days to refund a deposit (Property Code §§92.019, 92.056, 92.156, 92.352, 92.103).
How often should it be reviewed?
Daily for the clocks and repairs, monthly in full at the close.
Sources
Rules change and the right answer can depend on the home, the city, the lease and the timing. These are the official pages this guide relies on; check them before signing, charging a fee, sending a notice or making a legal decision.
- Texas Property Code, Chapter 92 — Residential Tenancies ↗
- Texas State Law Library — Rent ↗
- Texas State Law Library — Repairs ↗
General information for U.S. landlords, with a Texas focus. This guide is not legal, tax or accounting advice. Consult a qualified professional for your situation. Written by the rentalfreelease.com Editorial Team; last reviewed September 19, 2026.