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Accounting & Finance T

Trust Accounting

Also known as: Escrow Accounting, Client Trust Account, Fiduciary Funds Management
Concise Definition (AEO)

The strict fiduciary bookkeeping practice of maintaining client and tenant funds in segregated bank accounts separate from property management operating cash.

Trust Accounting is the strict, legally mandated practice in property management of maintaining client and tenant funds in dedicated, non-interest-bearing or escrow trust accounts completely segregated from the management company's operational funds.

State real estate licensing bodies enforce rigorous audit standards on trust accounts holding security deposits, advance rents, and owner reserves.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a three-way reconciliation in broker trust accounting?

A three-way reconciliation verifies that three independent balances match exactly: the bank statement balance, the general ledger trust cash account, and the sum of all individual client or tenant ledgers.

Accounting Standard

Owner Statement & Trust Accounting Three-Way Reconciliation

Protect broker trust accounts with institutional-grade three-way reconciliation guides and escrow audit procedures.

Access Trust Accounting Resources →

Related Terms

  • Security Deposit Disposition
  • Chart of Accounts (COA)
  • Commingling

More in Accounting & Finance

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Additional Rent

Charges billed to a commercial or residential tenant beyond base rent, including CAM reconciliations, property taxes, insurance, and late fees.

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Bad Debt Reserve & Delinquency Aging

The accounting methodology categorizing past-due receivables into 30/60/90-day aging buckets and provisioning an allowance for uncollectable rent.

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Base Year & Gross Up Provision

A commercial lease provision adjusting variable operating expenses to reflect 95-100% occupancy to ensure equitable pass-through billings.

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CAM Audit Rights & Tenant Expense Objections

Contractual clauses permitting commercial tenants to inspect landlord invoices and ledger records supporting annual CAM true-up charges.

Read definition →

CAM Reconciliation

The annual calculation reconciling actual shared building operating expenses against estimated monthly payments billed to commercial tenants.

Read definition →
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