Match and categorise transactions
Connect imported income and expenses to the correct property, tenancy, rent schedule, maintenance request and financial category.
Matching connects an actual transaction to the record it relates to. Categorisation identifies the transaction type and determines where it appears within property statements, performance figures and other financial reports.
How transaction matching works
A transaction can be connected to rent, a property expense, a maintenance request or another financial category. The source transaction should remain unchanged while its allocation and category provide the context.
£1,250 received
1 September 2026
Reference: OAK-SEP-2026
September expected rent
24 Oak Avenue
Current tenancy
Keep the imported amount, date and reference equal to the source record. Add the property, category and allocation separately.
Understand the matching statuses
Matched
The full transaction has been connected to the relevant rent, expense or other record.
Partially matched
Part of the transaction has been allocated and a remaining balance still requires review.
Needs review
Estavo has identified a possible connection, but the user must confirm it.
Unmatched
The transaction has not yet been assigned to a property, rent period or expense category.
Before matching a transaction
- Confirm the transaction amount.
- Review the source transaction date.
- Check the description and reference.
- Identify the payer or supplier where possible.
- Confirm whether it is income or an expense.
- Search for duplicate transactions.
- Review the relevant property and tenancy.
- Check existing rent schedules and expense records.
- Confirm whether the transaction covers more than one item.
- Leave it unmatched where the correct connection cannot yet be confirmed.
An unmatched transaction is preferable to an incorrect match that affects rent balances, statements and performance reports.
Open transactions requiring review
Open Financials
Select Financials from the main Estavo navigation.
Open Transactions
Select the list containing imported and manually recorded financial transactions.
Filter by Unmatched or Needs Review
Display transactions that still require a connection or category.
Open a transaction
Review the date, amount, description, reference and any suggested match.
Transactions requiring review
Example transaction listMatch an imported rent payment
Open the income transaction
Review the amount, date, payer and payment reference.
Select Match to Rent
Open the rent-allocation area.
Select the property and tenancy
Confirm the tenancy creating the expected rent.
Select the expected rent period
Choose the outstanding or relevant rent entry.
Enter the allocation amount
Allocate all or part of the transaction to the selected period.
Save and review the rent balance
Confirm the period now displays the correct paid or partial-payment status.
Keep the source transaction date unchanged and allocate it to the contractual rent period it satisfies.
Categorise an imported property expense
Open the outgoing transaction
Review the supplier, amount, date and reference.
Select Categorise or Match Expense
Open the property-expense connection area.
Select the property
Choose the property that incurred the cost.
Select the expense category
Choose maintenance, insurance, professional services or another appropriate category.
Add supplier and document details
Record the invoice reference and attach the supporting document where available.
Save and review the expense
Confirm it appears against the correct property and reporting period.
Link a transaction to a maintenance request
- Open the outgoing contractor payment.
- Confirm the supplier and invoice reference.
- Select the relevant property.
- Choose the connected maintenance request.
- Review the quotation and final invoice.
- Confirm the transaction amount matches the payment.
- Attach or review the invoice.
- Check that a manual property expense does not already exist.
- Save the connection and review maintenance costs.
Where the maintenance workflow already contains the invoice, match the imported payment to that existing record rather than adding another expense.
Split one transaction across multiple categories
Split a transaction where one source payment genuinely covers several expenses, properties or rent periods.
Open the transaction
Confirm the total amount and source reference.
Select Split Transaction
Open the multi-allocation area where available.
Add the first allocation
Select the property, category or rent period and enter its amount.
Add the remaining allocations
Repeat until the entire source transaction is explained.
Review the allocation total
Confirm the split amounts equal the original transaction amount.
Save and review each record
Confirm the allocations appear against the correct properties and categories.
Splitting should allocate the transaction rather than replacing it with unrelated duplicate entries.
Allocate an expense across multiple properties
Equal split
Divide the cost evenly only where this reflects the genuine expense allocation.
Property-specific split
Allocate different amounts based on invoices, usage, work completed or another valid basis.
Portfolio-level cost
Leave the expense at portfolio level where it cannot reasonably be assigned to individual properties.
Allocation notes
Record the basis used so the split can be reviewed later.
Leave a transaction unmatched
Leave a transaction unmatched where the property, tenant, supplier or category cannot yet be confirmed.
- Retain the original date, amount and reference.
- Add a note describing what information is missing.
- Search tenant and supplier references.
- Compare the transaction with expected rent and invoices.
- Avoid assigning it to a property based only on the amount.
- Review unmatched items regularly.
- Complete the match when sufficient information becomes available.
Correct an inaccurate match
Open the matched transaction
Review the source date, amount, description and reference.
Review the existing connection
Check the property, tenancy, rent period, category or maintenance request.
Select Unmatch or Edit Allocation
Remove the incorrect connection without deleting the source transaction.
Apply the correct match
Select the correct property, rent period, expense or category.
Save and review affected balances
Check rent arrears, expenses, statements and performance for all affected records.
Correct the allocation or category while retaining the actual money-in or money-out record.
Review matched and categorised transactions
- Filter the transaction list by matched status.
- Review the total matched income.
- Review the total categorised expenses.
- Check partially matched transactions.
- Review remaining unmatched items.
- Confirm rent payments reduced the correct balances.
- Check expenses appear against the correct property.
- Review maintenance-cost connections.
- Check property statements for the selected period.
- Compare totals against the source bank or transaction file.
Common transaction-matching problems
No suggested match appears
Search manually using the property, tenant, supplier, amount and date.
Rent remains overdue after matching
Confirm the payment was allocated to the correct expected rent period.
The wrong property was selected
Remove the incorrect allocation and review the balances for both properties.
The expense appears twice
Check whether an existing manual expense and the imported transaction both remain active.
The transaction is only partly matched
Review the remaining balance and allocate or leave it unmatched until its purpose is confirmed.
A split does not equal the original amount
Correct the allocations so their total matches the source transaction.
The category is missing from reports
Check the transaction date, property, category and report filters.
The match cannot be removed
Check permissions and whether the transaction is locked by another completed financial process.
The transactions are matched and categorised
The next guide explains how to review overdue rent, partial payments, unapplied transactions and outstanding tenancy balances.
Continue to rent arrears