A deposit register is only as good as its last update after a move-out. When reinstatement costs, unpaid utilities, and partial refunds collide, an outdated spreadsheet becomes a liability of its own.
Record the contractual deposit, the bank account where funds sit, and the conditions for release on the day the lease is signed—not when the tenant leaves. Update the same row when partial deductions are agreed, with a date and initials.
For portfolios spanning several buildings in New Taipei City, separate registers per building reduce mix-ups between similarly named tenants. A monthly control total that ties to the balance sheet keeps the habit alive.
During our deposit and guarantee reviews we often find dormant balances for tenants who left two years earlier. Clearing those with proper documentation is quieter before a refinance than during one.