When the spreadsheet stops coping
Nearly everyone starts with a spreadsheet. It is free, familiar and perfectly fine, until the portfolio grows. This is an honest look at where spreadsheets work, where they break, and what changes when you move housing management into one controlled workspace.
Where spreadsheets work
For a handful of properties, run by one person, a spreadsheet is genuinely fine. It is quick to set up and everyone knows how to use it. There is no shame in starting there.
Where they break
The cracks show as you grow:
- Version chaos. Two people edit two copies, and neither is the truth.
- No reminders. A spreadsheet never warns you a certificate is about to expire.
- No audit trail. You cannot see who changed what, or when.
- No portals. Every landlord and tenant question comes back to you by email.
- Reporting by hand. Every summary is rebuilt from scratch.
Side by side
| Spreadsheet | DwellGov | |
|---|---|---|
| Properties & tenancies | Separate lists | Linked in one workspace |
| Rent tracking | Manual | Per tenancy, in one view |
| Compliance reminders | None | Automatic due-date alerts |
| Document links | Scattered | Linked to each record |
| Tenant & landlord portals | None | Built in |
| Reporting | By hand | Standard reports ready |
| Audit trail | None | Every change recorded |
| Multiple users | Risky | Controlled access |
What you gain
One place that stays true as you add properties, reminders that watch the dates for you, portals that cut your inbox, and reports that are ready when you need them. The day-to-day gets quieter, and nothing depends on one person remembering.
Moving your data across
Getting started is straightforward: export from your spreadsheet and we help you get set up in your own private, branded workspace. Your data stays yours, and you can export it from DwellGov at any time.
Related: Pricing · Housing software for managing agents · Live demo
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