Splitting a Buildium account

From time to time, people ask how to divide up one Buildium account into multiple accounts.

For example, you might use the information in this article if you're a property manager who is changing brokers, a landlord who has decided to use two Buildium accounts to manage a geographically separated portfolio, or an association who needs to split out your association owner's rentals from the association itself.

There are multiple steps you will need to take to move data from an existing Buildium account to a new account. Buildium can easily export property, lease, and resident data, but financial data will need to be imported manually.

Bank accounts

Once you've created the new account, add all of your bank accounts to your new account.

Properties and associations

Transferring properties and associations from one account to another can be accomplished in just a few steps:

1. Export data from your Properties page or Associations page.

   If your properties and associations have a lot of units, export your property and unit data from the Export Data page instead.

2. Property and association export files can be directly imported into the new account using the same file, though the export file will contain all properties and associations that were in the previous account.
   
   If you are only moving some properties to the new account, you'll need to manually edit the export file to only include those you want imported.

3. Import your file into the new Buildium account.
4. Compare the new account's data to the old account to make sure that everything matches.

Tenants and association owners

1. Export data from your Tenants page or Association owners page.

   You can also export your data from the Export Data page. Export files from Buildium cannot be directly imported into another Buildium account.

2. Tenant and association owner export files can be directly imported into the new account using the same file, though the export file will contain all properties and associations that were in the previous account.
   
   If you are only moving some properties to the new account, you'll need to manually edit the export file to only include those you want imported.
3. Import your file into the new Buildium account.
4. Compare the new account's data to the old account to make sure that everything matches.

Rental owners

1. Export data from your Rental owners page.

   You can also export your data from the Export Data page. Export files from Buildium cannot be directly imported into another Buildium account.

2. Rental owner export files can be directly imported into the new account using the same file, though the export file will contain all properties and associations that were in the previous account. 
   
   If you are only moving some properties to the new account, you'll need to manually edit the export file to only include those you want imported.

3. Import your file into the new Buildium account.
4. Compare the new account's data to the old account to make sure that everything matches.

Vendors

1. Export data from your Vendors page.

   You can also export your data from the Export Data page. Export files from Buildium cannot be directly imported into another Buildium account.

2. Vendor export files can be directly imported into the new account using the same file, though the export file will contain all properties and associations that were in the previous account. 
   
   If you are only moving some properties to the new account, you'll need to manually edit the export file to only include those you want imported.
3. Import your file into the new Buildium account.
4. Compare the new account's data to the old account to make sure that everything matches.

Charges and payments

If you plan to bring over financial information from your old Buildium account to the new one, you'll need to choose an accounting start date for the new account.

Since Buildium does not offer an export template for financials, you can choose whatever date you like to start your accounting, but the further in the past your start date is, the more financial information you will need to manually enter into your new Buildium account.

Setting up your new Buildium account will follow the same opening balances process that you used when you started at Buildium.

Buildium offers a charges and payments import file that can be filled out manually. Payments imported in this manner must be deposited manually into bank accounts.

Bank deposits

Bank deposits are best created manually after payments have been added to your new Buildium account.

Checks

Checks can be imported in a limited fashion. If your check has more than three line items in it, add it manually.

Setting up your new Buildium account will follow the same opening balances process that you used when you started at Buildium.

Other accounting transactions

General journal entries, other bank transactions, bills, and any ledger transactions not covered above, such as refunds and applied deposits, must be entered manually.

Clean up

If you brought over accounting transactions, make sure that everything matches between the new and old account:

• Compare tenant statements or association owner statements.
• Compare rental owner ending balances.
• Reconcile your bank account.
• (Optional) Inactivate your properties and associations within the old Buildium account.
• Adjust the subscription of the old Buildium account to reflect the new unit count.