For years, common expenses were worked out with a calculator and posted on a sheet of paper at the entrance. Today there are more options: spreadsheets, professional management companies and apps that split expenses automatically. Which one suits your building?
The four main options
Paper and calculator
It costs nothing, but it is slow, error-prone and leaves no easily verifiable history. When the manager changes, the information is often lost too.
Excel or Google Sheets
A well-built spreadsheet makes calculations faster. But it depends on the person who built it, one wrong formula can go unnoticed, and sending statements to residents is still manual.
Management company
A professional manager takes care of everything for a monthly fee. It is a sensible choice for large buildings or when no owner has the time. Read more about the role of the building manager.
Common expenses app
The manager, owner or professional, enters the expenses and the app splits them and sends the statements. It combines the low cost of self-management with the accuracy and transparency of a professional tool.
Comparison at a glance
| Paper | Excel | Company | App | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | None | None | Monthly fee | Low |
| Manager’s time | A lot | Medium | Minimal | Little |
| Risk of errors | High | Medium | Low | Low |
| Sending to residents | Manual | Manual | By the company | Automatic |
| History | Difficult | Depends on the file | With the company | Always available |
What to look for in common expenses software
- Multiple per-mille tables: general, lift, heating.
- Automatic splitting without rounding differences.
- Clear statements broken down by expense category.
- Electronic delivery to residents, no printing.
- Ease of use: an owner without accounting knowledge should be able to run it.
- Support in your language, ideally both Greek and English.
- A free trial with no commitment, so you can test it with your building’s real data.
Making the switch
- Gather the per-mille tables from the building regulations.
- List the apartments, owners and residents with contact emails.
- Enter each apartment’s current balance or prepayment.
- Run the first month in parallel with the old method to compare results.
- Let residents know they will receive their statement electronically from now on.
Try BeeManager
BeeManager is a Greek app for calculating and issuing common expenses, available in Greek and English. It splits expenses automatically and sends every resident a detailed PDF statement. You can start for free, with no card and no commitment. See our plans and pricing.