Operating reserve

An operating reserve is accessible cash set aside for near-term property obligations and shocks, such as vacancy, insurance deductibles, urgent repairs, utility spikes, or a delayed rent receipt. It protects operations from depending on the owner’s next deposit.

The target should reflect the property’s fixed costs, volatility, insurance deductibles, tenant concentration, condition, seasonality, and access to other liquidity. “Three months” or “six months” can be a scenario, but neither is a universal rule.

Keep the reserve distinct from tenant security deposits, tax or insurance escrow, and a component-based capital reserve. Those balances have different owners, restrictions, timing, and reporting purposes.

Build the target from cash obligations rather than gross rent alone. Start with debt service, taxes, insurance, owner-paid utilities, recurring contracts, payroll or management obligations, and the costs that continue through vacancy. Add a property-specific shock such as an insurance deductible or urgent system repair, then model how long it would take to restore income. The result is a scenario with visible assumptions, not a universal percentage.

Review the reserve after a major repair, acquisition, refinance, insurance change, rent interruption, or material change in occupancy. Record transfers as reserve funding or use instead of income or expense by themselves, retain the invoice or operating event that explains a withdrawal, and define how the balance will be replenished. If several properties share cash, preserve the ownership and property allocation so one building does not silently consume another building’s buffer.