Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What support services are
available for Rental Workbook Users?
A. Firstly, there is the online popup help (the little red triangles)
at key points on each sheet. Combined with this User Guide, most of your questions
should be covered.
Secondly, the free online Knowledgebase, which is available 24x7x365 with help and previously answered questions on practically all Rental Workbook subjects. Refer http://www.excelaustralia.com.au/forum
Thirdly, we have online tutorial videos available.
There's also free e-mail support available from our Support page. Please note that while we are happy to assist you with Rental Workbook problems, we cannot help you learn how to use your PC. You may be able to get a friend to help you with this or do a basic computer skills course.
Lastly, you can obtain telephone support by calling us on 1300 880 907. Note that a telephone support fee will be charged.
Q. How do I register
the Rental Workbook software?
A. On purchase, your details are contained within your customised Rental
Workbook software, so no further registration is required. To see what your
username is, go to the About worksheet.
If your name does not show at the top of each printed page, you may not have
a properly registered copy and should contact us
Q. What information/records
should I keep for my property?
A. You should retain all the supporting documentation for all the information
you key into the Rental Workbook.
The Rental Workbook does not replace the need for proper record keeping however it assists you in making sure you think of everything when keeping records for your investment property, and maintains a neat summary of all your information.
Q. Will I be able to
use the Rental Workbook if I have never used Excel?
A. You only need to know how to do some very simple things in Excel (e.g.
open a file, move around using the arrow keys, edit information in a cell etc).
Even if you've hardly ever used Excel before, you'll be able to use the Rental
Workbook!
The Rental Workbook also comes with a helpful User Guide that describes each aspect of the program.
Help is also available via the pop-up help boxes, the W icon in the top right-hand corner of each page, online help knowledgebase, online tutorial videos or e-mail - just refer to the Support page.
Please note that while we are happy to assist you with Rental Workbook problems, we cannot help you learn how to use your PC. You may be able to get a friend to help you with this or do a basic computer skills course.
You can also obtain telephone support by calling us on 1300 880 907. Note that a telephone support fee will be charged.
Q. Do I need to add anything
to my computer to use the Rental Workbook?
A. You need to have Excel 2002 (XP) or later installed on your computer.
The Rental Workbook is not supported on a Mac platform or any other spreadsheet
programs.
Q. How do I get new versions
when the Rental Workbook is updated?
A. As updated versions of the Rental Workbook are released, you will automatically
receive notices about the new updates via e-mail (provided you renew your subscription
each year). You can then download the update to your PC and install it.
Q. How long is the subscription
valid?
A. 1 Year from initial registration. Your subscription is renewable annually,
by opening the Rental Workbook then going to the Rental Workbook menu (Rental
Workbook > Utilities > Renew Software Licence).
Your subscription provides you with all updates and upgrades to the Rental Workbook
that are released within 12 months from your initial registration.
You also get our property investment
newsletter, which contains useful property investment articles and news, valuable
tips about getting more out of your Rental Workbook, and Rental Workbook news.
Q. What happens when
my subscription runs out?
A. Your subscription is valid for a period of 12 months so in order to
keep your software current, you'll need to pay an annual renewal fee (currently $99).
Q. May I use the software on more than one
computer?
A. The software is licensed to one person
only however you can copy the file and use it on other computers if you
wish.
Q. What happened to all
my Excel menus and toolbars?
A. This program provides you with a fully customised Rental Workbook menu,
which replaces all the other Excel menus and toolbars. This custom menu provides
all the key functions you need to operate the Rental Workbook. When you close
the Rental Workbook application, all your original menu and toolbars will be
restored.
If you're using Excel 2007, click on the "Add-ins" menu and then you'll see the Rental Workbook menu.
Q. How do I move between
different sheets in the Rental
Workbook?
A. 1) Use the customised Rental
Workbook menu bar, found at the top left of your screen,
OR 2) Use the four green buttons ... |<
First, << Back, Next >>, Last >|,
OR 3) The Quick Links drop down menu
provided at the top right of each page.
Q. What are the little red triangles at the top right of
certain cells?
A. These are important comments
applicable to the cell or range of cells. To view comments, hover over
the cell with your mouse.
Q. How do I enter/edit
information in the Notes section?
A. Place the mouse pointer in the Notes section and double click or press
F2.
Q. How do I move onto another line in the Notes
section?
A. Press ALT-Enter and you will get a new line.
Q. What does the "Quick links" dropdown menu
do?
A. This allows you to jump between sheets without
having to click Next or Back multiple times. Just remember to push the
"Go" button once selected!
Q. How do I re-calculate the
spreadsheet?
A. By default, all calculations are
updated automatically. If you've setup your version of Excel to
calculate manually, simply press F9 and the spreadsheet will
re-calculate.
Q. What is "Fill down"?
A. This button
will copy data from the cell containing the "Fill down" button to all
the yellow shaded cells below. It's an easy way of entering the same
number in all cells.
Q. How do I save property
data I have entered?
A. Select the following from the customised Rental Workbook menu bar:
Rental Workbook > Property > Save
This saves all the current Property Data into the Rental Workbook database and then saves the entire Rental Workbook too.
Rental Workbook > Save
This only saves the entire Rental Workbook, but does not save the current Property Data into the Rental Workbook database.
Q. How do I delete a property
I no longer own?
A. Select the following from the customised Rental Workbook menu bar (not
forgetting to run a back-up first):
Rental Workbook > Property > Delete
Q. How do I retrieve
property data I have entered?
A. Go to the Property Details sheet, select the property you want to retrieve
as shown in the Properties dropdown menu on the right of the sheet and then
click the Retrieve button.
If you are viewing an existing Property, you may be prompted to save your existing Property details before retrieving the new property. If you choose to save the existing property details, the current property details will be saved prior to retrieving the new property data.
You will notice that the Excel "Status Bar" (the line at the bottom of the Excel screen where messages appear) will inform you as to the progress of your save/retrieval.
Q. How do I input New
Property data?
A. Select the following from the customised Rental Workbook menu bar:
Rental Workbook > Property > New
If you were viewing an existing property, you may be prompted to save the existing data prior to clearing all yellow shaded input cells.
Q. What do I do if an error
appears?
A. Note the error and if possible send an
e-mail to us at .
Details may be found at the bottom of the "About" page. To get to the
"About" page select the following from the customised Rental Workbook
menu bar:
Rental Workbook > About
Q. Why can't I enter
any negative values for expenses?
A. All numeric values are to be input as positive (including expenses).
You don't need to worry about using negatives at all.
Q. What format should I use for
dates?
A. All dates to be input in format
setup under Windows (Start > Settings > Control Panel
> Regional Settings). Provided you have selected
English (Australia), your date format will be dd/mm/yyyy.
Q. How many Properties can I enter in one Rental
Workbook?
A. The maximum is currently 20 properties.
If you have more than 20 properties, you can simply use two copies of
the Rental Workbook: the first will hold properties 1-20, while the
second will hold properties 21-40 (for example).
Q. How do I print the
current page I am viewing?
A. Select the following from the customised Rental Workbook menu bar:
Rental Workbook > Print > This Page
You may preview the page before printing, and change your printer options such
as Duplex / Colour (depending on your printer).
Q. How do I print a full
report?
A. Select the following from the
customised Rental Workbook menu bar:
Rental Workbook
> Print > Full Report
Yes, you may preview
the full report before printing.
Q. I cannot find the "About" selection on the customised
Rental Workbook menu bar?
A. You may have customised
menus turned on in Excel. If so, click on the two downward facing arrows
at the bottom of the customised Rental Workbook menu bar and all
available menu items will now appear.
Q. How do I transfer or send
my data to my accountant?
A. Either e-mail the whole Rental Workbook to your accountant.
Your accountant can print off the sheets that they require, or you can print the reports to a PDF file format and e-mail them to your accountant. Your accountant does not need to have his/her own copy of the Rental Workbook.
In order to print to a PDF file format you will need to either have Adobe Acrobat (not Acrobat Reader) or another program that can create PDF files (there is a free PDF creator available at http://www.cutepdf.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp (opens in new window).
Q. I cannot find the
answer to my question in FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)?
A. E-mail your question to Excel Australia at or browse the Knowledgebase.