RentBill Manager: A Complete Solution for Property Management and Utility Billing, Features, Tech Stack, and Benefits

Project Overview: RentBill Manager

Introduction:

RentBill Manager is a web-based or desktop application designed to help property owners efficiently manage renter information and calculate electricity bills. This system streamlines the process of tracking tenant details, rent payments, and utility consumption, ensuring accurate and hassle-free billing.

Objectives:

Maintain a database of renters with their personal and rental details.
Automatically calculate electricity bills based on consumption and rates.
Generate rent and utility invoices for tenants.
Provide a user-friendly dashboard for easy management.
Store historical billing data for future reference.

Key Features:

1. Renter Management – Store and manage tenant details, rental agreements, and payment history.

2. Electricity Bill Calculation – Compute bills based on meter readings and predefined tariff rates.

3. Invoice Generation – Generate and download rent + utility invoices for each renter.

4. Payment Tracking – Record payments and outstanding dues.

5. Automated Notifications – Send bill reminders and payment alerts via email or SMS.

6. User Authentication – Secure login for property owners and authorized personnel.

7. Reporting & Analytics – View past billing records, rent trends, and outstanding payments.

Scope of the Project:

The RentBill Manager system is designed to assist property owners in managing rental properties effectively. The project scope includes:

1. User Roles:

o Property Owners: Can add, edit, and manage renter details, electricity bills, and payments.

o Admin (Optional): If used for larger rental businesses, an admin can oversee multiple properties.

2. Functional Scope:

o Tenant Registration: Store tenant details such as name, contact information, rental unit, and agreement duration.

o Electricity Bill Management: Record electricity meter readings and calculate the monthly bill.

o Rent Collection Management: Track rent payments and outstanding dues.

o Billing and Invoicing: Generate invoices that combine rent and electricity charges.

o Payment Reminders: Notify tenants about due dates for rent and utility payments.

o Reports and Analytics: Generate reports on rental income, unpaid bills, and tenant history.

3. Technology Scope:

o Frontend: HTML, CSS, JavaScript (React.js or Vue.js for dynamic UI).

o Backend: PHP (Laravel) or Node.js (Express) for server-side processing.

o Database: MySQL or PostgreSQL for storing tenant and billing data.

o Additional Tools: Bootstrap for UI, Chart.js for analytics, Twilio for SMS notifications.

4. Limitations:

o The system is primarily designed for small to mid-scale rental property owners.

o Internet access is required for cloud-based operations and automated notifications.

o Meter readings must be entered manually unless integrated with a smart metering system.

Modules of RentBill Manager with Functionality and Database Tables

The RentBill Manager project consists of several modules to efficiently manage renter information, electricity bill calculations, and payments. Below are the key modules, their functionalities, and the respective database tables.

1. User Authentication & Role Management Module

Functionality:

Allows property owners/admins to log in securely.
Manages roles (Owner, Admin, etc.).
Password recovery and security settings.

Database Table:
users

Column Name	Data Type	Description
id	INT (PK)	Unique User ID
name	VARCHAR(255)	Name of the User
email	VARCHAR(255)	User Email (Unique for Login)
password	VARCHAR(255)	Encrypted Password
role	ENUM('owner', 'admin')	User Role
created_at	TIMESTAMP	Account Creation Timestamp
updated_at	TIMESTAMP	Last Update Timestamp

2. Renter Management Module

Functionality:

Allows the owner to add, update, and delete tenant information.
Stores personal details, rental agreements, and tenant status.

Database Table:
renters

Column Name	Data Type	Description
id	INT (PK)	Unique Renter ID
name	VARCHAR(255)	Name of the Renter
contact	VARCHAR(20)	Renter’s Contact Number
email	VARCHAR(255)	Email Address
address	TEXT	Rental Address
rent_amount	DECIMAL(10,2)	Monthly Rent Amount
move_in_date	DATE	Date of Moving In
status	ENUM('active', 'inactive')	Renter Status
created_at	TIMESTAMP	Record Creation Timestamp
updated_at	TIMESTAMP	Last Update Timestamp

3. Rental Unit Management Module

Functionality:

Manages property units and assigns tenants.
Tracks unit numbers and rental agreements.

Database Table:
rental_units

Column Name	Data Type	Description
id	INT (PK)	Unique Rental Unit ID
unit_name	VARCHAR(50)	Unit Number/Name
renter_id	INT (FK)	Linked to renters.id
rent_amount	DECIMAL(10,2)	Monthly Rent for the Unit
status	ENUM('occupied', 'vacant')	Occupancy Status
created_at	TIMESTAMP	Record Creation Timestamp
updated_at	TIMESTAMP	Last Update Timestamp

4. Electricity Bill Management Module

Functionality:

Allows the owner to record electricity meter readings.
Automatically calculates electricity bills based on usage.
Generates and stores billing history.

Database Table:
electricity_bills

Column Name	Data Type	Description
id	INT (PK)	Unique Bill ID
renter_id	INT (FK)	Linked to renters.id
previous_reading	INT	Last Month’s Meter Reading (kWh)
current_reading	INT	Current Month’s Meter Reading (kWh)
units_used	INT	Total Units Consumed
rate_per_unit	DECIMAL(5,2)	Electricity Tariff Rate per Unit
total_amount	DECIMAL(10,2)	Computed Bill Amount
bill_date	DATE	Billing Date
status	ENUM('pending', 'paid')	Payment Status
created_at	TIMESTAMP	Record Creation Timestamp
updated_at	TIMESTAMP	Last Update Timestamp

5. Rent & Bill Payment Management Module

Functionality:

Records rental and electricity bill payments.
Tracks outstanding dues and generates receipts.

Database Table:
payments

Column Name	Data Type	Description
id	INT (PK)	Unique Payment ID
renter_id	INT (FK)	Linked to renters.id
rent_amount	DECIMAL(10,2)	Rent Paid
electricity_bill	DECIMAL(10,2)	Electricity Bill Paid
total_paid	DECIMAL(10,2)	Total Amount Paid
payment_date	DATE	Date of Payment
payment_method	ENUM('cash', 'bank transfer', 'UPI')	Payment Mode
status	ENUM('pending', 'confirmed')	Payment Status
created_at	TIMESTAMP	Record Creation Timestamp
updated_at	TIMESTAMP	Last Update Timestamp

6. Invoice & Report Generation Module

Functionality:

Generates invoices for rent and electricity bills.
Allows owners to download PDF invoices.
Displays summary reports of income and pending payments.

Database Table:
invoices

Column Name	Data Type	Description
id	INT (PK)	Unique Invoice ID
renter_id	INT (FK)	Linked to renters.id
rent_amount	DECIMAL(10,2)	Rent Charged
electricity_bill	DECIMAL(10,2)	Electricity Bill Amount
total_due	DECIMAL(10,2)	Total Amount Due
due_date	DATE	Payment Due Date
status	ENUM('pending', 'paid')	Invoice Status
created_at	TIMESTAMP	Record Creation Timestamp
updated_at	TIMESTAMP	Last Update Timestamp

7. Notification & Alert Module

Functionality:

Sends payment reminders via email or SMS.
Notifies the owner of unpaid bills and rent.

Database Table:
notifications

Column Name	Data Type	Description
id	INT (PK)	Unique Notification ID
renter_id	INT (FK)	Linked to renters.id
message	TEXT	Notification Content
sent_at	TIMESTAMP	Date & Time Sent
status	ENUM('sent', 'pending')	Notification Status
created_at	TIMESTAMP	Record Creation Timestamp

Conclusion

The RentBill Manager system consists of multiple modules that streamline tenant management, rent collection, electricity bill calculation, and invoicing. The structured database ensures smooth handling of financial transactions, reminders, and reporting.

Database Tables for RentBill Manager Project

Below are all the necessary database tables required for the RentBill Manager project, including their structure and descriptions.

1. Users Table (For Authentication & Role Management)

This table stores owner/admin login details.

users

Column Name	Data Type	Description
id	INT (PK)	Unique User ID
name	VARCHAR(255)	Name of the User
email	VARCHAR(255)	User Email (Unique for Login)
password	VARCHAR(255)	Encrypted Password
role	ENUM('owner', 'admin')	User Role
created_at	TIMESTAMP	Account Creation Timestamp
updated_at	TIMESTAMP	Last Update Timestamp

2. Renters Table (For Tenant Information Management)

Stores tenant details and rental agreement information.

renters

Column Name	Data Type	Description
id	INT (PK)	Unique Renter ID
name	VARCHAR(255)	Name of the Renter
contact	VARCHAR(20)	Renter’s Contact Number
email	VARCHAR(255)	Email Address
address	TEXT	Rental Address
rent_amount	DECIMAL(10,2)	Monthly Rent Amount
move_in_date	DATE	Date of Moving In
status	ENUM('active', 'inactive')	Renter Status
created_at	TIMESTAMP	Record Creation Timestamp
updated_at	TIMESTAMP	Last Update Timestamp

3. Rental Units Table (For Property & Room Management)

Manages rental unit information.

rental_units

Column Name	Data Type	Description
id	INT (PK)	Unique Rental Unit ID
unit_name	VARCHAR(50)	Unit Number/Name
renter_id	INT (FK)	Linked to renters.id
rent_amount	DECIMAL(10,2)	Monthly Rent for the Unit
status	ENUM('occupied', 'vacant')	Occupancy Status
created_at	TIMESTAMP	Record Creation Timestamp
updated_at	TIMESTAMP	Last Update Timestamp

4. Electricity Bills Table (For Utility Bill Calculation)

Stores electricity usage and billing details.

electricity_bills

Column Name	Data Type	Description
id	INT (PK)	Unique Bill ID
renter_id	INT (FK)	Linked to renters.id
previous_reading	INT	Last Month’s Meter Reading (kWh)
current_reading	INT	Current Month’s Meter Reading (kWh)
units_used	INT	Total Units Consumed
rate_per_unit	DECIMAL(5,2)	Electricity Tariff Rate per Unit
total_amount	DECIMAL(10,2)	Computed Bill Amount
bill_date	DATE	Billing Date
status	ENUM('pending', 'paid')	Payment Status
created_at	TIMESTAMP	Record Creation Timestamp
updated_at	TIMESTAMP	Last Update Timestamp

5. Payments Table (For Rent & Utility Bill Payments)

Stores rent and bill payment details.

payments

Column Name	Data Type	Description
id	INT (PK)	Unique Payment ID
renter_id	INT (FK)	Linked to renters.id
rent_amount	DECIMAL(10,2)	Rent Paid
electricity_bill	DECIMAL(10,2)	Electricity Bill Paid
total_paid	DECIMAL(10,2)	Total Amount Paid
payment_date	DATE	Date of Payment
payment_method	ENUM('cash', 'bank transfer', 'UPI')	Payment Mode
status	ENUM('pending', 'confirmed')	Payment Status
created_at	TIMESTAMP	Record Creation Timestamp
updated_at	TIMESTAMP	Last Update Timestamp

6. Invoices Table (For Rent & Bill Invoice Generation)

Stores invoice details for rent and electricity bills.

invoices

Column Name	Data Type	Description
id	INT (PK)	Unique Invoice ID
renter_id	INT (FK)	Linked to renters.id
rent_amount	DECIMAL(10,2)	Rent Charged
electricity_bill	DECIMAL(10,2)	Electricity Bill Amount
total_due	DECIMAL(10,2)	Total Amount Due
due_date	DATE	Payment Due Date
status	ENUM('pending', 'paid')	Invoice Status
created_at	TIMESTAMP	Record Creation Timestamp
updated_at	TIMESTAMP	Last Update Timestamp

7. Notifications Table (For Payment & Reminder Alerts)

Stores notification messages for rent/bill due reminders.

notifications

Column Name	Data Type	Description
id	INT (PK)	Unique Notification ID
renter_id	INT (FK)	Linked to renters.id
message	TEXT	Notification Content
sent_at	TIMESTAMP	Date & Time Sent
status	ENUM('sent', 'pending')	Notification Status
created_at	TIMESTAMP	Record Creation Timestamp

Entity-Relationship (ER) Diagram & Data Flow Diagram (DFD) for RentBill Manager

1. Entity-Relationship (ER) Diagram

The ER diagram visually represents how different entities (tables) in the RentBill Manager project interact with each other.

Entities and Their Relationships:

1. User (Owner/Admin)

o Manages tenants and rental units.

o Stores login credentials.

2. Renter (Tenant)

o Linked to Rental Units.

o Generates Electricity Bills.

o Makes Payments for rent & electricity.

3. Rental Units

o Each unit is occupied by a Renter.

o Stores monthly rent amount.

4. Electricity Bills

o Generated monthly based on meter readings.

o Linked to Renter.

5. Payments

o Stores payments made by renters.

o Linked to Renter and Electricity Bills.

6. Invoices

o Generated for rent and electricity.

o Linked to Renter.

7. Notifications

o Sent to Renters for due payments.

ER Diagram Structure

One-to-Many Relationships:

Users → Renters (One owner manages multiple renters)
Renters → Rental Units (One renter occupies one unit)
Renters → Electricity Bills (One renter has multiple bills)
Renters → Payments (One renter makes multiple payments)
Renters → Invoices (One renter gets multiple invoices)
Renters → Notifications (One renter receives multiple notifications)

ER Diagram Representation:

Entities (Rectangles)
Relationships (Diamonds)
Attributes (Ovals)
Primary Keys (Underlined)

2. Data Flow Diagram (DFD)

DFD represents the flow of data between different components of the system.

Levels of DFD:

Level 0: Context Diagram

Actors:

Owner/Admin
Renters (Tenants)

Processes:

Manage Renters & Units
Generate Electricity Bills
Accept Payments
Send Notifications

Data Stores:

Renters Database
Payments Database
Bills Database

Level 1: Main Processes

1. Renter Management

Admin adds, updates, or removes renter details.
Stores data in renters table.

2. Rental Unit Management

Admin assigns a unit to a renter.
Stores data in rental_units table.

3. Electricity Bill Generation

System calculates monthly units consumed.
Generates bill & stores in electricity_bills table.

4. Payment Processing

Renter makes a payment (Cash/UPI/Bank Transfer).
Updates payments table.

5. Invoice Generation

System generates invoices for rent & electricity.
Stores in invoices table.

6. Notifications System

System sends reminders for unpaid dues.
Stores in notifications table.

DFD Level 2: Detailed Process Flow

Each process is further divided into smaller sub-processes:

1. Bill Calculation Process

o Reads previous meter reading.

o Reads current meter reading.

o Calculates units consumed.

o Multiplies by tariff rate.

o Saves bill details.

2. Payment Verification Process

o Checks if invoice exists.

o Matches payment details.

o Updates payment status.

3. Notification Process

o Checks due payments.

o Sends email/SMS to renter.

Conclusion

ER Diagram helps in database design and shows how entities interact.
DFD helps in system architecture and represents how data moves.
Together, they ensure smooth data management in the RentBill Manager system.

Project Structure of "RentBill Manager" using PHP (MVC Architecture)

The Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture separates the project into three main layers:

Model → Manages the database and business logic.
View → Handles the user interface (UI).
Controller → Processes user requests and connects Model & View.

📂 Project Directory Structure

RentBillManager/

│── 📂 app/

│ ├── 📂 controllers/

│ │ ├── HomeController.php

│ │ ├── RenterController.php

│ │ ├── UnitController.php

│ │ ├── BillController.php

│ │ ├── PaymentController.php

│ │ ├── InvoiceController.php

│ │ ├── NotificationController.php

│ │ └── AuthController.php

│ ├── 📂 models/

│ │ ├── User.php

│ │ ├── Renter.php

│ │ ├── Unit.php

│ │ ├── Bill.php

│ │ ├── Payment.php

│ │ ├── Invoice.php

│ │ ├── Notification.php

│ │ └── Database.php

│ ├── 📂 views/

│ │ ├── 📂 layouts/

│ │ │ ├── header.php

│ │ │ ├── sidebar.php

│ │ │ ├── footer.php

│ │ ├── home.php

│ │ ├── login.php

│ │ ├── renters.php

│ │ ├── units.php

│ │ ├── bills.php

│ │ ├── payments.php

│ │ ├── invoices.php

│ │ ├── notifications.php

│ │ └── dashboard.php

│── 📂 public/

│ ├── 📂 css/

│ │ ├── style.css

│ ├── 📂 js/

│ │ ├── script.js

│ ├── 📂 images/

│ ├── index.php

│── 📂 config/

│ ├── config.php

│── 📂 routes/

│ ├── web.php

│── 📂 helpers/

│ ├── functions.php

│── .htaccess

│── README.md

│── composer.json

📌 Explanation of Folders & Files

1️⃣ app/ (Main Application Code)

📂 controllers/ → Handles requests and communicates with models & views.

HomeController.php → Manages the home/dashboard page.
RenterController.php → Manages renters (add, edit, delete).
UnitController.php → Manages rental units.
BillController.php → Generates electricity bills.
PaymentController.php → Handles rent and bill payments.
InvoiceController.php → Manages invoices.
NotificationController.php → Sends due payment reminders.
AuthController.php → Manages login and authentication.

📂 models/ → Handles database queries & logic.

User.php → Manages owner/admin data.
Renter.php → Stores tenant details.
Unit.php → Stores rental unit information.
Bill.php → Manages electricity bills.
Payment.php → Manages rent & bill payments.
Invoice.php → Generates invoices.
Notification.php → Sends email/SMS notifications.
Database.php → Connects to MySQL database.

📂 views/ → Displays the front-end UI.

layouts/ → Common UI components (header, sidebar, footer).
home.php → Dashboard page.
login.php → Login page.
renters.php → List of renters.
units.php → Rental unit management.
bills.php → Electricity bill details.
payments.php → Payment history.
invoices.php → Invoices list.
notifications.php → Notifications.

2️⃣ public/ (Assets & Entry Point)

📂 css/ → Stylesheets (e.g., style.css).
📂 js/ → JavaScript files (e.g., script.js).
📂 images/ → Stores project images.
index.php → Main entry file (loads MVC structure).

3️⃣ config/ (Configuration)

config.php → Database connection and environment settings.

4️⃣ routes/ (Routing)

web.php → Defines URL routes and maps them to controllers.

5️⃣ helpers/ (Utility Functions)

functions.php → Common helper functions.

6️⃣ .htaccess (For URL Routing)

Enables pretty URLs (e.g., example.com/renters instead of example.com/index.php?r=renters).

🔹 Example Code for Each Layer

📌 1. Model (Renter.php)

<?php

class Renter {

private $db;

public function __construct() {

$this->db = new Database();

}

public function getAllRenters() {

$query = "SELECT * FROM renters";

return $this->db->fetchAll($query);

}

public function addRenter($name, $email, $phone) {

$query = "INSERT INTO renters (name, email, phone) VALUES (?, ?, ?)";

return $this->db->execute($query, [$name, $email, $phone]);

}

📌 2. Controller (RenterController.php)

<?php

require_once '../app/models/Renter.php';

class RenterController {

private $renterModel;

public function __construct() {

$this->renterModel = new Renter();

}

public function index() {

$renters = $this->renterModel->getAllRenters();

include '../app/views/renters.php';

}

public function add() {

if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'POST') {

$this->renterModel->addRenter($_POST['name'], $_POST['email'], $_POST['phone']);

header("Location: renters.php");

}

📌 3. View (renters.php)

<?php include 'layouts/header.php'; ?>

<h2>Renter List</h2>

<table>

<tr><th>Name</th><th>Email</th><th>Phone</th></tr>

<?php foreach ($renters as $renter) { ?>

<tr>

</tr>

<?php } ?>

</table>

<?php include 'layouts/footer.php'; ?>

📌 4. Route (web.php)

<?php

require_once '../app/controllers/RenterController.php';

$renterController = new RenterController();

if ($_GET['page'] == 'renters') {

$renterController->index();

}

🚀 Summary

Uses MVC architecture for scalability & maintainability.
Follows a structured folder hierarchy.
Each layer (Model, View, Controller) has a defined role.
Routes map URLs to the appropriate controllers.
Database interaction is handled in models.
Views are separated from logic for clean UI management.

Project Structure of "RentBill Manager" (Without MVC) using PHP

📂 Project Directory Structure

RentBillManager/

│── 📂 assets/

│ ├── 📂 css/

│ │ ├── style.css

│ ├── 📂 js/

│ │ ├── script.js

│ ├── 📂 images/

│── 📂 config/

│ ├── config.php

│── 📂 includes/

│ ├── header.php

│ ├── sidebar.php

│ ├── footer.php

│ ├── functions.php

│── 📂 renters/

│ ├── add_renter.php

│ ├── view_renters.php

│ ├── edit_renter.php

│ ├── delete_renter.php

│── 📂 units/

│ ├── add_unit.php

│ ├── view_units.php

│ ├── edit_unit.php

│ ├── delete_unit.php

│── 📂 bills/

│ ├── generate_bill.php

│ ├── view_bills.php

│ ├── edit_bill.php

│── 📂 payments/

│ ├── add_payment.php

│ ├── view_payments.php

│── 📂 invoices/

│ ├── generate_invoice.php

│ ├── view_invoices.php

│── 📂 notifications/

│ ├── send_notification.php

│ ├── view_notifications.php

│── 📂 auth/

│ ├── login.php

│ ├── register.php

│ ├── logout.php

│── index.php

│── dashboard.php

│── .htaccess

│── README.md

📌 Explanation of Folders & Files

1️⃣ assets/ (Static Files)

css/ → Stores stylesheets (style.css).
js/ → JavaScript files (script.js).
images/ → Stores images and logos.

2️⃣ config/ (Configuration)

config.php → Contains database connection settings.

3️⃣ includes/ (Common Files)

header.php → Page header and navigation bar.
sidebar.php → Sidebar menu.
footer.php → Footer section.
functions.php → Common helper functions.

4️⃣ renters/ (Renter Management)

add_renter.php → Form to add new renters.
view_renters.php → Displays list of renters.
edit_renter.php → Updates renter details.
delete_renter.php → Deletes renter information.

5️⃣ units/ (Rental Unit Management)

add_unit.php → Form to add rental units.
view_units.php → Displays unit list.
edit_unit.php → Updates unit details.
delete_unit.php → Deletes unit information.

6️⃣ bills/ (Electricity Bill Management)

generate_bill.php → Calculates and generates bills.
view_bills.php → Displays bills.
edit_bill.php → Updates bill details.

7️⃣ payments/ (Payment Management)

add_payment.php → Records rent & bill payments.
view_payments.php → Displays payment history.

8️⃣ invoices/ (Invoice Management)

generate_invoice.php → Generates invoices.
view_invoices.php → Displays invoices.

9️⃣ notifications/ (Payment Reminders)

send_notification.php → Sends due payment reminders.
view_notifications.php → Displays past notifications.

🔟 auth/ (User Authentication)

login.php → Admin login page.
register.php → Registration page.
logout.php → Logs out users.

📌 Main Files

index.php → Homepage (redirects to login).
dashboard.php → Admin dashboard.
.htaccess → URL rewriting for clean URLs.
README.md → Project documentation.

🔹 Example Code for Each Section

📌 1. Database Connection (config.php)

<?php

$host = "localhost";

$user = "root";

$pass = "";

$dbname = "rent_bill_manager";

$conn = new mysqli($host, $user, $pass, $dbname);

if ($conn->connect_error) {

die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);

}

📌 2. Add Renter (add_renter.php)

<?php

include '../config/config.php';

if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {

$name = $_POST['name'];

$email = $_POST['email'];

$phone = $_POST['phone'];

$sql = "INSERT INTO renters (name, email, phone) VALUES ('$name', '$email', '$phone')";

if ($conn->query($sql) === TRUE) {

echo "New renter added successfully!";

} else {

echo "Error: " . $conn->error;

}

<button type="submit">Add Renter</button>

</form>

📌 3. View Renters (view_renters.php)

<?php

include '../config/config.php';

$result = $conn->query("SELECT * FROM renters");

<table>

<tr><th>Name</th><th>Email</th><th>Phone</th></tr>

<?php while ($row = $result->fetch_assoc()) { ?>

<tr>

</tr>

<?php } ?>

</table>

📌 4. Generate Bill (generate_bill.php)

<?php

include '../config/config.php';

if ($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {

$renter_id = $_POST['renter_id'];

$units = $_POST['units'];

$rate_per_unit = 5; // Fixed rate

$total = $units * $rate_per_unit;

$sql = "INSERT INTO bills (renter_id, units, total_amount) VALUES ('$renter_id', '$units', '$total')";

if ($conn->query($sql) === TRUE) {

echo "Bill generated successfully!";

} else {

echo "Error: " . $conn->error;

}

<button type="submit">Generate Bill</button>

</form>

📌 Summary

No MVC → Logic, database, and UI are mixed in PHP files.
Each feature has separate PHP files (e.g., add_renter.php, view_bills.php).
Direct MySQL queries in PHP files instead of using models.
Easier for beginners but harder to maintain as the project grows.

Project Structure of "RentBill Manager" using Python (Flask Framework)

This project follows the Flask framework in Python and implements the MVC architecture, organizing the code into models (database), views (templates/UI), and controllers (routes/logic).

📂 Project Directory Structure

RentBillManager/

│── 📂 static/ # Static files (CSS, JS, Images)

│ ├── 📂 css/

│ │ ├── style.css

│ ├── 📂 js/

│ │ ├── script.js

│ ├── 📂 images/

│── 📂 templates/ # HTML Templates

│ ├── base.html

│ ├── index.html

│ ├── dashboard.html

│ ├── renters.html

│ ├── bills.html

│ ├── payments.html

│── 📂 models/ # Database Models

│ ├── renter.py

│ ├── unit.py

│ ├── bill.py

│ ├── payment.py

│── 📂 routes/ # Controllers (Business Logic)

│ ├── renter_routes.py

│ ├── unit_routes.py

│ ├── bill_routes.py

│ ├── payment_routes.py

│── 📂 config/ # Configuration Files

│ ├── db.py

│ ├── settings.py

│── 📂 auth/ # Authentication System

│ ├── login.py

│ ├── register.py

│ ├── logout.py

│── 📂 utils/ # Utility Functions

│ ├── helpers.py

│── 📂 tests/ # Unit Testing

│ ├── test_renters.py

│ ├── test_bills.py

│── main.py # Entry point of Flask app

│── requirements.txt # Python dependencies

│── README.md # Documentation

│── .gitignore # Ignore files in Git

📌 Explanation of Folders & Files

1️⃣ static/ (Frontend Static Files)

css/ → Stylesheets (style.css)
js/ → JavaScript (script.js)
images/ → Stores images and logos

2️⃣ templates/ (HTML Templates)

base.html → Main layout template (Navbar, Footer)
index.html → Homepage
dashboard.html → Admin dashboard
renters.html → Displays renters
bills.html → Displays bills
payments.html → Displays payments

3️⃣ models/ (Database Models)

renter.py → Defines Renter table
unit.py → Defines RentalUnit table
bill.py → Defines ElectricBill table
payment.py → Defines Payment table

4️⃣ routes/ (Controllers - Business Logic)

renter_routes.py → Handles CRUD for renters
unit_routes.py → Handles unit management
bill_routes.py → Handles bill calculation & generation
payment_routes.py → Handles rent payments

5️⃣ config/ (Configuration Files)

db.py → Connects to the database (SQLite/MySQL)
settings.py → Config settings (DEBUG mode, secret key)

6️⃣ auth/ (Authentication System)

login.py → Handles user login
register.py → Handles user registration
logout.py → Logs users out

7️⃣ utils/ (Helper Functions)

helpers.py → Contains utility functions (e.g., email notifications)

8️⃣ tests/ (Unit Testing)

test_renters.py → Tests renter management
test_bills.py → Tests bill generation

📌 Main Files

main.py → Entry point for running the Flask application
requirements.txt → List of required Python packages
README.md → Project documentation
.gitignore → Specifies files to ignore in version control

🔹 Example Code for Each Section

📌 1. Database Connection (config/db.py)

from flask_sqlalchemy import SQLAlchemy

db = SQLAlchemy()

def init_db(app):

app.config['SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI'] = 'sqlite:///rent_bill_manager.db'

app.config['SQLALCHEMY_TRACK_MODIFICATIONS'] = False

db.init_app(app)

📌 2. Model: Renter (models/renter.py)

from config.db import db

class Renter(db.Model):

id = db.Column(db.Integer, primary_key=True)

name = db.Column(db.String(100), nullable=False)

email = db.Column(db.String(100), unique=True, nullable=False)

phone = db.Column(db.String(15), nullable=False)

units = db.relationship('ElectricBill', backref='renter', lazy=True)

📌 3. Route: Add Renter (routes/renter_routes.py)

from flask import Blueprint, request, render_template, redirect, url_for

from config.db import db

from models.renter import Renter

renter_bp = Blueprint('renter_bp', __name__)

@renter_bp.route('/renters', methods=['GET'])

def view_renters():

renters = Renter.query.all()

return render_template('renters.html', renters=renters)

@renter_bp.route('/add_renter', methods=['POST'])

def add_renter():

name = request.form['name']

email = request.form['email']

phone = request.form['phone']

new_renter = Renter(name=name, email=email, phone=phone)

db.session.add(new_renter)

db.session.commit()

return redirect(url_for('renter_bp.view_renters'))

📌 4. Bill Calculation (routes/bill_routes.py)

@bill_bp.route('/generate_bill', methods=['POST'])

def generate_bill():

renter_id = request.form['renter_id']

units = int(request.form['units'])

rate_per_unit = 5

total_amount = units * rate_per_unit

new_bill = ElectricBill(renter_id=renter_id, units=units, total_amount=total_amount)

db.session.add(new_bill)

db.session.commit()

return redirect(url_for('bill_bp.view_bills'))

📌 5. Running the Flask App (main.py)

from flask import Flask

from config.db import init_db

from routes.renter_routes import renter_bp

from routes.bill_routes import bill_bp

app = Flask(__name__)

init_db(app)

app.register_blueprint(renter_bp, url_prefix='/renters')

app.register_blueprint(bill_bp, url_prefix='/bills')

if __name__ == '__main__':

app.run(debug=True)

📌 Summary

Follows MVC architecture (Models, Views, Controllers)
Uses Flask for web framework
Structured folder system for easy management
Separate files for each feature (Renters, Bills, Payments)
Uses SQLAlchemy ORM for database operations

RentBill Manager: A Complete Solution for Property Management and Utility Billing, Features, Tech Stack, and Benefits

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RentBill Manager: A Complete Solution for Property Management and Utility Billing, Features, Tech Stack, and Benefits

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