The Best Rental Property Management Software: Product Overviews

41 Great Reasons to Use Property Management Software to Operate your Rentals

Note: This list has been updated in March 2024 to include additional rental property management software providers and further insight into the value of these products. Please also see our handy comparison table. If you’d like to dive right in, see what we have in our Landlord Toolkit.

Property management software is an incredibly valuable tool for independent landlords. It helps improve every step of the management process, making it easier for busy landlords to effectively manage their properties. In this article, we discuss the features most property management tools offer, and how they can help you run your rental property easily and profitably.

Advertising

Landlords with vacant units strive to reach as many potential renters as they can, and to do so quickly. That’s because having a vacant rental unit quickly kills a property’s profitability. With so many tenants now using the internet to search for their next home, using property management software is the best way to advertise your rental property online.

A property management tool helps you reach a huge number of tenants with just a few clicks. Some of the other benefits of using a property management platform for advertising vacancies are:

1. Syndication on several platforms

Landlords only have to create one listing and they can have it populated across many rental listing sites. Many tools, such as RentecDirect, also help you to publish rental listings on your own custom website.

2. Save time and money

You can manage your vacancy advertising electronically, remotely, efficiently, and inexpensively (if not free).

3. Reach tech-savvy renters

By reaching even the most tech-savvy renters, a property management platform allows you to attract more leads.

4. Integrate and automate applications

Renters can receive and fill out the application electronically. You can customize your application questions and even automatically email the applicant’s references.

5. Streamline rental management

Landlords can find and screen renters electronically, collect rent, manage maintenance requests, e-sign leases, track payments, and much more.

Also Read: Best Free Online Ways To Advertise Property For Rent

Tenant Screening

Tenant screening is an essential part of the property management process as it helps you choose reliable tenants for your property. Using property management software, you can generate a range of reports, including identity verification, credit reports and scores, criminal history check, eviction check, residence history, and references.

Here are some of the reasons you should use a property management software tool for tenant screening:

1. Quick and updated results

Property management software accesses up-to-date databases. As a result, you will quickly see accurate results in your software’s dashboard.

2. Relevant Results

By leveraging the power of artificial intelligence (AI), property management software helps you predict how reliable an applicant will be as a tenant. Many products use TransUnion’s SmartMove reporting, which is designed to incorporate the data that is most relevant to predicting how reliable a tenant will be.

3. Unbiased screening

By providing reports that are consistent and standardized, screening tenants online ensures that landlords stay in compliance with fair housing laws.

4. Time and cost savings

You can complete the screening process not just in a fraction of the time, but also at a fraction of the cost. In most cases landlords can choose to pay for screening reports themselves, or require that their applicants pay directly. This alleviates the need to collect application fees and manually order reports.

5. Protect the applicant’s privacy

All information is stored securely in the cloud, which helps you protect your applicant’s data.  An added benefit to landlords is that they do not need to have an office audit, which would be required if they were storing physical tenant data.

6. Reduce the risk of fraud by verifying applicant identity

Built-in applicant identity verification helps you reduce the risk of fraud. It also helps you avoid expensive eviction battles.

7. Avoid costly eviction battles

Thoroughly and consistently screening rental applicants gives you the information you need to consistently choose good tenants.

Also Read: The Best Tenant Screening Service for Small Landlords

Online Applications

Property management software tools make application processing simple and straightforward. All you have to do is send the applicant a link to apply and they can fill out their information online. Likewise, tenants can pay for reports online, which makes tenant screening quick and easy. Many property management software products also feed application information into leases, which saves time and expedites the process of filling vacancies.

For instance, TurboTenant’s customizable online rental applications provide residence histories, employment and income verifications, and everything else you need to select the right tenant. Your renter will receive easy-to-follow instructions on how to complete an online renters application from any device.

Rent Collection

Property management software tools allow landlords to collect online rent payments directly through the platform. This takes the stress out of getting paid. Within a few business days, your online rent payments will be transferred to your account, taking less time than processing a paper check or visiting your local bank. Some other benefits of collecting rent online are:

1. Enjoy time and labor savings

Using a property management tool dramatically decreases the time and labor involved in receiving payment. Instead of collecting checks and making deposits, rent collection gets set to auto-pilot.

2. Eliminate late rent

Most platforms allow renters to have their payments set to recur automatically, which ensures timely payments.

3. Enhance security

Tenants don’t need access to your banking information to pay rent electronically, which has traditionally been necessary with bank transfers. Furthermore, it avoids problems with person-to-person payment platforms such as Venmo or PayPal.  These can include daily transfer limits, and the ability for tenants to reverse payments.  Not to mention the obvious security issues with collecting cash!

4. Improve record keeping

Landlords get easy-to-access records of rent paid and rent that is late. You can also easily review a resident’s payment history. Some products such as RentRedi offer an app, making mobile access easy and fast.

5. Build good credit for tenants

Some property management tools report payments directly to credit agencies. This can help build a positive payment history for renters with poor credit. We believe this also fosters good will between landlords and their tenants.

6. Accept rent payments conveniently

A property management tool eliminates the hassle of accepting rent in cash or even checks. You can easily accept payments online with a property management tool.

7. Evaluate fees to choose the right tool

Many free services allow you to collect rent online, usually by ACH transfer. Some charge a fee, often small, to expedite payment processing.

8. Enjoy additional benefits such as tracking and accounting

Many robust software products provide accounting features, which might include basic bookkeeping worksheets, full accounting tools, or the ability to download data to full-functioning products such as Quickbooks.  Some also facilitate integration with your bank accounts.

Also Read: The Best Online Rent Payment Service for Small Landlords

State-Specific Leases

With rental laws constantly changing across the country, it’s essential for landlords to create state-specific lease agreement forms in order to stay compliant with local laws. Property management software that provides state-specific leases will help you navigate issues including the following:

1. Navigate rent control rules

If your location has rent control, you need to follow those rules carefully. Otherwise, you will expose yourself to expensive lawsuits. Property management software tools generally have reminders you can set to help you stay on top of required rent increase notices and lease extensions.

2. Comply with “Ban the box” laws

Using tenant screening services, you can automatically remove criminal background reporting when it’s not permissible in the property’s location. 

3. Abide by “First in time” regulations

Using property management software to communicate with, screen, and accept new tenants allows you to automatically keep track of who has submitted a complete application package first.

4. Follow new renewal notification rules

You can easily send official notices to tenants who have broken their lease in some way, or to communicate changes in tenancy.  This is particularly important in locations where notice requirements are getting more specific and the advance periods are getting longer.

5. Stay on top of rent increase notifications

A property management tool gives you reminders about key leasing milestones, so that you don’t miss anything important. Many of these tools also provide the notice forms you need to communicate changes in tenancy properly.

6. Mandated renewals & tenant relocation assistance fees

Many property management software products give landlords notice forms. Therefore, you can easily send official notices to tenants who have broken their lease in some way.  You also get centralized records of your communications with tenants and also track when they happened.

Also Read: Residential Lease Agreements: Best Software for Small Landlords

Accounting Software

A property management tool with accounting features makes it easy to keep track of rental property income and expenses. This makes tax preparation quite straightforward. Here are some of the reasons you should use a property management tool to streamline accounting for rental property.

1. Improved record keeping

When tenants pay electronically, rents are automatically recorded. This means you don’t have to manually enter or categorize these transactions. Moreover, all rent payments are broken down by unit.

2. Simplified expense tracking

You can easily organize your income and expense data in a way that makes sense for tax preparation. In many cases these software tools are set up with standard IRS expense categories.

3. Better reporting

A property management tool automatically generates detailed reports that help you determine how well your rental business is running.

4. Tracking and storing receipts

You can also attach receipts as photographs or scanned images. You can even attribute them to the property or a particular repair or job.

5. Rental property accounting for an individual unit’s performance

A property management tool makes it easy to store both property and tenant data in one place. This gives you at-a-glance information on the performance of the unit and the occupant. 

6. Sync with bank accounts

Some property management tools allow you to connect the platform to your bank. You can synchronize transactions from your bank account to reconcile and assign income and expenses to your properties.

7. No need for separate bookkeeping tools

Many property management tools already have categories set up for the types of income and expenses that relate to rental real estate operations. Therefore, you don’t have to manipulate a universal bookkeeping program to fit the structure of your rental business.

Also Read: Reporting and Accounting Tools: Best Accounting Software for Landlords

Maintenance

A property management platform creates one portal where tenants and landlords alike can communicate and coordinate property repairs and upkeep, whether they be routine or urgent problems. Here’s why you should use property management software to streamline the process of rental property maintenance.

1. 24/7 maintenance coordination

Some tools like Hemlane give you access to a 24/7 repair coordinator that can handle your middle-of-the-night emergencies.

2. Save costs

A property management tool removes the need to hire a property manager by making tasks such as advertising, screening, rent collection, and maintenance management efficient and easy.

3. Streamline communication

You can use the platform to easily communicate with all necessary parties, including tenants and service providers.

4. Share photos and videos

Users can share photos and/or videos related to the repair job. This helps you track the progress of repair work.

5. Set reminders

You can set reminders for routine maintenance and even schedule time-insensitive repairs. For example, with TenantCloud, you can document priority levels and due dates.

6. Rental maintenance dashboard

Many tools have an intuitive maintenance dashboard that helps managers track outstanding and completed work.

7. Accounting features

With a property management tool, you can easily upload invoices and receipts to individual maintenance tasks. Many tools allow you to assign expenses to individual units and/or renters.

8. Integrate vendors

With a property management software tool, you can bring your service providers into the system. This speeds up communication and streamlines maintenance tasks. Many of these tools allow landlords to create work orders, receive bids, and pay vendors all from within the platform.

Also Read: Manage Maintenance on Rental Property using Property Management Software

Landlord Guru’s Takeaway

Finding the right property management software product helps streamline the processes landlords need the most help with. We’ve outlined how these tools can make each of the main management tasks easier, so you can evaluate what your priorities are and choose the best product for your needs. If you’d like some help choosing, our Landlord Software Recommendation Tool will find a great product for you.

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The Best Rental Property Management Software: Featured Products

The right rental property management software can help landlords efficiently run their small businesses. As property owners and managers ourselves, we have evaluated the best rental property software to uncover their key benefits. Following is a rundown of these products. Read our property management software reviews, and when you’re ready, sign up for any or all of the tools to help you manage your rentals more effectively – and profitably!

Also Read: Online Rent Collection: The Definitive Landlord Guide

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Rental Property Management Software Comparison Table

As a quick guide, check out our property management software comparison table, which shows the features each of these products offer:

Click image to enlarge

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Rental Property Management Software Product Overviews:

ApplyConnect:

ApplyConnect is no-cost rental property management software that focuses on tenant screening solutions for independent landlords and property managers. Screen tenants, market your vacancies, and lease legally and securely for free. Complete credit and background reports are available for just $29.95 – paid completely by the prospective tenant. Applicants can also choose to pay $39.95 for the same report and get the ability to share it with up to three landlords.

Note: The above pricing and feature providing a shareable report are new as of October 2020.

Features and Benefits

• Tenant Screening: ApplyConnect ONLY does tenant screening, and uses Experian to provide a full credit report, including a “Vantage 3.0” score. Criminal searches covering “local courts” from all 50 states plus Washington DC, as well as the National Sex-Offender Registry are included. Jail and prison records, warrants & arrests, and the terrorist (OFAC) watch list are included as well. ApplyConnect will check search for past evictions, scanning the nation’s largest eviction database with 36+ million unique records.

Learn more about ApplyConnect. Then create your account for free and start screening today.

ApplyConnect is a winner in our Best Tenant Screening Service for Small Landlords

Avail:

With Avail rental property management software, you can advertise your property, find and screen tenants, sign leases, and collect rent, on any device, with tools built specifically for DIY landlords. Customizable state-specific lease documents are available, along with e-signing and document storage. Avail publishes your online listings to Zillow, Trulia, and Hotpads, as well as to apartments.com.

Avail has a free Unlimited plan that includes syndicated listings, credit and criminal screening, state-specific leases, online rent payments, and maintenance tracking.

Unlimited Plus is $7/unit per month and includes everything in Unlimited, plus: next-day rent payments, waived ACH fees, custom applications and leases, and a properties website.

Features and Benefits

• Advertising: Listings are syndicated to Zillow, Trulia, Hotpads, Zumper, Padmapper, Walkscore, Realtor.com, Doorsteps.com, Apartments.com, and ApartmentList. Manage leads, coordinate showings, and ask pre-screening questions from your account.
• Applications: Request an online rental application with only a tenant’s name and email address. The application asks for 5 years of residence history, employment and income verification, and a complete profile. Add your own custom questions to get the info you need without the tedious back-and-forth. Avail automatically contacts prior landlords listed on the application to find out if the tenant paid their rent on time, took care of the property, and was a good neighbor.
• Tenant Screening: Choose which reports you want to request from your prospective tenant. Avail offers TransUnion credit, criminal background, and eviction reports. Choose whether you or your applicant pays. Reports start at $30. As soon as your prospective tenant authorizes the reports and verifies their identity, the reports will be instantly available inside your account. You will also receive an email letting you know the reports are ready to be viewed.
• Leases and Signing: Avail’s Unlimited Plus plan offers state-specific lease templates with all the disclosures and attachments needed to be compliant with local ordinances. Customize for your unit with optional clauses, including whether you allow pets or smoking, or add your own, then sign online.
• Rent Collection: Enter the rent amount and lease dates, tenant name and email, and Avail will help your tenant make their online payment.
  • Direct-deposit online rent payments.
  • Specialized deposit and fee collection.
  • Auto-generated payment receipts and confirmation.
  • Rent reminders and notifications.
  • Automatic recurring payment setup.
  • Next-day payment deposits.
  • Auto-assessed late fees (one-time or recurring).
  • Tenant messaging.
  • Property-specific bank accounts.
  • Rent payments reported to credit bureaus with CreditBoost.

For more information, read Avail Property Management Software Overview or Get Started at Avail today.

Avail is a winner for Residential Lease Agreements: Best Software for Small Landlords

DoorLoop:

DoorLoop property management software’s powerful functionality and ease of use make it stand out from other options on the market. Its unlimited world-class support, full-scale accounting functionality, and suite of useful features make it a fantastic option for landlords and property managers looking to streamline their workloads, save time, and grow their business. 

Sign up for a demo of DoorLoop now and get 50% off your first two months on the software. 

For more information, see DoorLoop: Property Management Software Overview

EZLandlordForms:

With a range of free rental applications and lease templates, landlords can easily create legally binding documents in minutes using EZ Landlord Forms. State-by-state lawyer-reviewed forms and e-signing are available with a paid subscription. The site maintains and updates leases that conform to differing local landlord-tenant laws across the United States.

Features and Benefits

• Free Rental Forms: EZ Landlord Forms has more than 169 free rental lease templates for landlords to use. All you need to do to gain access to these forms is to create a free account. Free forms include a rental application pdf, rent receipts, lease agreements, personal financial statements, or specific safety guides.
• State Specific Documents: EZ Landlord Forms offer legally binding documents in your state and local laws, even if a landlord created them outside of that jurisdiction. This is incredibly important because it might not be binding if it’s not state-specific, leading to further issues down the road if a tenant violates terms, wants to leave, or breaks the lease.
• E-Sign Capabilities: Landlords and tenants can now sign rental agreements electronically with EZ Landlord Forms. The documents created through their lease builder will be integrated with E-sign technology to make it simple to execute your documents.
• Tenant Screening: When landlords create their free account and download documents, they’ll also have the ability to sign up for tenant screening services to help ensure you rent to the right tenants. There are two options for payment; either the landlord can request for the tenant to pay or the landlord can pay.

For more information, read EZ Landlord Forms: Free Rental Application PDF and Lease Templates. Download a free lease agreement or build your custom lease at EZLandlordForms.

Landlord Studio:

Landlord Studio is an online and mobile rental property management software that helps you track income and expenses, screen tenants, set automatic reminders, and more. Pricing begins at $9/unit per month, plus $1 for each additional unit. Subscribers can upload property and unit details to import income and track expenses. You can automate tasks and set gas, inspection, electrical and other reminders. Landlord Studio comes with free tenant screening, automated rent reminders and overdue notices, secure cloud storage, and over a dozen available reports to choose from. There is also centralized management of tenants, owners and suppliers so you can call, email or text them from your fingertips.

As of this update, Landlord Studio does not offer e-signing for leases or online rent collection, but development is underway and coming soon. Try Landlord Studio free for 30 days, no credit card required. Start Free Trial.

Features and Benefits

• Tenant Screening: Screen tenants at no cost to the landlord. Applicants pay only $38. Landlord Studio has teamed up with RentPrep (powered by TransUnion) to offer their SmartMove tenant screening reports. This includes: FCRA Customer Support, SSN Verification, Address History, Bankruptcies Search, National Eviction Search, National U.S Criminal Search, U.S Sex Offender Search, Global Homeland Search, Full Credit Report, and Credit Score.

For more information, read Landlord Studio: Mobile Accounting Software for Landlords. Setup your free account at Landlord Studio today.

Landlord Studio is a winner in The Best Reporting and Accounting Tools For Landlords

PayRent:

PayRent helps property owners and managers collect rent online quickly, safely and securely. In just a few clicks, you can add your properties and get your tenants enrolled and start receiving rent payments. It is always free to sign up. The low transaction fees can be either absorbed by the landlord or passed through to your tenant. Sign up here.    

Features and Benefits

• Rent Collection: The service is free to use for landlords. PayRent charges only a transaction fee to process e-checks (0.25%) and credit cards (3.5% + $0.30.) You can pay the fees or pass them through to your renters. There are also no contracts and no monthly minimums. This includes unlimited properties, payment reminders, recurring payments, 3-day funding, and options to assess late fees.

For more information, read: PayRent Online Rent Payment Service. Sign up for free at PayRent.com

PayRent is a winner in our Best Free Property Management Software for Small Landlords

Rentec Direct:

Rentec Direct offers rental property management software and tenant screening solutions for landlords and real estate professionals to manage properties, tenants, and accounts online. Subscribers can collect rent payments, post vacancies, balance accounts, create reports, access tenant and owner portals, coordinate maintenance, accept rental applications online, and generate tenant screening reports. Sign up for a free trial today at www.rentecdirect.com.

Features and Benefits

• Leases and Signing: Customizable lease forms available, which pull applicant and property data from the original listing and application.  Electronic signing – through HelloSign – and document storage are provided.
• Applications: Provide online applications and accept application payments for your vacancies. Collect application fees and recover tenant screening costs directly within the application. When it comes time to process the application, the system populates the data into the tenant screening and tenant management systems to save any duplicate entry.
• Tenant Screening: Rentec Direct brings you reliable credit, criminal, and eviction reports at a heavily discounted membership only price.
• Rent Collection: Accept online tenant payments via ACH or credit card and even accept cash payments at any of their 20,000 payment locations.
• Advertising: Provides you with a professionally designed website for all your properties, as well as individual detail pages with images for each property. You can also opt to have your vacancy listings automatically published to Zillow, Trulia, HotPads, and many others; included in your Rentec subscription.

For more information, read our Rentec Direct Rental Property Management Software Overview.

Rentec Direct is a winner in our Best Online Rent Payment Service For Small Landlords

RentPrep:

RentPrep rental property management software focuses solely on providing tenant screening services. They are a team of FCRA Certified Screeners that work inside a real background check company located near Buffalo, NY. RentPrep aims to provide comprehensive tenant screening using real-live intelligence to help landlords identify the best possible tenants for their rental property. Get started by signing up for your free RentPrep account.

This post contains affiliate links with RentPrep, which means that we may receive compensation if you make a purchase using these links.

Features and Benefits

• Tenant Screening: RentPrep offers a tenant background check with an option to add on a criminal and sex offender search and a credit decision report. Landlords can also order a full SmartMove credit report from RentPrep, either separately or in addition to the hand-compiled background check.

For more information, read our RentPrep Tenant Screening Software Overview.

RentPrep is a winner in our Best Tenant Screening Service for Small Landlords

RentRedi:

If you’re looking for an all-encompassing rental property management software, RentRedi could be right for you. As an app, it’s simple for you and your tenants to access RentRedi from your mobile device anywhere at any time. 

There are three different pricing options available for RentRedi rental property management software. If you want to take it for a test drive, you can start by paying for just one month. Once you decide that RentRedi is the best option for you, you’ll save $132 a year by signing up for the annual option. 

Features and Benefits

• Advertising: With one-click listings, your vacant unit can quickly be advertised on major listing sites like Doorsteps, Zillow, Trulia, HotPads, Realtor.com, and RentRedi. You can share photos, list amenities, and write a short description before advertising it on any website. 
• Applications: You and your tenant can view and electronically sign the application. Track the status of your applications from your dashboard, where you can see which applicants are working on their applications and which have abandoned them. You can accept, reject, or request an update on any application.
• Tenant Screening: With the RentRedi app, applicants can securely submit and pay for screening reports. These reports all include a TransUnion credit score, criminal background check, employment history, and rental history. These are all bundled together, so you will receive all of these reports at once. Screening reports cost $35 per report (paid by the tenant). 
• Leases and Signing: RentRedi offers storage for all of your current and expired leases. It does not have templates, but rather gives you all the storage you need to upload, send, and save your lease documents. Send leases to your tenants securely with an embedded link for digital signatures. 
• Rent Collection: RentRedi’s mobile-deposits makes it easy for tenants to pay their monthly rent on-time. There is an ACH fee, which tenants will pay. There’s also an option for tenants to make rent payments using a credit card. Tenants will incur a processing fee of $1.00 for ACH payments or 2.9 percent and 30 cents for cards. If you prefer, you can cover the fees instead of passing them onto your tenant. 
• Maintenance Requestions: One of the features that sets RentRedi apart from other property management software companies is that it allows tenants to upload videos up to five-seconds long for maintenance requests. This is incredibly useful when a tenant is dealing with a maintenance issue and wants to show you the problem. The maintenance calendar has an option to sync with Google calendar to help you stay organized. Add maintenance personnel to an account for free so that you, your tenant, and your maintenance team can all be on the same page anytime there is a maintenance issue.
• Reporting: Keep track of your accounting by quickly exporting rental payment history for one or all of your units to QuickBooks Online, Desktop, Pro, or to spreadsheets. 

For more information, read our RentRedi App: Property Management Software Overview.

Stessa:

Stessa is a smart money management tool that helps rental property owners and investors optimize their portfolios for performance. This includes free rental property accounting software that offers a Cloud-based “smart bookkeeping solution” for landlords. Landlords can integrate property information and financial accounts into the software and access a variety of landlord accounting metrics and reports at the click of a button. The product vision is to make managing the financial aspect of a portfolio of rental properties painless and automatic.

Stessa is 100% free to sign up and try. There may be premium plans with upgraded features in the future, but users can currently experience the power of Stessa before committing to a subscription. There are also optional paid services for real estate investors to assist with things like rent analysis, mortgage financing and market research.

Stessa currently focuses on the financial and accounting tasks of property management. However, they do plan to roll out online rent collection capabilities in the future. Sign up for a free account at Stessa.

Features and Benefits

• Bookkeeping and Reporting: Link your rental property bank, mortgage, and other financial accounts with Stessa, and it will automatically sync transactions and organize them into easy to use statements and reports. Stessa provides a variety of reports available at one click, including balance sheets, cash flow, profit and loss statements, rent rolls, schedules of real estate owned, and IRS-ready tax statements.
• Document Management: Stessa includes a document management center where you can store important paperwork like leases, receipts, budgets, and other important files.
• Receipt Scanning: Stessa offers industry-leading receipt scanning functionality. Use the mobile app to access your device’s camera and take a snapshot of receipts and upload it for processing.

For more information, read Landlord Accounting Software for Your Rental Property: Stessa Overview.

Stessa is a winner for: Reporting and Accounting Tools: Best Accounting Software for Landlords

TenantCloud:

TenantCloud is cloud-based rental property management software that helps you receive payments online, advertise your properties and screen potential tenants. Pricing ranges from $0 for their basic plan to $35/month for their advanced plan for DIY landlords and property managers. Customize basic lease templates and send to applicants for e-signing. Sign up for one of the Tenant Cloud plans today for free.

Features and Benefits

• Advertising: List your rental on your free marketing website. TenantCloud integrates your listings with partners such as Zillow and Trulia.
• Applications: Easily accept applications after signing up. You can customize the application with additional questions, attachments, and even request an application fee.
• Tenant Screening: When a potential tenant submits online rental application, you can run a screening report directly from the application. Choose between a Background Check for information on the tenant’s prior criminal history or a full SmartMove Credit check by RentPrep to evaluate their history of financial responsibility.
• Leases and Signing: Generate customizable documents with Tenant Cloud’s agreement template builder and create simple residential leases online.
• Rent Collection: Accept online tenant payments via ACH with no transaction fees or debit or credit card with standard fees. You can also collect using Stripe or PayPal.

For more information, see our TenantCloud Rental Property Management Software Overview. Then sign up for one of the Tenant Cloud plans today for free.

TenantCloud is a winner in our Best Free Property Management Software for Small Landlords

TurboTenant:

TurboTenant is online property management software that empowers independent landlords to:

• Advertise Vacant Units. In just a few clicks, you can build one professional listing and send it to dozens of listing sites, including Apartments.com, Redfin, and Rent.com.
• Track Leads Automatically. TurboTenant’s platform organizes your leads for you, making it easy to contact prospective tenants.
• Accept Online Applications. All TurboTenant applications include industry-standard questions, a TransUnion screening report, and the option to add customized questions.
• Screen Tenants. In less than five minutes, landlords can request credit, criminal background, and eviction checks to vet applicants. Landlords enrolled in TurboTenant’s Premium plan can also access Income Insights, a service that cross-references TransUnion data and applicants’ self-reported income.
• Create Lease Agreements. Reviewed by lawyers annually, TurboTenant’s lease agreement tool guides landlords through the customization process in 15 minutes or less. Individual lease agreements cost $39, or landlords can opt into the Premium subscription and enjoy unlimited leases and addendums, among many other perks.
• Collect Rent. Track payments, automatically remind tenants when rent is due, and allow them to put payments on autopay with TurboTenant’s online rent collection system.
• Complete Rental Property Accounting. Access a comprehensive, integrated accounting tool that syncs directly with your TurboTenant account.

TurboTenant is free for landlords, but the platform offers a paid-tier plan with additional features. Read our full review, or sign up here.

Marble

Marble is a flat-fee remote property management software that strikes a balance between self-managing and outsourcing. The software includes features that help with accounting, lease management, maintenance tracking, advertising listings, applications, tenant screening, and more.

Features and Benefits

• Self-Guided Touring: After a 6-step identity verification process, prospective tenants can sign up for a self-guided tour through Marble’s automated scheduling system.
• Leases & Signing: Marble offers lawyer-reviewed leases for all 50 states. Both the landlord and the renter can sign them electronically.
• Applications: Tenants can apply online via the Marble app or website. The landlord immediately receives the application and screening reports, and can approve or deny the prospective renter.
• Maintenance: Marble fields maintenance requests from renters and dispatches appropriate vendors.
• Tenant Screening: The prospective renter pays for screening reports, which are sent directly to the landlord. Marble uses RentPrep to deliver credit, identity, criminal background, and past eviction records. 
• Rent Collection: Rent is transferred directly from the renter’s bank account to the landlords without any fees to themselves or their tenants.
• Advertising: The landlord creates a profile for each rental unit. Marble then syndicates your listing to up to 100 sites based on your property’s location. 

For more information, read our Marble rental property management software overview or start your free 14-day trial today.

Hemlane

Hemlane is a next-gen property management software that helps landlords manage their properties in all 50 states. This user-friendly platform automates day-to-day administration, from advertising rentals to collecting rent and late fees online. It also helps you connect with local, in-person leasing agents to deal with finding and placing a renter. There are three pricing plans: Basic ($30 per month), Essential ($40 per month), and Complete ($60 per month). There is no free version, but you can get a free trial.

Features and Benefits

• Advertising: With any of Hemlane’s plans, you can advertise your rental property on 30 sites in all 50 states for no extra charges. The Premium Listing feature allows you additional exposure to renters for a monthly fee.
• Applicant Tracking: You can automatically track and respond to renter leads. It also allows you to schedule showings, and sends automatic follow-ups after the showing.
• Showings & Turnover Management:  At the Complete subscription level Hemlane will connect you with local agents who can handle all the aspects of tenant turn-over.
• Tenant Screening: The software pre-screens tenants based on their application, including a credit and background check. The tenant screening cost is $30 non-refundable, and is to be paid by the tenant.
• Rent Collection: You can request recurring rent, remind renters of upcoming payments, and accept payments via multiple options including ACH ($0 fee) and credit/debit cards (3% fee).
• Maintenance: Hemlane provides a repair tracking feature that alerts you with maintenance requests. You can also upload photos and video documentation.  Upper tier subscription levels include full repair coordination.
• 50-State Lease Documents:  Hemlane’s Essential and Complete packages come with free stat-specific lease documents, which can be e-signed by all parties.

Check out our Hemlane rental property management software overview for more information or get started today.

What to Look for in the Best Property Management Software

Based on our property management software reviews, you’ll see that some of the best property management software offer the following features:

• User-Friendly Interface – Ensure the software has an intuitive and user-friendly interface to streamline daily tasks without a steep learning curve.
• Comprehensive Feature Set – Look for a solution that offers a robust set of features, including rent collection, lease management, maintenance tracking, and financial reporting.
• Customization Options – Opt for software that allows customization to adapt to the unique needs of your property portfolio, whether residential or commercial.
• Scalability – Choose a platform that grows with your business, accommodating an expanding property portfolio without compromising performance.
• Automation Capabilities – Seek automation features for routine tasks, such as rent reminders, lease renewals, and maintenance requests, to enhance efficiency.
• Integration with Financial Tools – Ensure seamless integration with accounting software to simplify financial management and reporting processes.
• Tenant Communication Tools – Look for built-in communication tools to facilitate easy and effective interaction with tenants, promoting transparency and quick issue resolution.
• Mobile Accessibility – Opt for software that offers mobile accessibility, allowing property management tasks to be handled on the go for added convenience.
• Customer Support and Training – Prioritize software providers offering excellent customer support and training resources to assist in onboarding and ongoing usage.
• Affordability and Transparent Pricing – Consider the affordability of the software and choose a provider with transparent pricing structures to avoid hidden costs.
• Security and Compliance Features – Ensure the software adheres to security standards and compliance requirements, safeguarding sensitive property and tenant information.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and Landlord Gurus may earn a commission. Our mission remains to provide valuable resources and information that helps landlords manage their rental properties efficiently and profitably. We link to these companies and their products because of their quality, not because of the commission.

Photo by Adeolu Eletu on Unsplash

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