Top 6 Small Landlord Property Management Software Solutions

After you buy a rental property, you have to decide on your property management strategy. If you’d like to be a DIY landlord, you’d need to handle plenty of tasks and responsibilities in order to keep your property occupied and your tenants happy. The good news is that there is a wide range of property management software solutions that can help you automate and optimize most of these tasks.

To get started with the best overall property management company real estate investors can submit an online form via HomeRiver Group or call 415-610-7867.

The best property management software solutions for small landlords are:

• TurboTenant: Best Overall Small Landlord Property Management Software
• Rentler: Best Free Property Management Software
• Avail: Most Affordable Small Landlord Property Management Software
• TenantCloud: Best for Multiple Properties
• Yardi Breeze: Best for Different Property Types
• Buildium: Best for Quickly Growing Portfolios

How We Selected Small Landlord Property Management Software

We conducted detailed market analysis and reviewed tools in order to select the best small landlord property management software solutions. We talked to landlords and property managers across the US market, checked out the websites of the leading tools, and read customer reviews online.

In our selection of the best solutions, we focused on the following criteria:

• Features and functions: We searched for software tools that have all features required for managing a long-term rental property from a single platform including but not limited to listing, rental applications, tenant screening, online leases, eSignatures, rent collection, payments, and maintenance.
• Integrations: We looked for property management software platforms integrating with other needed third-party tools for achieving passive real estate income.
• Scalability: We focused on solutions that grow with the portfolios of landlords.
• Pricing: We considered property management tools that are affordable for small landlords with only 1-4 rental properties.
• Online customer reviews: We checked reviews on third-party review websites to confirm the quality of the tools.
• Value for money: We ranked software platforms that provide the best value for money in the rental property management software industry. This allows landlords to maximize rental revenue and cap rate.

TurboTenant: Best Overall Small Landlord Property Management Software

Our review shows that TurboTenant is the best property management software for small landlords in the US market as it provides the best value for your money.

TurboTenant Features

TurboTenant offers the following features to landlords to manage their rentals:

• Rental listing: Professional listing page
• Rental advertising: Syndicating rental listings to dozens of websites
• Automatic pre-screener: Checking leads’ move-in date, household size, pets, employment, and more to assure a good fit
• Online application: Extensive application forms including standard industry questions and customizable questions
• Tenant screening: Comprehensive screening including credit, criminal, and eviction history provided through a partnership with TransUnion
• Expense tracking: Organizing, storing, and exporting expenses during and outside tax season
• Maintenance management: Submitting maintenance requests and keeping track of past issues
• Communication: Sending and receiving messages
• Document management: Uploading and accessing documents from anywhere
• Online leasing: Accessing state-specific leases drafted by lawyers and eSignatures
• Rent estimate report: Reviewing data on rents in the local market
• Renters insurance: Asking for proof of renters insurance
• Rent payments: Online rent collection, automatic late fees, autopay, sending receipts, and rent tracking
• Rental accounting: Integrated rental property accounting software

TurboTenant Number of Doors Landlords Can Manage

Landlords can manage an unlimited number of rental properties both with the free and the paid TurboTenant plans. TurboTenant reports that most landlords who use their software have between one and 50 rental units.

TurboTenant Cost

TurboTenant offers a totally free plan which gives access to a good range of property management software features for managing an unlimited number of rental units. With the free plan, some features have to be paid for additionally: $39 per state-specific lease, $15 per lease addendum, $9 per eSigned document, and $145 for landlord forms pack.

The Premium plan costs $8/month when billed annually and can be used for an unlimited number of rentals. This provides access to some of the best property management software tools in the industry and comes with no additional charges.

TurboTenant Integrations

TurboTenant integrates with the following third-party tools to streamline the property management process:

• Apartments.com
• Plaid
• REI Hub
• Rent.com
• Stripe
• TransUnion

TurboTenant Pros and Cons

Our review of the TurboTenant property management software discovered some advantages and disadvantages.

The most important benefits of using TurboTenant include:

• All must-have property management software features
• Free plan
• Affordable pricing of paid plans
• Best value for money

The most noticeable drawbacks of this property management software platform include:

• Limited third-party integrations
• Additional costs for extra features with the free plan

TurboTenant Reviews

There are around 1,000 online reviews of TurboTenant which show positive experiences.

You can find TurboTenant reviews on:

• Reviews.io: Currently 4.7/5 stars based on 634 reviews
• Capterra: Currently 4.6/5 stars based on 53 reviews
• GetApp: Currently 4.6/5 stars based on 53 reviews
• Software Advice: Currently 4.65/5 stars based on 52 reviews
• G2: Currently 4.5/5 stars based on 5 reviews

Happy landlords who’ve used the TurboTenant property management software praise the comprehensive features, the easy-to-use platform, the flexible payments, and the outstanding customer support team. Unhappy landlords complain about unexpectedly suspended accounts, false listings, and additional charges with the free plan.

Our review ranks TurboTenant as the best overall property management software platform for small landlords because it offers the most optimal value for money in the US rental market.

Rentler: Best Free Property Management Software

Rentler covers all the basic features required from the best property management software for small landlords for absolutely free, with no paid plans.

Rentler Features

The key features available on the Rentler landlord software platform include:

• Rental listings: Adding rental properties with all required information
• Rental marketplace: Access to the Rentler marketplace for rental property listings
• Online applications: Accepting online applications from tenant candidates instantly
• Tenant screening: Applying a comprehensive background check
• Rent payments: Setting up payment series for tenants including deposits, pet fees, late fees, and other special fees through bank deposits and credit and debit cards
• Property management: Accepting and managing maintenance requests
• Messaging: Communicating via a dashboard
• Rentability report: Receiving a customized report with rental comps, local rental market trends, and recommended rental price

Rentler Number of Doors Landlords Can Manage

Small landlords can manage one property for free with Rentler. More units can be added but are subject to a fee.

Rentler Cost

Rentler offers a totally free plan for landlords with a single rental property. This provides free access to the basic property management software features forever.

However, to use additional functions, landlords need to pay extra: $15/day for a featured listing, $25 for access to legal forms, and $19.95 per rentability report.

Tenants also need to cover certain fees including: $39/30 days of credit and background screening and a 2.9% processing fee for credit and debit card payments.

Rentler Integrations

Rentler does not provide information on any third-party integrations. Landlords may not need these as Rentler has its own marketplace for rental property listings.

Rentler Pros and Cons

Before choosing Rentler over other best property management software solutions, landlords need to consider all the pros and cons of this platform.

The most significant advantages of using Rentler include:

• Access to all basic property management software features
• Access to proprietary rental listing website
• Free plan

Major drawbacks of choosing Rentler over other tools are:

• Limited features with the free plan
• Significant costs to tenants

Rentler Reviews

There are around one hundred online reviews of the Rentler property management software.

You can find Rentler reviews on:

• Capterra: Currently 4.8/5 stars based on 44 reviews
• GetApp: Currently 4.8/5 stars based on 44 reviews
• Software Advice: Currently 4.84/5 stars based on 44 reviews
• G2: Currently 4.4/5 stars based on 7 reviews

Positive reviews focus on the user-friendly platform, the excellent marketing features, the constant updates and improvements, and the affordability. Negative reviews discuss the absence of some important features, the learning curve, and the lack of integration with third-party tools.

Considering the balance between features and pricing, Rentler is an excellent option for beginner landlords with a single rental property.

Avail: Best Affordable Small Landlord Property Management Software

Avail is part of the Realtor.com network, and this is one reason why we’ve ranked it among the best property management software solutions as it brings additional credibility.

Avail Features

The Avail property management software has the following features:

• Rental listings: Syndication to Realtor.com, Apartments.com, Apartment List, Rentable, Zumper, Padmapper, WalkScore, and more
• Rental applications: Lead management tools and messaging center
• Online tenant screening: Standard processes and customizable questions
• Credit, criminal, and eviction reports: Tenant-initiated TransUnion credit reports and background checks
• Digital state-specific leases: Lease templates, customizable clauses, and digital signatures
• Online rent collection: Rent reminders, auto-assessed late fees, auto-generated payment receipts, bank account transfers, and credit and debit card payments
• FastPay: Next-day payments to landlords
• Property maintenance tracking: Tenant and landlord ticket creation, auto-forwarding to professionals, and tracking
• Rent price analysis: Property-specific rent estimate, rental comp benchmarks, and county rent trends
• Rental property accounting: Comprehensive bookkeeping including all transactions, property performance, and tax season documents

Avail Number of Doors Landlords Can Manage

Avail allows landlords to manage an unlimited number of rental units. They charge the fee for the paid version per unit.

Avail Cost

Avail Premium provides small landlords with access to all the basic features for free forever.

Subscription to Avail Premium Plus costs $7 per property per month and gives access to all features. This is an affordable pricing structure even for landlords with a few units.

Tenant screening reports are paid separately, and the landlord or the tenant can cover the cost, according to the landlord’s preferences.

Meanwhile, renters might need to cover rent payment fees including a $2.50 per bank transfer with a free account or a 3.5% credit or debit card processing fee. Tenants can buy renter’s insurance from Lemonade Inc.

Avail Integrations

Avail integrates with the following websites:

• Apartment List
• Apartments.com
• Padmapper
• Realtor.com
• Rentable
• TransUnion
• WalkScore
• Zumper 

Avail Pros and Cons

Like any other property management software solution, Avail comes with certain advantages and disadvantages.

The most important benefits include:

• All-in-one system for landlords
• Customizable templates
• Free plan with good features
• Affordable pricing for full access

The main drawbacks are:

• Limited integrations outside rental listing websites
• Charges to tenants

Avail Reviews

There are hundreds of online reviews of Avail which shows an overall good rating.

You can find Avail reviews on:

• Capterra: Currently 4.6/5 stars based on 245 reviews
• GetApp: Currently 4.6/5 stars based on 245 reviews
• Software Advice: Currently 4.60/5 stars based on 245 reviews
• G2: Currently 4.9/5 stars based on 101 reviews
• Trustpilot: Currently 2.3/5 stars based on 14 reviews

Happy landlords highlight the excellent features, the easy-to-use interface, the affordable pricing, and the helpful customer support team. Unhappy landlords report technical glitches, too many automated emails, delayed payments, and poor onboarding documentation.

Our Avail review shows it is a great platform for small landlords with one or two properties who are looking for an affordable way to streamline the management of their rentals.

TenantCloud: Best Small Landlord Property Management Software for Multiple Properties

TenantCloud has all the tools and features expected from the best property management software, and the pricing model based on features rather than the number of managed units makes it the top choice for landlords with more than one investment property.

TenantCloud Features

The most important functions provided by the TenantCloud software solution include:

• Automatic listing syndication: Syndicating listings to Apartments.com, Rentler, and Zillow Group
• Listing website: Listing rental properties on landlord’s own website to attract tenants
• Rental application: Sharing a listing and receiving applications from renters
• Tenant screening: Complete tenant screening including background, credit, and eviction history
• Online leases: Creating leases and inviting tenants to eSign them
• Roommates: Moving in multiple tenants easily
• Rent reporting: Reporting to credit bureaus for tenants
• Online payments: Receiving and sending payments online
• Rental property accounting: Storing, sorting, and summarizing financial information 
• Financial reports: Customizable reports on demand
• Rentability report: Access to insights into the rental rates of comps and local market trends to adjust pricing
• Maintenance bidding and requests: Getting bids from and assigning tasks to Service Pros in the area

Additional features are available for professional property managers who are not needed by small landlords.

TenantCloud Number of Doors Landlords Can Manage

With any of the TenantCloud free and paid plans, landlords can manage an unlimited number of rental units.

TenantCloud Cost

TenantCloud provides a free plan which covers the key features expected from the best small landlord property management software.

Paid plans start at $15/month when paid monthly and offer access to advanced features like tax reports, eSignatures, and Google Calendar sync.

The price of different subscription plans is based on features and not on the number of rental properties to be managed with the software. This makes it an affordable solution for landlords with a few properties.

TenantCloud Integrations

The TenantCloud property management software integrates with:

• Apartments.com
• Google Calendar
• QuickBooks
• Rentler
• Stripe
• TransUnion
• Zillow Group

TenantCloud Pros and Cons

TenantCloud has some benefits and drawbacks that landlords need to consider before choosing whether to opt for this software.

The noteworthy advantages of TenantCloud include:

• Comprehensive property management software platform
• Access to the best maintenance professionals in every area
• Free plan
• Affordable paid plans
• Pricing not based on the number of rental units

Some disadvantages to pay attention to include:

• Few listing syndication websites
• Lack of some important features with the free plan

TenantCloud Reviews

There are nearly 1,000 online reviews of TenantCloud which show mostly positive experiences.

You can find TenantCloud reviews on:

• Capterra: Currently 4.1/5 stars based on 224 reviews
• GetApp: Currently 4.1/5 stars based on 224 reviews
• Software Advice: Currently 4.12/5 stars based on 224 reviews
• SelectHub: Currently 83% based on 193 reviews
• G2: Currently 4.2/5 stars based on 114 reviews
• Trustpilot: Currently 3.9/5 stars based on 39 reviews

Satisfied landlords who use TenantCloud praise the many features, the smooth property management process, the user-friendly navigation, and the helpful customer support team. Dissatisfied real estate investors complain about the long rent payment times, occasional changes in features (which are not always for the best), the inability to add other apps, and the unavailable customer service.

The features and the pricing model make TenantCloud the best property management software for small landlords with a couple of rental properties.

Yardi Breeze: Best Small Landlord Property Management Software for Different Property Types

Yardi Breeze is a good option for investors with different types of properties in their portfolios, including residential, commercial, affordable housing, self storage, associations, manufactured housing, and PHA rentals.

Yardi Breeze Features

The most prominent tools and functionalities available on the Yardi Breeze property management software for small landlords include:

• Rental listing syndication: Posting on popular rental websites include RentCafe
• Online rental applications: Marketing listings and accepting applications online
• Online tenant screening: Comprehensive tenant screening processes
• Online leases: Executing leases online via state-based lease documents and addenda
• Online rent collection: Rent payments via ACH and credit and debit cards
• Renter’s insurance: Access to integrated or third-party renter’s insurance and streamlining claims and complaints processing
• Property accounting: Managing payables and receivables, maintaining escrow and trust accounts, and generating financial statements
• 1099s preparation and e-Filing: Speeding up preparation for tax season
• Payable accounts: Streamlining the invoice process
• Online maintenance process: Receiving maintenance requests, assigning vendors, and monitoring progress

Yardi Breeze Number of Doors Landlords Can Manage

Yardi Breeze does not limit the number of rental units which a landlord can manage with their software.

Yardi Breeze Cost

Yardi Breeze does not offer a free plan or a free trial. The Breeze plan costs $1 per unit per month when paid annually, for a minimum of $100/month. The Breeze Premium plan is charged at $2 per unit per month, for a minimum of $200/month.

This pricing structure makes Yardi Breeze a good option for landlords with a few properties of different types. However, it’s rather expensive for landlords with a single long-term rental property because of the monthly minimum.

Yardi Breeze Integrations

Yardi Breeze provides the following integrations with third-party landlord software tools:

• FloQast
• Glantus
• PATLive
• RentCafe
• Resident Interface
• SuiteSpot

Yardi Breeze Pros and Cons

Landlords should check out the major advantages and disadvantages of Yardi Breeze before deciding if this is the best property management software for their needs.

The most important benefits of using Yardi Breeze to manage your rental properties include:

• One-stop-shop platform for all property management needs
• Management of different property types

The major drawbacks are:

• Limited third-party integrations
• Limited listing syndication options
• High price for small landlords

Yardi Breeze Reviews

There are a few hundred online reviews of the Yardi Breeze property management software.

You can find Yardi Breeze reviews on:

• SaaSworthy: Currently 2.5/5 stars based on 178 reviews
• G2: Currently 4.1/5 stars based on 119 reviews
• GetApp: Currently 4.1/5 stars based on 99 reviews
• Capterra: Currently 4.1/5 stars based on 93 reviews
• Software Advice: Currently 4.05/5 stars based on 92 reviews

Happy customers highlight the intuitive navigation, the user-friendly interface, the many features, the ability to streamline processes, and the responsive customer support team. Unhappy customers report the lack of important functionalities, the annoying pop-ups, missing reports, and the weak accounting panel.

Our Yardi Breeze review reveals a top property management software for investors with different property types investments.

Buildium: Best Small Landlord Property Management Software for Growing Portfolios

The tools and features available on the Buildium platform make it a good option for small landlords who are thinking of expanding their rental property portfolios.

Buildium Features

The Buildium property management software has the following main capacities:

• Rental listing syndications: Posting on Apartments.com, Apartment List, the Zillow Rental Network, Zumper, and Craigslist
• Property management website: Building a landlord's brand with a free, customizable website
• Online rental application: Accepting applicants and payments of associated fees
• Tenant screening: Comprehensive tenant screening including criminal, credit, and eviction reports
• Online leasing: Managing the entire leasing process online including eSignatures
• Online rent collection: Collecting rent payments online
• Resident center: Providing a platform for online payments and maintenance requests
• Maintenance management: Managing work orders, assigning them to vendors, and paying bills
• Property accounting: Managing bank accounts, accepting rent, and creating reporting
• 1099 e-Filing: Preparing for tax season
• Buildium Marketplace: Accessing property management software integrations with a wide network of partners
• Open API: Integrating landlord’s property, resident, and accounting data with other business applications

Buildium Number of Doors Landlords Can Manage

There is no limit on the number of units which a landlord or a property manager can manage with Buildium.

Buildium Cost

Buildium offers a 14-day free trial, but this property management software does not have a free version that landlords can use in the long term. There are three different subscription plans and a customizable plan for property owners and property managers with large portfolios.

The Essential plan, which is enough to cover the needs of small landlords, starts at $52/month, but access to certain features has to be paid separately, such as property inspections ($40+/month), eSignatures ($5/eSignature), online payment transaction fees, and bank account setup fees ($99/bank account).

Buildium is less affordable than other small landlord property management software platforms but can serve the needs of investors with growing portfolios and property management companies.

Buildium Integrations

Buildium integrates with:

• All Property Management
• Apartment List
• Apartments.com
• Dwellsy
• Forte
• HappyCo
• HotPads
• Lovely
• MSI
• Nelco
• PayNearMe
• Rev Spring
• Tenant Turner
• TransUnion
• Trulia
• Zillow
• Zumper

Buildium Pros and Cons

As one of the best property management software tools for small landlords available on the market, Buildium has some important benefits and shortcomings.

The major advantages of this platform are:

• Comprehensive features
• Multiple integrations with third-party landlord tools
• Easy management of large rental property portfolios

The major disadvantages of Buildium include:

• No free version
• Sizable monthly subscription fee

Buildium Reviews

There are thousands of online reviews of the Buildium software platform.

You can find Buildium reviews on:

• SaaSworthy: Currently 4.1/5 stars based on 2,527 reviews
• Capterra: Currently 4.5/5 stars based on 1,953 reviews
• GetApp: Currently 4.5/5 stars based on 1,953 reviews
• Software Advice: Currently 4.49/5 stars based on 1,950 reviews
• Trustpilot: Currently 2.9/5 stars based on 418 reviews
• G2: Currently 4.4/5 stars based on 171 reviews
• TrustRadius: Currently 8.4/10 stars based on 13 reviews

Satisfied customers praise the extra features compared to other property management software platforms, the automation, the flexibility, the ease of use, and the customer support team. Dissatisfied customers complain about the learning curve, missing functions related to payments, and the terrible customer service.

The Buildium property management software is a good choice for landlords who already have a few properties and expect to continue expanding their rental investment portfolios. It’s also the best tool for professional rental property managers.

Takeaway

TurboTenant is the best property management software for small landlords. It not only features the best tools and functionalities but also has a free plan as well as an affordable premium plan for access to all features. Rentler and Avail are other top options for small landlords looking for affordable solutions. TenantCloud, Yardi Breeze, and Buildium are the right choice for investors who’re growing their rental property investment portfolios.

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