Monthly Rental Payments

[Wendi Glover]

What is the recommended tool to use for receiving rental payments from tenants? Also what platform is recommended for tenant applications and background checks.

[Drea Na]

Hi Wendi,

For receiving rental payments, try Avail or Buildium these are solid platforms that allow tenants to pay online via bank transfer, credit card, or debit. They offer automated reminders, recurring payments, and tracking tools that make bookkeeping much smoother. 

For tenant applications and background checks, Turbo Tenant or Avail both offer comprehensive tools—including credit reports, eviction history, and criminal background checks—at no cost to the landlord (the applicant pays the screening fee). These platforms also store applications and allow you to pre-screen with custom questions, which is super helpful for efficiency.

If you're managing multiple doors or planning to grow, an all-in-one platform like RentRedi or Hemlane might be worth the investment—they combine rent collection, leasing, maintenance tracking, and tenant screening all in one dashboard. Hopefully you are also managing the cash flow and expenses in Quickbooks or similar - understanding which properties are performing by the numbers is crucial to your success - hope this helps!