Clayton, NC · Member since 2015 · 79 posts · 19 votes
I am now at 2 units that both are rented and cash flow well. Now I want to start using some property management software just to keep my rental business, a actually business. I don't use any of the cash flow from my properties because it's the business money therefore it should only be used to invest back in the business. Now my only question is which software should i start using? I have seen appfolio, buildium and even rentalution. I was thinking of just using rentalutions for now since it's the cheapest. Finding it hard to pay $250 a month for Appfolio when I only have 2 units. Thoughts!?!?!?
The best property management software for starters is going to be one that's affordable and doesn't have a ton of fancy bells and whistles. You really only need what's going to help you streamline your day-to-day tasks.
You could try NowRenting for $9/month. Their software is online & has a mobile app so you can access it wherever. Some of the tasks it streamlines for you:
Post properties to multiple listing sites at once
Tenant leads are automatically pre-screened & scored for you based on your customized questions (e.g. "Do you have a large dog?")
Quickly identify good vs. poor leads in a dashboard that qualifies every lead for you
Digital lease creation, sending & e-signatures (can also store & re-use lease templates)
Full background checks paid for by tenant
Manage all tenant communication in the NowRenting dashboard (better organization & keeps your personal life separate)
Brentwood, TN · Member since 2018 · 20 posts · 5 votes
8y
@Justin Dixon, I searched a few and found PropertyZar to work best for us. We are not that large so PropertyZar has a lot of features but very affordable, to us at least. They have mobile apps as well. Haven't tried them all yet but they look great.
Real Estate Broker · Tulsa- OKC Oklahoma · Member since 2017 · 868 posts · 801 votes
8y
Rent Manager, Buildium and Appfolio are the best real property management softwares. There are others that are a few bucks a month that may work for a self manager with 10 or less. If building in management as a part of your portfolio is important or especially if you are managing for others spend some money on a great software. It will make you life easier and should do the work of several employees. If you spend $200 per month that is only $50 per week. Where are you going to find an employee that can do all the task your software can do for $50 per week and no benefits!
Specialist · Rapid City, SD · Member since 2016 · 100 posts · 46 votes
7y
I know this is an older thread, but it might help others.
I've been a Cozy user for a few years, but just switched to Avail.co.
What I like about Avail is their tenant screening process and digital lease creation is MUCH better (Cozy doesn't help you write your lease nor provide guidance on local/state laws to consider). Also, pretty sure Cozy doesn't list to Zillow, Zumber, and Hotpads all at once like Avail does.
Avail also has a free plan and assesses a small charge to the tenant for payments (though you get your payments in 3 days versus 8).
I know there's a ton of options, and you could probably get away with just spreadsheets, but your investments are worth operating like a real business so it's worth using the best tools available.
Fort Collins, CO · Member since 2019 · 185 posts · 61 votes
7y
There are many free softwares available to landlords - check out the new landlord resources tab on Bigger Pockets! Go to tools, services, and then click on landlord resources - there are softwares for free online rental applications, tenant screening, marketing, and much more! Here is the link as well: https://www.biggerpockets.com/tools/landlord-resources!
TrueRent is by far the most affordable option and includes all of the same features - free online rent collection, free tenant screening, work orders, reporting and more. Starts at only $19 a month! Would definitely recommend this if you are looking for a more affordable option - can't believe how expensive those other options are!
Rental Property Investor · New York, NY · Member since 2019 · 42 posts · 13 votes
7y
I've been using Tellus these days. I just gave them a try few weeks ago and it's totally free. From posting the property, screening tenants, rent payment to generating financial reports, they're all free and mobile friendly. I've got no problem using it so far!
I use TrueRent and really like it! Right now I have 4 rentals, 8 units total. TrueRent is affordable, and their customer support is great! Had a really hard time getting in contact with other companies when initially looking for property management software, when I was just inquiring about information! Not a good look. TrueRent is very responsive, and has a simple program - would highly recommend.
Jacksonville Florida · Member since 2019 · 56 posts · 37 votes
7y
I've used a few. Easy to use would be Appfolio. Most functions Yardi. Propertyware was OK. I've done some research on Buildium & this one looks good as well. Youtube has some good demos on pm software.
@Justin Dixon Try Tellus! It really fits for small units. I use it for my properties and all the features I use is free and they help me with posting the listings, tenant screening, rent collection, and financial tracking. I can also chat directly with my tenants using the app and store every income and expenses related to my property. Highly recommend it to make your life easier!
@Justin Dixon Try TrueRent! It is tailored towards small scale property owners, so has much better pricing then the other software. There are great features including online rent collection, for free, tenant screening, works orders, alerts, and more, all included in the price. I appreciate that the software is straight forward and not trying to nickel and dime you like a lot of other software out there.
Baton Rouge, LA · Member since 2013 · 97 posts · 56 votes
6y
AccuRently will be your best bet when it comes to affordability and overall ease of use. It's great for small to midsize landlords and comes with a 15-day trial to test drive it's functionality and features.
Housters is what I use. It makes it easy to collaborate between landlords (me), property managers, tenants, and contractors. They just started supporting online payments too, both for rent from tenants and to pay contractors.
Rental Property Investor · Sunnyvale, CA · Member since 2019 · 60 posts · 40 votes
6y
We started using Burbz for our management software. Thus far, no complaints. They have everything we wanted. Including online rent collection and background screening reports. Standard stuff.
Some of our properties are out-of-state, simply because it is too expensive in our own market. Welcome to California! One of our desires was being able to work with local partners. Through Burbz, we actually share our maintenance tickets with a local contractor so they can get all the information needed. They receive the email alerts when we do. Making our maintenance coordination a lot easier. Awesome feature.