Which property management apps do you use?!?

Question

Hello!!  I've been using Stessa App to track my expenses for a couple of years now. Right now, I'm using both a spreadsheet and Stessa to get to my year-end reporting which is pretty annoying.

Anyone out there that enjoy using their property management app? I only have handful rentals but hope to grow in the long run so I'm hoping to handle everything at one spot! Any recommendations would be appreciated!!

Troy P. · Answer

I've used TurboTenant for the past 3 years and I've been happy with it, although the price for the paid version did go up about 100% since then.  The free option is good enough for tracking basic payments and expenses, but paid service makes digital leases and advertising very simple.  I recommend checking them out.

Nathan Gesner · Answer

Software is a common question on BiggerPockets. Here are some things to consider:

• Most investors don't need software until they have 5-10 rentals. You only need a place to track tenant information, payment history, maintenance, etc. You can easily do this on a spreadsheet, and it will take less time to track than finding and learning new software. If the software is not simplifying your life or making you more accurate, you shouldn't use it. Go to Etsy and search for "rental property tracker," and you will find hundreds of nice spreadsheets to track 10-20 rentals, usually for under $10.
• Software has extremely helpful features like online payments, marketing syndication (click a button, and your property is advertised on multiple sites), electronic document review/signing, maintenance tracking, and owner reports. Do you need all this for a couple of rentals?
• There is no perfect software out there. Every system you try will have flaws, or you may salivate over a feature that appears in other software.

Some familiar names are mentioned frequently: Stessa, Apartments.com, RentRedi, TenantCloud, Innago, RentManager, Avail, Rentec Direct, Doorloop, etc.

I recommend conducting thorough research on each app online to understand their offerings, pricing, etc. Create a simple spreadsheet or written list to compare the features of each and identify the ones that align with your requirements. Try to narrow down your options to the top 3-4. Once you have a shortlist, sign up for an account with each one and test them extensively to see how they function. Perform the same task in each app to ensure a fair comparison.

• Load a property with pictures and details.
• Market that property.
• See what your marketing looks like from the public's perspective.
• Submit a fake application to see how easy the process is.
• Run a credit/screening report on yourself.
• Enter a maintenance request, assign a vendor, and attach a fake invoice.
• Enter charges to the tenant's ledger.
• Enter recurring charges and automatic late fees.
• Sign documents electronically.
• Run owner reports.

After testing a few apps, one should clearly stand out. It's important to choose that one and commit to using it. Remember, no system is perfect, so avoid the temptation of constantly chasing after the next shiny object. You should only consider switching when your current software has a significant flaw or lacks features that force you to spend excessive time on workarounds. At that point, it's worth researching and finding a solution that better meets your needs.

Drew Sygit · Answer

@Deborah Lee these range from free to various costs, depending on the features you want:

Doorloop, Hemlane, Innago, RentRedi, Stessa, Avail, Apartments.com, TenantCloud, TurboTenant, Buildium

Mackaylee Beach · Answer

I worked with Propertyware a few years ago.

I loved the convenience of automized and personalized reports.

Jakob Mikhitarian · Answer

Appfolio is great! Lots of metrics and tools in the CRM at your disposal.

Deborah Lee · Answer

Thanks everyone for your recommendation!!

Kumar R. · Answer

Hey @Deborah Lee There are quite a few property management systems out there. You won't need it unless you are managing more than 10-15 properties and listing them on more than one OTA, like Airbnb. Guesty is one of the better ones, Hostaway, AppFolio are good too.

Jessica Stinnette · Answer

Appfolio, PowerApps, Dynamics365, Tenant Turner, Property Meld

Which property management apps do you use?!?

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