Best App or platform for automating rent collection, late fee notices, SMS messages?

Question

I self manage 30 units. Up until now, I have tenants pay through Zelle. Every month I am texting 4 or 5 tenants to remind them to pay rent or trying to collect rent fees. Several times a year I am am sending out a text message to all tenants (freeze warnings, inspection reminder, etc) I am looking for an online platform that has a good app as well as a website that I can use to do those tasks. I primarily want to automate rent reminders, late fee warnings, send blanket text messages, as well as have a user friendly app or website platform where my tenants can make ACH payments, or possibly even pay rent with a credit card. It looks like Buildium may be a "go to" but looks more robust than what I may need. I have seen suggestions for Innago, Stessa, and Rent Redi. Before I start spending time getting to know each application I was curious if there were any other owner/managers that had experience with an online platform they liked? I am ok paying for the service but would like to keep the monthly fee under $100 a month. Thanks in advance for your thoughts and advise!

Lauren Robins · Answer

Hey Scott!

It sounds like you need something that’s more than just a basic rent collection app, but not as heavy and expensive as a full property management system. The goal is to automate payment reminders, late fee notices, and bulk messages, without paying for features you’ll never use.

One great option for small landlords is Innago. It’s free for landlords (tenants cover any payment processing fees) and lets renters pay via ACH, debit, or credit card. You can set up automatic rent reminders and late fee notices, plus send announcements to a single tenant or everyone at once. The app is really straightforward, so you can get it running quickly without a big learning curve.

RentRedi is another solid choice. It costs about $20/month (or $108/year if you grab the BiggerPockets discount), and like Innago, it supports ACH, debit, and credit card payments. It also automates reminders and late fees.

If you want something very simple and widely recognized, Apartments.com (formerly Cozy) might work. It’s free for landlords and allows ACH or credit card payments, with automatic rent reminders and autopay options. The only downside is that bulk messaging works more like email blasts, so it’s not as quick for urgent notices.

TurboTenant also offers a free plan (or $99/year premium). It has ACH and card payment options, automated reminders, and late fee enforcement. Messaging is in-app or email only—not true text messaging—but it’s easy to use if you just need to get info out.

While Buildium is a popular “go-to” in the property management world, it’s much more robust and starts at around $55/month for under 50 units. It’s great if you want full accounting and advanced reporting, but for 30 units you might be paying for more than you need right now.

Note: This information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. No attorney-client, fiduciary, or professional relationship is established through this communication.

Yanik Parsch · Answer

I was in a similar spot — too much back and forth with Zelle and texts, especially chasing late fees and sending reminders. I didn’t want something as heavy as Buildium either.

I switched to Baselane and it’s worked well because:

• Rent reminders and late fees are automated, which saves me a ton of time.
• Tenants can pay by ACH, debit, or credit card, and set up auto-pay if they want.
• There’s a tenant portal where they can also submit maintenance requests, so I’m not juggling texts anymore.
• I can send messages to tenants directly through the platform instead of mass texting.

It’s more lightweight than the big property management systems, and it hasn’t felt like overkill. If your main goals are rent collection, reminders, and communication under one roof, it could be worth looking into.

Drew Sygit · Answer

@Scott Sammons you won't find one solution for all your needs!

So, you'll have weigh cost vs features and cobble 2-3 programs together.

Here are popular options: Doorloop, Hemlane, Innago, RentRedi, Stessa, Avail, Apartments.com, TenantCloud, TurboTenant, Buildium

Matt Schafer · Answer

I STRONGLY suggest looking into Shuk. It's what I use for my rental portfolio, and they've got a great platform / app. It also has a bunch of really unique benefits/tools for your rental portfolio (Lease Indication Tool, Expense Tracking, Maintenance Requests, Rent Collection, Tenant Communication, etc.) in one central place. I've found it very easy to use and helping with keeping everything organized.

Might be worth you looking into if you want access to something that's affordable ($5/month per unit; large portfolios they offer a customizable payment option), has lots of features that I've really liked, and more - especially if you’re unhappy with some of the tools or processes you’re using today with managing your property.

Happy to answer any questions on it, I’ve really enjoyed it.

You can just google “Shuk Rentals” and it should be the first thing to pop up.

Best App or platform for automating rent collection, late fee notices, SMS messages?

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