What do you actually use your property management software for?

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What do you actually use your property management software for?

Sunoo Bertsch
Member since 2026 · 10 posts · 2 votes

Curious how other self-managing landlords use PM software in practice. From what I've seen, some people use it almost entirely for accounting, others mainly for rent collection, and some don't use it at all.

What do you use it for? And if you're only using part of it, what made you ignore the rest?

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Gary Childers
Member since 2023 · 5 posts · 4 votes
6mo

Sunoo, From my experience self-managing rentals, most landlords end up using PM software mainly for a few core things:

• Rent collection

• Expense tracking/accounting

• Tenant communication and records

• Document storage (leases, applications, notices)

A lot of the other features look great on paper but don’t get used much once you develop your own systems. For example, some landlords already have their own maintenance contacts or bookkeeping process, so they only use the parts of the software that actually save time.

When I was managing my rentals, the biggest value was simply keeping everything organized in one place—payments, tenant info, and documentation.

In my opinion the goal isn’t to use every feature, it’s to reduce stress and keep clean records.

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  • Sean McKee
    Rental Property Investor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2017 · 265 posts · 186 votes
    6mo
    Quote from @Sunoo Bertsch:

    Curious how other self-managing landlords use PM software in practice. From what I've seen, some people use it almost entirely for accounting, others mainly for rent collection, and some don't use it at all.

    What do you use it for? And if you're only using part of it, what made you ignore the rest?


     I use Landlord Studios.  Accounting is main component of it, but I also use it for:

    -rent collections

    -tenant communication

    -Maintenance submissions

    -Lease expiration reports

    -Rental Listings

    -Lockbox management

    -Tasks for my virtual assistant

    -Key Document storage


    It keeps me on top of everything.

    2Reply
  • Gary Childers
    Member since 2023 · 5 posts · 4 votes
    6mo

    Sunoo, From my experience self-managing rentals, most landlords end up using PM software mainly for a few core things:

    • Rent collection

    • Expense tracking/accounting

    • Tenant communication and records

    • Document storage (leases, applications, notices)

    A lot of the other features look great on paper but don’t get used much once you develop your own systems. For example, some landlords already have their own maintenance contacts or bookkeeping process, so they only use the parts of the software that actually save time.

    When I was managing my rentals, the biggest value was simply keeping everything organized in one place—payments, tenant info, and documentation.

    In my opinion the goal isn’t to use every feature, it’s to reduce stress and keep clean records.

    3Reply
  • Peter MckernanBusiness Member
    Residential Real Estate Agent · Irvine, CA · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    6mo
    Quote from @Sunoo Bertsch:

    We use it for that, also managing repair requests on the platform too. If someone reaches out via text, email or any other way about a repair we have them submit a request online to track it all and then that also can get the note to your handyman etc. This is great cause you can add the invoice to the task and track it. The other things are communication to talk to tenants, emails and notes for raising rents. This also keeps your info on what rent is and notifying you when leases are coming due as well. There are a lot of PM softwares that link up AI tools to get your handyman or professionals to the property and coordinate time to get there when the tenant has time to open the door. There are a lot of things the PM software does that really helps the owner and PM company. 

    The McKernan Group4.954 Reviews
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  • Marcus Delgado
    Investor · Tampa, FL · Member since 2026 · 24 posts · 18 votes
    6mo

    I self manage 8 doors across Tampa and Ocala while working a full time W2 so my setup is pretty bare bones. Honestly I mostly just use it for rent collection and bookkeeping at this point. Tried using all the features when I first set things up but half of them were just recreating stuff I was already doing on my own so I dropped them pretty fast.

    Rent collection was the biggest win by far. Getting everyone off Zelle and onto an actual platform where it auto reminds them cut my late payments way down. Before that I was texting people on the 3rd and 5th of every month which gets old real fast at 8 doors. And having all the income and expenses in one spot when my CPA needs numbers at tax time saves me a bunch of headaches vs the Google sheet I used to use. I still cross reference against my bank statements but its way less work.

    Maintenance request features I basically ignore completely. My tenants have my number and if something breaks they text me and I send one of my two guys over. Nobody wanted to go through an app for that.

    Honestly though I'm at the point where I'm seriously thinking about just handing everything to a PM. Even at 8-10% the time I'd get back is probably worth it. The software helps stay organized but its the drive time between properties and being on call 24/7 while working full time thats killing me. Somewhere around 5 or 6 doors it stopped being a side thing.

    2Reply
  • Jim Johnson
    Real Estate Agent · Memphis · Member since 2026 · 545 posts · 315 votes
    6mo

    Good question — a lot of owners buy software expecting it to solve everything, but most end up using just a few core functions.

    In practice, the biggest value usually comes from three things:

    • Rent collection and payment tracking
    • Maintenance request intake and documentation
    • Basic accounting and reporting

    Those three alone eliminate a lot of manual work and scattered communication. Some of the other features—like marketing, tenant screening, or advanced analytics—often get skipped because owners already have other tools or established processes they prefer.

    Where PM software tends to help most is creating a single system of record. When rent, maintenance history, leases, and tenant communication all live in one place, it’s much easier to manage the property consistently over time.

    0Reply
  • Kodie Talley
    Real Estate Agent · Saint Petersburg Florida · Member since 2026 · 30 posts · 14 votes
    6mo

    We use turbo tenant for rent collection, drawing up lease agreements, addendums and tenant applications/background checks. We pay $149 per year and it's been well worth it

    0Reply
  • Greg Namrow
    Real Estate Consultant · Orange County, CA · Member since 2025 · 8 posts · 6 votes
    6mo

    Most self-managing landlords I work with only use about 20-30% of their (PM) software.

    Usually it comes down to 3 things:
    > rent collection
    > basic bookkeeping
    > tax prep/filing

    Honestly, the biggest drop-off usually happens when the software creates more chaos and administrative work than it removes. If I have to manually clean up transactions, deal with bad reporting, or bounce between 4+ rools to understand one property, the system is not really helping..

    The tools that provide the most value are the ones that make the financial side dead simple and show me what is actually happening at the property level. That is where I think the market is still leaving a lot on the table. Most landlords do not need LESS features and fewer blind spots. 

    0Reply
  • David PeschioBusiness Member
    Richmond, VA · Member since 2019 · 358 posts · 181 votes
    6mo

    I use pretty much the full system — rent collection, accounting, maintenance, screening, renewals, inspections, communication logs, all of it. Once you build your workflow around the software, it actually makes life easier to keep everything in one place instead of juggling separate tools. For me, the more I put into it, the smoother the whole operation runs.

    [email protected]804-909-1929
    PMI Richmond4.4299 Reviews
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    0Reply
    • Drew SygitBusiness Member
      Property Manager · Royal Oak, MI · Member since 2012 · 12k+ posts · 9k+ votes
      6mo
      Quote from @David Peschio:

      I use pretty much the full system — rent collection, accounting, maintenance, screening, renewals, inspections, communication logs, all of it. Once you build your workflow around the software, it actually makes life easier to keep everything in one place instead of juggling separate tools. For me, the more I put into it, the smoother the whole operation runs.

      So true!

      Have helped a lot of people use software and the NUMBER ONE PROBLEM - no one wants to invest the time needed to properly learn how to use the software they are complaining about!😣

      Short-term pain for long-term gain🙃
      [email protected]248-209-6824
      Logical Property Management4.9451 Reviews
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    • Bella Ajayi
      Rental Property Investor · Maryland · Member since 2026 · 30 posts · 24 votes
      5mo
      Quote from @David Peschio:

      I use pretty much the full system — rent collection, accounting, maintenance, screening, renewals, inspections, communication logs, all of it. Once you build your workflow around the software, it actually makes life easier to keep everything in one place instead of juggling separate tools. For me, the more I put into it, the smoother the whole operation runs.

      Hi David. What PM software do you use??
      0Reply
  • Scott Robinson
    Member since 2026 · 2 posts · 0 votes
    6mo

    Does anyone use software for documenting the property for move-ins/move-outs and repairs or damage? In CA there is a law requiring pictures with a date for each of these, starting as of last year, and I'm wondering if anyone uses anything besides their phone or how they share the media with the tenants or contractors or whoever is involved?

    Law: AB 2801

    0Reply
  • Sam TatoPro Member
    Investor · Buffalo, NY · Member since 2026 · 42 posts · 19 votes
    6mo

    @Scott Robinson I'm not familiar witht the CA law, but if taking pictures with a phone, the date taken is stored in the metadata of the file.  If you transfer the photos to another location you'd need to make sure that the original file is being transferred (HEIC on iphone), not a jpg or other format which is sometimes done automatically depending how you're transferring the images.  Then you'd need a way to view that HEIC and metadata, not really a straightforward thing. 

    Regarding photos for proof of condition, the easiest thing would be to make an album in your phone's photos and store them there, metadata is easily viewable there.

    But, who knows what the courts actually expect if you ever get into that situation. I can't imagine they'd be asking for proof of condition photos with original photo date metadata.

    1Reply
  • Scott Robinson
    Member since 2026 · 2 posts · 0 votes
    6mo

    Thank you @Sam Tato!

    0Reply
  • Robert Donnelly
    Member since 2026 · 6 posts · 3 votes
    6mo

    @Marcus Delgado's point about tenants not using maintenance portals is huge. I've seen this pattern around, landlords pay for PM software with a maintenance module, but tenants just text them anyway because it's what they already know how to do. The software ends up being expensive rent collection with a bunch of features nobody uses.

    It seems like the tools that actually stick are the ones that meet tenants where they already are (text/SMS) rather than asking them to download an app or log into a portal.

    Has anyone found something that actually works for maintenance intake without forcing tenants to change their behaviour?

    1Reply
  • David PeschioBusiness Member
    Richmond, VA · Member since 2019 · 358 posts · 181 votes
    6mo

    @Robert Donnelly - unless a absolute emergency, we will not take maintenance over the phone or text.  We take that opportunity to walk them through the process on how to create a work order from the portal.  We also do this on the front end when the lease is signed.  We explain to them that this is the only option so we can track, coordinate, communicate, etc...  Seems to work out just fine.  

    [email protected]804-909-1929
    PMI Richmond4.4299 Reviews
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    0Reply
    • Robert Donnelly
      Member since 2026 · 6 posts · 3 votes
      6mo

      @David Peschio That makes total sense for a property management company, you have the scale and the lease-signing process to enforce it. I think the challenge is different for self-managing landlords with 5-20 units who don't have that formal onboarding moment with tenants. They're more likely to get a text at 10pm and just deal with it rather than redirect the tenant to a portal.

      Do you find any resistance from tenants when you enforce portal-only, or does the lease signing take care of it?

      0Reply
  • Raku Sathish
    Real Estate Consultant · Saudi Arabia · Member since 2021 · 3 posts · 0 votes
    6mo

    Most landlords I’ve spoken with mainly use property management software for rent collection, tenant records, and maintenance tracking. Those features usually solve the biggest day-to-day problems.

    Accounting and expense tracking are also common, especially when someone manages multiple units.

    Interestingly, a lot of users don’t fully use the advanced features. Many still rely on spreadsheets or separate tools for analysis and reporting.

    In larger commercial real estate companies it’s a bit different. They sometimes integrate property management operations with ERP systems to handle financial consolidation, portfolio reporting, and multi-entity management. But for individual landlords, the core operational features tend to matter the most.

    0Reply
  • David PeschioBusiness Member
    Richmond, VA · Member since 2019 · 358 posts · 181 votes
    6mo

    @Robert Donnelly  We typically do not.  I think the main point is to try and educate and inform on rules and procedures before they even move in.  Tell them you are busy and have other obligations and having everything live on the portal ensures that things get done and not fall through the cracks.  They usually understand and just keep re-educating along the way.

    [email protected]804-909-1929
    PMI Richmond4.4299 Reviews
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  • Richard F.
    Honolulu, HI · Member since 2008 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    6mo

    @Robert Donnelly, over 30 years as a PM, now retired, I never used portal access for Tenants. They always, always, only had the option of my office phone/voice mail (including use of an "outcalling" feature of voice mail, that would notify me of any after hours call. I could listen to the message, and leave it for the AM, or if actually urgent I would call Tenant back to advise someone was enroute), or email. I never provided my cell phone number to Tenants, only to Contractors and Owners. As long as you check the VM and EM frequently AND provide a response, there were no issue. For any actual service request, I would contact my preferred Vendor, provide them the address and contact info, and the Vendor would respond to the Tenant by calling and scheduling. Vendors had instructions to call me direct and/or send pics for approval to proceed when they were on site. They also knew to check with me if a Tenant had any additional items they requested to be performed.

    This minimizes my "talk time" with the Tenants, yet assures a timely response and good documentation of the issue with no surprise invoices. It also enables you to talk through an issue with your Vendor to make the right decisions where needed. 

    1Reply
  • Robert Donnelly
    Member since 2026 · 6 posts · 3 votes
    6mo

    Really interesting approach @Richard F., having vendors coordinate directly with tenants and send you photos for approval before work starts is smart.

    One thing I notice from both your approach and @David Peschio's, neither of you give tenants direct access to your personal phone. Whether it's a portal, an office line, or a dedicated number, there's always a layer in between. Seems like that boundary is just as important as the system itself.

    1Reply
  • David PeschioBusiness Member
    Richmond, VA · Member since 2019 · 358 posts · 181 votes
    6mo

    @Robert Donnelly - absolutely.  Never give your cell number out.  You are totally correct about that being equally if not more important than anything else.

    [email protected]804-909-1929
    PMI Richmond4.4299 Reviews
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    0Reply
  • Marcus Delgado
    Investor · Tampa, FL · Member since 2026 · 24 posts · 18 votes
    6mo

    Yeah that's pretty much exactly where I land on it. My tenants text me, I forward photos to my two guys, and the work gets done. I've tried pointing people to the portal a couple times and it just doesn't stick when they already have your number.

    The real answer from this thread seems like don't give out your cell in the first place, which I probably should've done from day one. Hard to walk that back with tenants who've been texting you for 3 years though.

    0Reply
  • Priya Menon
    Rental Property Investor · Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2026 · 11 posts · 16 votes
    6mo

    I don't use PM software at all. Six SFH, all self-managed, and I just run everything through a Google Sheets master tracker. Each property has its own tab with income, expenses, and a running cash flow number by month. Rent comes in through direct transfers and I log it same day. Maybe 20 minutes a month to keep current and my CPA gets a clean export at tax time.

    Looked at a couple platforms when I hit 4 doors but the cost didn't pencil for what I'd actually use. Rent collection was the one feature that made sense on paper, but my tenants pay on time and moving them to a portal felt like adding friction to something that already works.

    The one gap is maintenance history. Right now when something breaks I text my guy and log the expense after the fact. Everything's in the sheet if I need to look back but it's not searchable the way real software would be. That's probably the one thing I'd eventually add.

    1Reply
  • Sunoo Bertsch
    OP
    Member since 2026 · 10 posts · 2 votes
    6mo

    @Robert Donnelly @David Peschio Interesting. So an ideal workflow would be messaging tenants via a portal, but tenants would send and receive via text?

    0Reply
  • David PeschioBusiness Member
    Richmond, VA · Member since 2019 · 358 posts · 181 votes
    6mo

    @Sunoo Bertsch - in our system yes.  You can email and or text via portal.  Obviously, we will use phones but not personal cells.

    [email protected]804-909-1929
    PMI Richmond4.4299 Reviews
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    0Reply
  • Michael Reeves
    New to Real Estate · Mesa, AZ · Member since 2026 · 2 posts · 0 votes
    6mo

    Online marketing can be helpful in real estate.

    0Reply
  • Miles Lerner
    Specialist · Minneapolis, MN · Member since 2025 · 19 posts · 2 votes
    6mo

    Rent collection, maintenance requests, messaging, accounting, lease signing, screening, predictive lease renewal signals.

    0Reply
  • Allison Park
    Member since 2024 · 158 posts · 87 votes
    6mo
    I used mine for almost every step of renting and managing my properties. Online custom screening and application, lease and other document signing, ACH payments, tracking expenses, automated late messages, viewing financials, uploading documents and pictures. I don’t use it for maintenance requests yet since my properties are still under warranty, but will after this year. I save hundreds of hours a year with everything automated.
    0Reply
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