On our side the vacancy-to-rented stretch runs on rails because the steps are standardized. I buy the same kind of house — single-family under $100K in Memphis — so the rehab is the same 21-day schedule with the same finish package every time, and days 18–21 are a punch list run like a Section 8 inspection. The turnover checklist gets signed off before keys change hands, and the lease terms get walked through in person at signing. What I don't automate: the inspection outcome and the early conversations with a new tenant. A system can schedule those, but a person has to read them. At 236 properties, the system handles the repeatable steps so people can handle the judgment calls.
Slavik, I'd put most well-run small portfolios at a 6 or 7 — the leasing and rent collection parts automate beautifully, but the judgment calls don't. Online listings, digital applications, e-sign leases, and auto-pay cover probably 80% of the vacancy-to-rented cycle. What still needs a human: pricing the unit right (algorithms miss condition and micro-location), screening beyond the credit score (a conversation catches what paperwork doesn't), and the make-ready walkthrough. The landlords who get burned by automation are the ones who auto-approve tenants or auto-price without looking at the actual unit. Automate the process, keep a human on the decisions. Where's your biggest time sink in the cycle right now?
@Slavik Lund I'd guess most small landlords are around a 5 or 6. Listing, applications, screening and rent collection automate well now. Showings and the final yes still need a person.
The biggest time saver is a pre-screen form with your written criteria (income, move-in date, pets) before anyone can book a showing, plus self-showing lockboxes on vacant units. It cuts out the showings that were never going to work. Just apply the same criteria to everyone.