Welcome to the forum! Before paying for anything, I'd write down what you really need, like online rent payments, maintenance requests and lease storage, then try a free trial or two. Tenants usually appreciate a tool that's simple and easy on their phone.

Randy, Bunklow

There are a few free platforms that offer the basics if you just want something to get started.

I use Apartments.com to write & store my leases, screen tenants, and receive payments from various types of payment methods.

I started with Zillow Rentals that did all the same things for free, but when there was an issue with a payment, there was no customer support on my end, just the tenant side and I didn't like that.

My first stop was Furnished Finder that provides some of these tools (if you already pay to have a listing) but there's a heavy fee for credit card payments.

The only issue I've encountered with Apartments.com is that very rarely the site won't load. In my experience I just had to refresh the page. However, a new tenant said they couldn't get it to work and freaked out and didn't want to use it.

There are other platforms that offer more, and cost money, but if you're just starting out you probably don't need a lot.

It's hard to point you the right way without knowing a bit more. How many units do you have, are you self-managing, and are they long-term rentals? For a handful of doors, most people mainly need three things: online rent collection by bank transfer so tenants pay straight from their bank, one place for maintenance requests so they don't all come in by text, and income and expenses tracked per property for tax time. A lot of rental apps cover all three. Before you pick one, check that it lets you export your data, because switching later is a pain if you can't. What's the main thing that isn't working right now? I'd love to help you in any way that I can with finding the right app that you need.

Les, the app matters less than the process you run on it.

At 236 properties, I need the same few things on every door: rent collected the same way every month, a record of who paid and who did not, and maintenance requests in writing in one place. If your tool does those three things cleanly, it is enough to start.

Do not pay for a big system before you have the doors to need it. A simple tool you actually use every day beats an expensive one with twenty features you never open. Pick for this: can a tenant pay without calling you, and can you see the whole portfolio's rent status in one look? If yes, start there and upgrade only when the volume forces it.

For how many doors?