8.9
Editor’s Rating:
Best for Residential Properties
AppFolio Property Manager: Realm-X Flows
AppFolio Property Manager
  • Modern and intuitive user interface
  • Strong universal search input
  • AI leasing and accounting features
8.9
Editor’s Rating:
Best for Commercial Properties
Yardi Breeze: Dashboard
Yardi Breeze
  • Available for mobile use anywhere
  • Cuts down on time-consuming tasks
  • Integrated property management and accounting
8.5
Editor’s Rating:
Best for Independent Landlords
TenantCloud: Dashboard
TenantCloud
  • Includes basic accounting
  • Can upload, store, and access important documents like leases and maintenance records
  • Enables landlords to send messages, share updates, and address inquiries within the system

Rental property management software can help you collect rent more consistently, manage tenants, and electronically record crucial files. This can apply to all different types of sectors, including residential and commercial.

Appfolio - Best for Residential Properties

Appfolio’s comprehensive resident portal makes collecting rent easy. Residents can pay anywhere, either directly from the mobile app or the desktop version. They can also set up auto-pay, ensuring they never miss a payment. This allows you to receive rent more consistently, instead of having to chase down late payments. And it’s all on one central platform, keeping you more organized than mailed checks, where they can be easily lost.

The online portal also allows you to communicate and share documents with your residents. Whether it’s lease contracts, maintenance requests, or general unit policies, you can ensure all tenants are up to speed on the latest news. Or, if someone needs access to their lease renewal, you can send that right away. It’s really a win-win for both of you, as you can immediately resolve any issues.

Appfolio Resident Text Messages
Communicate online ith every tenant in Appfolio.

Because of its extensive features, Appfolio is best for established, multi-property rental owners. Unfortunately, pricing is not publicly available, and there is a 50-unit minimum to get started. That said, the deep feature set that includes AI leasing, the resident portal, and marketing makes it a great option for residential leasing managers.

Best for Residential Properties:
AppFolio Property Manager
★★★★★
★★★★★
(5)

AppFolio Property Manager: Realm-X Flows
AppFolio Property Manager: Realm-X Flows
AppFolio Property Manager: Realm-X Assistant
AppFolio Property Manager: Smart Bill Entry
AppFolio Property Manager: Marketing Information
AppFolio Property Manager: Additional Services
AppFolio Property Manager: Work Orders
AppFolio Property Manager: Mobile Lease Agreement
AppFolio Property Manager: Marketplace
AppFolio Property Manager: Messages
AppFolio Property Manager: Mobile Reviews
AppFolio Property Manager: Communication
What We Like
Modern and intuitive user interface
Strong universal search input
AI leasing and accounting features
What We Don’t Like
50 unit minimum
Limited integrations
No API access
Overview
Price Range: $$
Client OS: Web
Deployment: Cloud Hosted

Read our full Appfolio review for more info.

Yardi Breeze - Best for Commercial Properties

Yardi Breeze can help manage retail, office, and industrial properties through its support for various lease types. This allows you to stay flexible for different tenants based on your portfolio. These include:

  • Triple Net (NNN) Leases: The system lets you allocate operating expenses across all tenants in the building, including common areas and custom costs.
  • Gross Leases: It simplifies fixed billing methods and tracks your expenses for internal reporting.
  • Combination Leases: For custom hybrid leases, you can set up maximum expense caps and percentage allocations for expense pools.
Yardi Breeze Property Dashboard
Manage expense pools and view KPIs for every building in Yardi Breeze.

Pricing for Yardi Breeze starts at $2/unit/month with a $200/month minimum for commercial properties. This makes it an affordable option if you manage at least 100 units across your portfolio. That said, it’s not recommended if you’re a large-sized operation, as you may need more advanced tools found in Yardi Voyager.

Best for Commercial Properties:
Yardi Breeze
★★★★★
★★★★★
(8)

Yardi Breeze: Dashboard
Yardi Breeze: Property
Yardi Breeze: Maintenance
Yardi Breeze: RENTCafe
Yardi Breeze: Map of Properties
Yardi Breeze: Mobile View
Yardi Breeze: Payment Processing
Yardi Breeze: Mobile Listing
What We Like
Available for mobile use anywhere
Cuts down on time-consuming tasks
Integrated property management and accounting
What We Don’t Like
Custom reporting only available in Premier version
Minimum charges per month
Missing features from Genesis2
Overview
Price Range: $$
Starting Price: $1/unit/month
Client OS: iOS, Android, Web
Deployment: Cloud Hosted

For more info, visit our Yardi Breeze product page.

TenantCloud - Best for Independent Landlords

TenantCloud offers low-cost pricing plans for small, independent landlords. The starter plan is only $18/month and supports up to 10 leases and unlimited properties. The Growth plan is only $35/month for up to 30 leases. Both plans are extremely cost-effective if you’re managing single-family homes, duplexes, or small apartments.

Beyond its pricing, TenantCloud has an easy-to-use online lease module. It features a document builder that lets you create custom lease agreements. The tool autofills all preset elements of the file, which minimizes the amount of manual data input by you. You can even access lawyer-approved documents that comply with your state, so you can be sure every agreement is legally compliant.

From there, the tenant can electronically sign the agreement, which is stored on the system for easy reference. This is a huge upgrade from physical paper filing, which can quickly become disorganized and result in missing documents. And if you ever need to send a notice for late rent or vacates, you can do so in one click.

Best for Independent Landlords:
TenantCloud
★★★★★
★★★★★
(2)

TenantCloud: Dashboard
TenantCloud: Company Information Page
TenantCloud: Auto Pay
TenantCloud: Personalize Website
TenantCloud: Units
TenantCloud: Team Management
What We Like
Includes basic accounting
Can upload, store, and access important documents like leases and maintenance records
Enables landlords to send messages, share updates, and address inquiries within the system
What We Don’t Like
Free version is limited to 15 leases
Poor customer support with slow response times
Occasional server glitches
Overview
Price Range: $
Starting Price: $18/month
Client OS: Web
Deployment: Cloud Hosted

See our full TenentCloud profile.

Buildium - Best for Property Accounting

Buildium’s property accounting module helps keep the books for all your rental properties aligned. You can easily record payments from every resident on one central screen. Categorize them by fees, rent deposits, and refunds to see a broad view of your entire organization.

Additionally, the accounting module automatically reconciles bank accounts. It displays your statement and cleared balances on the dashboard, making it easy to see monthly financial summaries. For more specific data, it separates withdrawals and deposits and breaks them down by property, so you can review your most profitable buildings.

Buildium Financials Dashboard
See monthly financial summaries in Buildium.

Buildium is well-suited for several types of rental properties, including residential, commercial, and student housing. Pricing starts at $58/month for the Essential plan, and accounting is included in every package. If you need more advanced features like business analytics, you’ll need to upgrade to the Growth plan, which starts at $183/month.

Best for Property Accounting:
Buildium
★★★★★
★★★★★
(1)

Buildium: Association Violations Management
Buildium: Rent Roll
Buildium: Manager Dashboard
Buildium: Open Service Request
Buildium: Work Orders
Buildium: Vendor Management
Buildium: Financials By Property Lease
Buildium: Applicant Management
Buildium: Bill Management
Buildium: Tenant Management
Buildium: Online Lease Applications
Buildium: Applicant Screening
Buildium: Reports
Buildium: Tenant Portal Welcome Dashboard
Buildium: Tentant Portal Payment History
Buildium: Public Rental Listings
Buildium: Public Site
What We Like
Scalable (can be used for 1 unit or 5,000 units)
No minimum unit count
Annual pricing discounts available
What We Don’t Like
A la carte pricing for certain features
Electronic leases only free with Plus version
Charges a fee to set up bank accounts
Overview
Price Range: $$
Starting Price: $58/month
Client OS: iOS, Android, Web
Deployment: Cloud Hosted

Read our full Buildium review.

Arrivo - Best for Transparent Pricing

Arrivo stands out for its all-in-one pricing model, starting at just $20/month, which includes rent collection, accounting, maintenance tracking, tenant screening, and a resident portal, all without hiding key features behind add-ons. Unlike most competitors, Arrivo also charges no ACH payment fees. While systems like Buildium often charge $2–$5 per transaction or take a 3% cut, Arrivo’s approach can save landlords and managers hundreds of dollars annually, even at lower unit counts.

Its clean, modern interface is designed to be intuitive for first-time users and non-technical teams. In keeping with its flat-rate transparency, every plan includes an investor portal at no added cost. This gives property managers a place to share real-time financial reports and performance data with clients, especially useful for those managing on behalf of owners and investors.

The base $20/month plan supports up to 5 units, with transparent pricing tiers that scale as your portfolio grows. If you’re looking for full-featured property management without surprise fees, Arrivo delivers great value out of the box.

Best for Transparent Pricing:
Arrivo

What We Like
No ACH fees for rent payments
Built-in accounting and owner distributions
Mobile friendly and easy to use
What We Don’t Like
Less suited for mixed-use properties
Limited “advanced” features like marketing & analytics
Limited integration options
Overview
Price Range: $$
Starting Price: $20/month
Deployment: Cloud Hosted

What is Rental Property Management Software?

Rental property management software is a digital platform that helps landlords and property managers streamline day-to-day operations. It centralizes tasks like rent collection, tenant communication, maintenance tracking, lease management, and financial reporting into one system.

These platforms are designed to reduce manual work and improve accuracy by automating routine activities such as sending rent reminders, applying late fees, processing online payments, and managing lease renewals. Many systems also include built-in tenant portals, mobile access, and screening tools to simplify onboarding and ongoing tenant engagement.

Whether you’re managing a single rental home or an entire portfolio of multifamily, commercial, or mixed-use properties, rental property management software gives you the tools to stay organized, compliant, and profitable.

Features

Core Features

These features are essential for managing even a small number of units effectively. Most platforms include these in their base plans:

Rent Collection

Rental property management software automates the rent collection process. Tenants receive reminders, pay through an online portal using ACH or credit card, and incur late fees automatically.

Why it matters: Saves time, reduces missed payments, and helps maintain consistent cash flow across your properties.

Work Order Management

Tenants can submit maintenance requests directly from their portal. Managers can assign tasks to internal staff or vendors, prioritize based on urgency, and track resolution.

Why it matters: Keeps repair workflows organized and ensures prompt service, which improves tenant satisfaction and retention.

Work order in Buildium

Example of a work order ticket from Buildium.

Tenant & Lease Management

Store and manage tenant records in one place, including contact information, lease agreements, pet addendums, renters’ insurance, and move-in/out documentation. Some systems allow digital lease amendments and renewal workflows.

Why it matters: Centralizes your lease and tenant data, helping you stay compliant and avoid paperwork errors.

Application Management

Tenants apply online by submitting required documents, background details, and income verification. Many platforms offer integrated screening tools and allow eSignatures for lease finalization.

Why it matters: Accelerates tenant onboarding, reduces paper handling, and ensures you screen applicants efficiently and fairly.

Property Accounting

Track income, expenses, deposits, and bank reconciliations from a central dashboard. Some systems also support budgeting, reporting, and automated management fees. Can use 3rd party tools like QuickBooks for accounting functionality.

Why it matters: Keeps your books clean and audit-ready while saving hours on monthly financial tasks.

Income and Expense Report on SimplifyEm Proerty Management
View income and expense reports using SimplifyEm

Additional Features

Many platforms go beyond the basics by offering extra tools that improve communication, boost efficiency, or support owner reporting. Here’s a breakdown of useful features that aren’t always included in entry-level plans:

Feature Description
Vacancy Management Automatically posts vacant units online and notifies you when leases are about to expire. Helps reduce downtime between tenants.
Applicant Screening Built-in background checks covering credit, eviction, and criminal history. Often priced per screening.
Tenant Portal Lets tenants pay rent, submit service requests, and access lease documents in one place.
Maintenance Management Tracks service requests, assigns vendors or staff, sets priority levels, and logs work history by unit.
Owner/Investor Portal Gives property managers a secure way to share reports and distributions with owners or investment partners.
eSignature Integration Allows tenants to digitally sign leases and renewals, streamlining move-ins and lease changes.
Document Storage Central location for storing lease agreements, notices, and property documents by unit or tenant.
Communication Tools Built-in email or text messaging for sending rent reminders, maintenance updates, or announcements.

Pricing Guide

Pricing is typically based on the number of managed units. Additional charges include per-rental payment transaction fees, per-screening fees, and one-time setup fees. Here’s what you can expect to pay based on the size of your company:

Tier Size TCO Examples
Low-Tier 1–25 units or small property managers $50–$500/month ($600–$6,000/year) Buildium, DoorLoop, Arrivo, TenantCloud
Mid-Tier 25–500 units or mid-sized property managers $500–$3,000/month ($6,000–$36,000/year) Appfolio, Yardi Breeze, Rent Manager, ResMan
High-Tier 500–5,000 units or larger property managers $3,000–$8,000/month ($36,000–$96,000/year) MRI Software, Yardi Voyager, RealPage
Enterprise 5,000+ units or enterprise-level firms $10,000+/month ($120,000+/year) Yardi Enterprise, SAP RE-FX, Oracle Property Manager
Still not sure which option is best for your properties? Get free software recommendations from our team today!

Free Rental Property Management Software

Some rental property management tools are marketed as free, but be wary of hidden charges. Free software is rarely free - someone will be paying for something. Systems marketed as free typically have transaction charges. Your tenants could also be getting data mined for marketing purposes. Free software usually has bare minimum features and is intended to get users in the door, only to advertise paid features.

Examples of free rental property management software include:

QuickBooks for Rental Property Management

Setting up recurring billing in QuickBooks
Setting up recurring billing in QuickBooks.

QuickBooks is great for handling accounting and recurring billing. To set up QuickBooks for renting, list your property as a customer and tenants as sub-customers. The sub customers will contain rent invoices and current balance information.

However, QuickBooks won’t help with work orders, tenant tracking, or other specialized property management features.

If you want to keep QuickBooks as your primary accounting solution and find something that can handle these additional functionalities, look for a solution that will integrate with it.

Types of Rental Properties

Residential Properties

Rental property management software is primarily used for apartment complexes. The software also assists with managing single-family home and duplex rentals. The core use of the software will be used to manage lease agreements, track maintenance, and collect rent electronically.

Commercial Spaces

Commercial rental property management software helps owners manage industrial, retail, or office spaces. Common area maintenance (CAM) calculation is an important aspect of these solutions. Costs of maintenance, electricity, and water usage are estimated for shared areas. These costs are then distributed evenly and charged to tenants.

Vacation Rentals

Vacation rental property management software is a completely different solution. Short-term rentals like homes in tourist-heavy areas and lakehouses need to be managed differently. A vacation rental management solution will handle features like booking and housekeeping.

Student Housing

Student housing software also includes accounting, lease management, and work order management. However, there are many other functionalities specific to student housing. Some solutions integrate with campus systems, allowing students to view class schedules or meal plans. Roommates are automatically matched based on each student’s classes or lifestyle.

Types of Property Managers

Self-Managed Landlords

Self-managed landlords are individual property owners who handle every aspect of their rental themselves. This might include someone renting out a former residence, a vacation home, or a small portfolio of 1 to 5 units.

These landlords typically manage advertising, screening, leasing, rent collection, and maintenance on their own—often while working another job. They need simple, affordable tools that help them stay organized without adding administrative overhead.

Property Management Firms

Property management firms are small to mid-sized businesses that manage rentals on behalf of multiple owners. They typically oversee between 10 to 500 units, often spread across multiple single-family homes, multifamily buildings, or small mixed-use properties.

These firms handle tenant inquiries, screening, leasing, rent collection, maintenance coordination, inspections, and reporting. They need full-featured property management systems that streamline communication, automate repetitive tasks, and maintain compliance across a growing portfolio.

Specialty Property Management Firms

Specialty or boutique property management firms focus on managing specialized property types or operating under unique ownership structures. These might include HOAs, low-income or subsidized housing, tax-credit properties, or senior living communities. They often manage 50 to 300 units and serve nonprofits, government entities, or niche investment groups.

These firms manage everything from leasing and maintenance to board communication and regulatory compliance. Their software needs include support for subsidy tracking, detailed financial reporting, and community portals for board members, owners, or residents.

Manage a Hotel or an HOA? Explore hotel management software or HOA Software

Enterprise Property Management Companies

Enterprise-level firms or real estate developers oversee thousands of rental units across multiple states or regions. They manage a wide range of asset classes—including large multifamily developments, commercial portfolios, student housing, or institutional-grade properties—and often have in-house teams for leasing, maintenance, legal, and finance.

These companies require highly scalable software with enterprise-level features like advanced accounting, custom workflows, CRM integration, and centralized reporting. Their systems must support complex lease structures, user roles, automation, and integrations with third-party platforms.

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