Most rental property management software looks the same on a features page. This checklist compares products on the work you do and the price you will pay.

Rental property management software keeps every rental's listing, tenants, lease, rent and repairs in one system. The category is crowded, and most products look alike on a features page. This checklist helps you compare them on the work you do and the price you will actually pay.

Start With Your Rentals

Write down three facts before you open a pricing page:

  • Rental types: single-family homes, units in a building, condos or rooms in a shared house.
  • Unit count: today and in two years.
  • Who does the work: you alone, a partner, staff or an outside manager.

These decide which plan you need. Software built for a 500-unit management company will handle four houses, but you will pay for tools you never open.

The Core Features to Compare

Any rental property management software worth a trial should handle these jobs:

  1. Listings and leads: one listing sent to several sites, with inquiries collected in one place.
  2. Applications and screening: online applications, consent, and reports from a consumer reporting agency.
  3. Leases: state-specific lease documents and online signatures, with the signed copy stored on the tenancy.
  4. Rent collection: online payments, autopay, late fees and a ledger for each tenant.
  5. Maintenance: tenant requests with photos, vendor assignment and cost tracking.
  6. Accounting: income and expenses by property, with reports your tax preparer can use.

Ask which plan includes each one. A feature on the website is not always in the plan you are pricing.

Work Out the Total Cost

Compare one year of use for your unit count. Add the subscription, payment fees for twelve months of rent, the screening reports you expect to order, and any signing or setup charges. Note who pays each fee, you or the tenant, and whether your state limits what can be passed on.

For reference, Rentari's plans and fees are public: the Free plan has no time limit, no card requirement and no property or unit cap; Prime is $120 a year for up to 10 units; Scale adds $24 a year for each additional unit. Online rent collection on paid plans costs $6 per bank payment or 3.49% by card, and screening reports are charged separately with the payer shown first.

Test Three Tasks Before You Commit

  1. Fill a vacancy: create a listing, receive a test inquiry and open the application a renter would see.
  2. Collect rent: post a charge, record a payment and find it in a report.
  3. Close a repair: log a request with a photo, assign it and record the cost.

If a task takes too long in a trial, it will take too long every month.

Plan the Move

List what must come with you: properties, tenants, lease dates, balances and documents. Ask each provider how records are imported and what you can export later. Keep your old records available until one full month of rent has been collected in the new system.

Your Next Step

Pick two products and run the same three tasks in each. See how Rentari handles them on the rental property management software page, check your rental type on the Solutions pages, or read the guide to landlord software if you run a small portfolio yourself.