A property management software for small landlords is a great investment that offers you the tools you need to run your business and much more. Our app was designed by small property managers and property managers just like you, who know what’s important and who want to provide their clients with the best service possible.
Whether you’re a small property owner or managing the properties of others, it can make sense to use property management software. With an online management platform, you can manage your portfolios and tenant information easily and at a low cost, keeping information up-to-date across all platforms so that you don’t miss any important details.
Hiring a professional property management company can be expensive. Managing your properties from start to finish can be challenging, even for a professional property manager. That’s why there are advanced property management software packages. Now, I am not saying that you need to go out and invest in costly software, but you should consider looking at the best free property management software for small landlords.
When you run a small property management company, it’s important to have the right software in place. That way, you can easily manage your clients and rent payments, keep track of your books, and more. If you’re not sure where to start, this article will help you learn more about property management software for small landlords. If you own a property, it’s likely that you want to maximize its potential. One way to do that is by finding the right software solution for managing your properties and their tenants.
Property management software for small landlords
As a small landlord or property owner, it’s important to use property management software that can help you manage your properties more efficiently. Good property management software will make your life easier by providing you with all the information you need to run and grow your investment portfolio. If you want to increase the profitability of your investments and protect yourself from legal issues, then having access to an easy-to-use and reliable system is essential. With a cloud-based property management software in particular, not only do you have access anytime anywhere but also get additional benefits such as security, accessibility, and data protection which are otherwise difficult or impossible with other options like web-based ones
Free property management software
While it may be true that you can get away with using a spreadsheet to manage your property, there are several reasons why you should consider going the software route. The first and most obvious reason is that a good piece of property management software will make your job easier. If you’re looking for free property management software for landlords, then we can help you find it!
Free Property Management Software For Small Property Owners in the UK
If you own multiple properties, then finding great free property management software is even more important because every dollar counts when it comes to making sure all of your properties are properly maintained. You don’t want anything slipping through the cracks: from leaky pipes to water damage caused by tenants’ belongings being left out in inclement weather for too long—these things need prompt attention because they could lead to costly repairs later on if left alone for too long (or worse).
Cloud-based property management software
One of the benefits of cloud-based property management software is that it requires no installation. This means that you don’t have to download any software or hardware to your computer in order to run it. It also means that you can access the platform from anywhere, using any device with an internet connection.
Perhaps most importantly, this type of solution will cost less than other options because it doesn’t require a license or subscription fee for every user who accesses the system – there’s only one fee for unlimited users! And because all data is stored online, there is little risk if something happens (such as a hacker attack) – all information lives safely in the cloud and can be accessed easily whenever needed by authorized users on any platform
These are the top free property management software solutions for small property owners
There are several free property management software solutions for small property owners. Cloud-based, web-based and browser-based software is becoming more common for managing your rental properties and there are several options available. These include:
AppFolio
AppFolio, popular among landlords with large rental portfolios, offers the best-advanced features to control your units remotely, and additional support and resources to grow your business and maximize its efficiency.
Pros
- Plans for residential landlords, community associations, and commercial real estate landlords
- Supports all types of units
- Has a mobile app
Cons
- Has a minimum monthly fee
- Not fit for a small number of properties
Besides supporting all types of units, AppFolio has developed a wide range of features for landlords who need to operate and grow their business remotely, earning our top vote for best for advanced features.
AppFolio has two different plan tiers for residential landlords as well as plans for community associations and commercial landlords. The plans have a cost per unit, but a minimum applies. For residential landlords, the minimum cost is $280 a month for the core plan.
To set up an AppFolio account, you would need to pay an onboarding fee, after which the cost of each property is as follows:
- Residential Core: $1.40 per unit monthly (min $280)
- Residential Plus: $3 per unit monthly (min $1,500)
- Plans for community associations and commercial landlords are also available.
AppFolio supports multiple property types, including residential properties, commercial buildings, student housing, and community associations. Each of the features is designed for the specific property type you’re using, so AppFolio has everything a landlord would need—accounting software, rent collection features, maintenance requests, marketing tools for multiple platforms, utility billing, and customizable online leases.
Advanced features include a leasing assistant powered by artificial intelligence, professional websites for your properties, premium leads, tenant screening, proof of insurance tracking, online payments, maintenance contact center, utility management, automated accounts payable, and tenant debt collections.
Founded in 2006, AppFolio has over a decade of experience in providing property management services to clients. Their property management software was the first product they developed, so it’s what they take the most pride in and continuously develop. The company continues to grow with over six million units managed on the platform and is publicly traded on the NASDAQ.
Best for Single Family Homes Propertyware
Designed with single-family home landlords in mind, Propertyware has earned its place as our best rental property management software for single-family homes.
Pros
- Manage large portfolios
- Has a mobile app
- Multiple pricing tiers
Cons
- Some customer support complaints
- Fit only for large portfolios
Focused on single-family home property management, Propertyware is fairly simple to use, without complicated features commercial management software can have, making it the best choice for single-family home management. You’ll benefit from Propertyware’s management features, especially if you’re a single-family home landlord. It has everything a landlord needs including online rent collection, accounting, maintenance requests, vacant property marketing with leasing agents, marketing with listing syndication, tenant screening services, lead tracking and follow-up, and a portal for vendors.
Propertyware currently has three pricing tiers: Basic, Plus, and Premium, with costs starting at $1 per unit, 1.50 per unit, and $2 per unit, respectively. With the Basic plan, you can run reports; advertise your vacancies; manage the properties with owner and tenant portals; and streamline maintenance work orders, accounting, tenant screening, and rent payments. The Plus plan adds conveniences like two-way text messaging, eSignatures, and inspections. At the Premium level, you can manage your maintenance projects and add portals for your vendors. Each respective tier has a minimum monthly fee of $250, $350, and $450, so to optimize your unit costs, this program is best for managers of at least 250 homes.
Integrations for efficiency include Mail Merge and DocuSign, but aside from those, Propertyware has chosen an in-house approach for marketing, lead generation, and tenant screening rather than integrating with third-party software.
Propertyware is owned by RealPage, a Texas-born company founded in 1998 that currently serves more than 12,400 clients from North America, Europe, and Asia. All members of Propertyware’s management team have over 20 years of experience working in real estate, which means users get software designed by people who understand the industry and how it works.
Best for Few Properties SimplifyEm
Designed by real estate professionals, SimplifyEm offers the ideal balance of price and features, making it the perfect choice for landlords that need help managing a few properties and don’t want to pay the high cost of other software plans.
Pros
- Supports one to 2,000 units
- Designed by real estate professionals
- Has advanced features
Cons
- If you have more than 2,000 units, the platform can’t grow with your portfolio
While SimplifyEm supports any number of units from one to 2,000, it’s the best fit for a few properties, because you can keep your costs as low as $25 per month if you’re starting out with fewer than 10 properties.
The price starts at $25 per month for 10 units. Then costs $35 for 20 units and $45 for 30 units. At 50 units it is $60, increasing to $75 for 75 units, and 100 for $100 units. You can create a free 15-day trial account without needing to enter a credit card. It does not require a dedicated professional to manage this platform. Independent property owners should find this accessible regardless of their experience.
All packages include email and phone support, income and expense tracking, tenant and lease management reporting, renters insurance, and more.
SimplifyEm is designed to give a simple and easy way for landlords to manage their properties while also saving time and money. It allows users to track income and expenses, collect rent and tenant applications online, screen tenants, generate and analyze owner reports, track maintenance requests, store documents, and automate repetitive tasks. You can get started immediately because it is cloud-based.
Founded in 2006, SimplifyEm has a goal of utilizing the latest in user experience and web technology to develop a software solution that meets the needs of busy real estate professionals. The company has clients across the U.S. and Canada and has been used to manage over $42 billion in property assets. Furthermore, it has been verified by Authorize.net and GeoTrust with high ratings from Capterra.
Best for Commercial Property MRI Software
MRI Software wins our top recommendation for managing commercial properties like apartment communities with features not found in competitors’ programs like investment management, strategic planning & analysis, lease abstraction, space management, and affordable and public housing compliance.
Pros
- Multiple advanced features included
- Reliable company with a long history
- Easy to use
Cons
- You need to contact the company to get a price quote
Commercial properties come with greater financial complexities, and the investors who own them have different information requirements of their properties, such as investment management reports and strategic planning and analysis. MRI Software was designed to meet these needs from the start and therefore wins our vote as the best rental property management software for commercial properties.
MRI Software supports both commercial and residential properties, but because of the design of its features, it’s better suited for the commercial sector or businesses owning large portfolios of residential properties. A smaller residential landlord would simply leave too many features paid for but unused. It’s best suited for managing larger portfolios of property and can be installed or purchased as Software as a Service (SaaS).
As it has a wide array of services for different types of clients, MRI Software doesn’t have specific pricing tiers, but rather it tailors the price for every client’s needs. This means that users can choose what to include in their package and whether they need some or all services, such as online rent collection, lease templates, integrated accounting, maintenance requests, tenant screening insurances, multifamily insurance, resident communication, investor relations, rent and vacancy tracking, manager compliance, and credit risk management.
There is no free trial, and to get a quote you must get on the phone with them so they can interview you to uncover exactly how you want to use the software. While this is an extensive process, quite different from competitors who simply publish their pricing online, there are many reviews from commercial property managers and owners on Getapp.com and Software Advice that have rated MRI as a good value for the price they were privately quoted.
Founded in 1971 and based in Cleveland, Ohio, MRI Software started by providing property management services and has expanded to cloud-based software and an app. They’ve had over 52,000 clients in over 170 countries and more than 300 partners supporting them, a testament to the reliability and quality they provide.
Best free property management software for small landlords
Whether you’re a small landlord with one or two properties, or you manage a larger portfolio of rentals, managing your rental business can be both time-consuming and expensive. In addition to the day-to-day tasks of renting out units and collecting rent payments, managing your rental property also requires keeping track of tenant screening reports, paying bills from vendors like HVAC companies and landscapers, and staying compliant with local laws.
Fortunately for small landlords like myself, there are several great options for property management software that can help streamline these processes while saving money on overheads like accounting fees. Here are my top picks for free rental management software solutions:
What is property management software?
Property management software is a tool that helps landlords manage their rental properties. It can help you save time and money on tasks like rent collection, tenant screening, accounting, and more. Some of the best property management software for small landlords is designed for managing a single rental property or multiple properties.
What are the benefits of small landlord software?
You’ll find that small landlord software has many benefits. First, it’s integrated into one program, so you won’t have to worry about switching between different programs to perform various tasks. Second, small landlord software is cost-effective because you don’t need to pay for multiple programs and licenses. Thirdly, most small landlord software enables you to streamline your operations by eliminating redundant work processes and reducing human error in record keeping and billing processes. Fourthly, most small landlord software is secure because it uses encryption technology that protects sensitive information such as tenant payment history records or credit card data from hackers attempting unauthorized access of your database via the Internet (or another connection method). Fifthly, many small landlord programs are easy to use which means they’re intuitive enough that anyone can pick them up after just a few hours of training on how they operate—no prior knowledge required!
There are several things to consider when choosing a property management software:
- Is it cloud-based? This is important because it means that you don’t have to install any software onto your computer or phone—the app will be available from anywhere. Also, if something happens to your computer (like a virus), then you won’t lose all of your data in one fell swoop!
- Is it easy to use? If this isn’t straightforward enough for you, consider working with an outside consultant who can recommend some great options based on their experience in this field.
- How much does it cost? While there’s no such thing as free rent (ha!), there are plenty of affordable options out there that may just fit into your budget better than anything else will. And remember: high prices don’t always mean good quality; sometimes you get what you pay for!
What features should you look for when choosing a property management software solution?
There are a number of features that you should look for when choosing a property management software solution. These include:
- Accuracy. Is it easy to enter new tenants and create lease agreements? Can you easily upload photos, rent payments and other documents? Do you have the ability to track maintenance requests from tenants and contractors? Are any of these features missing or needlessly difficult to use?
- Robustness. Does the program crash frequently during use, or does it work well even with large databases of information? Does it automatically sync with other programs like accounting software so that there’s no confusion about data accuracy or integrity? How long has the company been in business—and how many customers do they have using their product currently? This is especially important when considering which free property management software solutions may not be as robust as they claim (see next section).
- Ease of Use. Can you quickly add new tenants, create leases and then input rent payments into your system without running into problems every time something doesn’t go exactly right or wasn’t explained clearly enough at first glance by whoever designed this feature set out for you originally (which is often not an issue with paid versions)? Are all necessary functions available within one easy-to-navigate interface so users don’t get distracted trying too many different screens at once while still trying desperately hard not to ruin everything!
Choosing the right property management software for your small house rental business can help you save time and money on tasks like rent collection, tenant screening, accounting, and more.
Conclusion
Looking for the best property management software for small landlords? Property management is a challenge and often time-consuming endeavor. Learn how to automate your systems, save money on paperwork, boost cash flow and simplify daily tasks with software that fits your needs.
If you are a small property owner or even a large one for that matter, you may already know about the importance of having your own property management software. If not, then it is time to learn all about it. There are many different kinds of landlords, from first-time property owners to those who have been doing this for years. No matter what your reasons behind trying to find a better system than the manual one you currently have, there are many benefits, both financial and personal, that can come from using such software.