Best Free Property Management Software
Property management solutions help thousands of landlords grow their businesses. However, many of these solutions are expensive. Fortunately, there are a variety of free options that include the core set of features you need to manage your properties.
Below, we offer an overview of this type of software, along with its costs and features. We also include a short-list of the best free property management solutions on the market today.
Table of Contents
- What is Free Property Management Software?
- Who is Free Property Management Software Best For?
- What Features are Found in Property Management Software?
- What Types of Free Property Management Software are Available?
- What are the Fees Associated with Free Property Management Software?
- Best Free Property Management Software
- Other Free Solutions for Landlords and Property Managers
What is Free Property Management Software?
Property management software is used by landlords and property managers to help optimize daily tasks. These tasks include scheduling showings, managing maintenance requests, and collecting payments. In general, these property management solutions charge subscriptions to access their platforms that range from $50 to $1000 per month. However, there are a variety of free property management solutions available on the market today.
Who is Free Property Management Software Best For?
Free property management solutions are useful resources for independent landlords and property managers who may not have the budget to afford a premium system. Also, free property management solutions are fantastic introductory products for those who have previously managed their properties using pen and paper. These low-risk solutions allow landlords to test this type of software before investing in a more robust and expensive solution.
What Features are Found in Property Management Software?
In general, free property management software includes a variety of features that is sufficient for most independent landlords and property managers. Here is a list of features that free property management software typically includes:
- Application management
- Automated listing syndication
- Automated payment reminders
- Automated rent collection
- Basic accounting tools
- Custom property listings
- Electronic leases
- Maintenance Management
- Online tenant portal
- Tenant screening
What Types of Free Property Management Software are Available?
There are different types of free property management software available on the market. Some solutions are entirely free, such as Cozy and TurboTenant. These solutions typically offer the option to purchase add-on features such as expedited fund transfers.
Other solutions offer free plans along with their more advanced & paid plans, such as Avail. The free plans in these types of software are typically sufficient for most landlords and property managers responsible for a low volume of properties.
What are the Fees Associated with Free Property Management Software?
The solutions mentioned in the short-list below are completely free for landlords and property managers to use. However, there are fees that will be incurred by your tenants and applicants. Additionally, vendors often offer add-on features as part of a paid package. Here is an overview of the fees found in free property management software:
| Tenant Screening | When prospective tenants apply for a property listing, they will pay a fee for a screening report. These reports typically include credit, criminal background, and eviction checks, and typically cost around $30 to $50. Screening reports in free property management software is typically more expensive than reports in paid solutions. This can potentially reduce the volume of applications you receive, as the fee may be a deal breaker to some applicants. |
| Add-on Features | Vendors of free property management solutions typically offer add-on features as part of paid packages. Some of these features include expedited fund transfers, online leases with electronic signatures, and marketing websites. |
| Payment Processing Fees | Vendors typically charge your tenants for credit, debit, and ACH payments. These fees range from $2.50 to $3.50 per credit transaction, and $1 to $3 per ACH payment. |
| Application Fee | Some vendors will charge an application fee to your prospective tenants. Fees can range from $20 to $50 per application. |
Best Free Property Management Software
Here is a short-list of the most popular, highest-quality property management solutions that offer free access to their platform. Read the solution overviews to find the product that is best for your business.
Avail
Avail is one of the best solutions that offers a free subscription to their platform. Features found in the free plan include automated listing syndication, tenant screening, maintenance tracking, and automated rent collection. Features not available in the free plan include waived ACH fees, custom applications, and a marketing website. For in-depth analysis, read our Avail review.
- ACH fee: $2.50 per transaction
- Credit & debit card fee: 3.5% per transaction
- Credit, criminal background, and eviction checks: $55 per screening
TurboTenant
TurboTenant is one of the most popular free property management solutions on the market. Features in the free plan include automated listing syndication, lead tracking, online rental applications, and automated rent collection. TurboTenant’s free plan does not include many features found in competitors including maintenance tracking and reporting tools. Read our full product review for TurboTenant.
- Application fee: $35 to $45
- Electronic lease signing: $9 per lease
Cozy
Cozy is one of the biggest players in the space that offers free access to their platform. Cozy includes features such as custom property listings, automated listing syndication, maintenance tracking, and automated rent collection. For in-depth analysis, read our Cozy review.
- Credit card transaction fee: 2.75%
- Credit and background checks: $39.99 per screening
Other Free Solutions for Landlords and Property Managers
In addition to the core property management solutions, we highlight several free solutions that can help landlords and property managers grow their businesses. These solutions include rent pricing software, rent collection software, and electronic signature software.
| Vendor | Type of Software | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rentometer | Free Rent Pricing Software |
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| DealCheck | Rent Pricing Software |
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| Venmo | Free Rent Collection Software |
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| Zelle | Free Rent Collection Software |
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| Wave | Free Accounting Software |
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| PandaDoc | Electronic Signature Software |
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| Hellosign | Electronic Signature Software |
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| Docsketch | Electronic Signature Software |
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