We compare the best accounting software for property management, looking at features, pricing, and what makes the perfect tool to streamline your rental finances.
Managing rental properties is a business, and your accounting tools should support that. But if you’ve ever tried to track rent payments in a spreadsheet or dig through old receipts at tax time, you know how messy things can get without the right system.
Good accounting software gives you more than clean books. It gives you time back. It gives you clarity. It helps you grow with less guesswork and fewer headaches.
In 2025, landlords are increasingly turning to purpose-built tools designed specifically for rental property finances. Tools that combine accounting, rent collection, reporting, and compliance features all in one platform.
In this guide, we’ll explore:
Accounting software for property management is built to handle the specific financial needs of landlords and property managers.
Unlike general platforms like QuickBooks, it tracks income and expenses by unit, logs rent payments, manages deposits, and helps you stay compliant with landlord-tenant regulations.
With the right tool, you can:
It’s everything you wish your spreadsheet could do, without the manual work.
There are plenty of options out there—some built for general business accounting, others for large property firms. Here’s a breakdown of the top platforms for landlords this year:
Landlord Studio is built specifically for landlords, combining property accounting with rent collection, tax reporting, and property management tools such as maintenance tracking and lease management.
It’s designed to simplify your workflow, help you stay compliant, and give you full financial visibility, without needing an accounting degree.
DoorLoop is a full-feature property management software that includes accounting features alongside leasing, maintenance, CRM, and marketing tools. It’s a good fit for managers who want everything in one system.
TenantCloud offers a wide range of features, including accounting, listings, maintenance, and leasing tools. While it’s not as refined for accounting as Landlord Studio or Rentec, it’s one of the more affordable all-in-one options for small landlords.
Rentec Direct is a more traditional, desktop-style accounting and management system geared toward landlords and managers who want deeper control over their reports and financial tracking.
Buildium is a professional-grade property management platform with strong accounting, tenant management, and operational tools. It’s well-suited for those managing larger portfolios or working with multiple owners.
AppFolio is one of the most robust property management systems on the market, designed for companies managing hundreds or thousands of units. It includes accounting, automation, leasing, maintenance, and business intelligence tools.
Now, you might be wondering, what about QuickBooks for rentals? Or, can’t I use Xero? And the answer is that, while these popular accounting tools work well for many small businesses, they have significant limitations when used for property management accounting.
Tracking income and expenses by individual property is cumbersome or requires complex workarounds, since these platforms don’t have built-in support for multiple rental units. Without industry-specific categories like rent, security deposits, maintenance, and utilities, landlords must manually customize reports, adding extra time and potential for error.
More importantly, general accounting software cannot automate critical landlord tasks such as:
This means landlords still need separate property management software to handle these essential functions. Using two or more different systems increases administrative overhead, risks data duplication, and complicates workflows.
By contrast, purpose-built software like Landlord Studio combines property management features and accounting in one platform. You can easily track finances by property, automate rent collection, manage tenants and documents, and generate landlord-specific reports for taxes—all from a single dashboard.
If you’re serious about efficient rental management, it makes more sense to use a tool designed specifically for landlords rather than trying to fit a square peg into a round hole with general accounting software.
Choosing software isn’t just about features, it’s about what it frees you from.
Accounting isn’t just a back-office task; it’s how you measure and manage your rental business. The better your system, the easier it is to stay organized, grow with confidence, and avoid expensive mistakes.
Whether you’re self-managing a single rental or overseeing a larger portfolio, dedicated accounting software helps you run a smarter, smoother operation.
And in 2025, more landlords are discovering that the best tool is one built for them, such as Landlord Studio.
Create your free Landlord Studio account today for simple, accurate, and fast rental property accounting.