11 Best Online Rent Payment Systems for Landlords in 2025

Find the best online rent payment systems for US landlords in 2025. Compare features, pricing, and fees to choose the ideal solution for your properties.

Managing rent collection with spreadsheets, paper checks, or manual tracking can quickly become a headache. Thankfully, modern rent payment systems make it simple, allow you to automate payments, send reminders, and generate accurate reports with minimal effort.

In this guide, we’ll explain what a rent payment portal is, break down 11 of the best online rent payment systems, and give you tips for choosing the solution that fits your property management needs.

What to Look For in an Online Rent Payment System

A rent payment system isn’t just a way to move money; it’s the backbone of smooth, stress-free property management. The best online rent payment system allows tenants to pay rent online quickly and securely, using ACH (bank transfers), credit or debit cards, or digital wallets. But the value goes far beyond convenience.

When evaluating a rent payment system online, look for features that make life easier for both landlords and tenants:

  • Automated reminders and recurring billing: Never chase rent again with automated rent reminders, and the ability for tenants to set up automatic recurring payments.
  • Integrated accounting and reporting: Payments reconcile automatically, making bookkeeping, tax prep, and owner statements effortless.
  • Secure tenant portals: Tenants can view payment history, download receipts, and manage their payments with confidence.
  • Compliance and record-keeping: Built for rentals, these systems help you stay compliant with regulations and maintain accurate payment records.

Unlike generic apps like Venmo or PayPal, a dedicated rent payment system online handles critical landlord tasks like late-fee automation, precise payment tracking, and professional statements. This is what separates casual money transfers from truly efficient rent collection.

Software Best For Starting Subscription Price Rent Collection Fees
Landlord Studio All-in-one for growing portfolios First 3 units free. Paid from $12/mo $2.50 ACH
3.5% Card
DoorLoop Full-featured property management From $69/mo $2.49 ACH
3.25% Card
Avail User-friendly, small portfolios Free
Unlimited Plus $9/unit/mo
$0 - $2.50 ACH
3.5% Card
PayYourRent Tenant-flexible scheduling and reporting From $9.95/mo $2.50 ACH
3.49% Card
AppFolio Large/mixed portfolios with robust tools Minimum of $280 per month + $1.49 per unit. $2.49 ACH
3.49% Card
TenantCloud Affordable starter with credit-building features Starter $16.50/mo $2.50 ACH
3.5% + $0.30 Card
Rentec Direct Feature-rich yet simple pricing Rentec Pro $45/mo ACH included in subscription
2.95% - 3.5% Card
Yardi Breeze Straightforward pricing and ease of use $100/mo minimum + $1/unit/month ACH included in subscription
2.5% Credit card
$3.95 - $9.95 for debit cards
Stessa Free financial tracking and rent collection Free
Paid from $12/mo
$2.50 ACH
3.5% Card
Baselane Free rent collection plus landlord banking From Free $2 ACH
3.49% Card
Buildium Enterprise-level management tools From $58/mo EFT in: $1.99
EFT out: $0.50
Card: 2.99%

11 Best Rent Payment Systems & Services for Landlords

1. Landlord Studio — Best All-in-One Landlord Platform

Landlord Studio is a purpose-built property management app tailored for landlords and small-to-mid-sized portfolios. It combines rent collection, accounting, reporting, document storage, listings, and maintenance tracking into one unified dashboard.

Key Rent Collection Features:

  • Tenant auto-pay with automated reminders and late-fee application
  • Receipts and payment reconciliation are integrated into income tracking.
  • Accessible from both mobile and desktop devices, ensuring accessibility on the go

Pricing & Fees

Plans

  • Free plan available for starting landlords
  • Pro plan: from $12/month
  • Pro Plus plan: from $28/month 

View pricing plans →

Transaction fees

  • Flat $2.50 per payment; 3.5% for card payments. Can be passed to tenants or absorbed by the landlord

2. DoorLoop 

DoorLoop offers a comprehensive property management system focused on speed and scalability. It includes advanced management features for accounting, maintenance, owner portals, communication, and integrations.

Key Rent Collection Features:

  • RapidRent feature enabling rent collection via credit/debit, ACH (eCheck), or cash, along with automated reminders and late fees
  • Secure payments with PCI compliance and Stripe handling
  • Cash payment processing and customizable convenience fees

Pricing & Fees:

Plans: 

  • Starter from $69/month 
  • Pro $139/month; 
  • Premium $199/month

Transaction fees:

  • ACH/eCheck: Starter $2.49; Pro $0.99; Premium $0
  • Credit/Debit/Apple/Google Pay: 3.25% of payment
  • Cash payments: $3.95 per transaction

3. Avail

Avail is designed for simplicity—ideal for small landlords needing basic property management, tenant screening, and rent payment tools.

Key Rent Collection Features:

  • Tenant payments via ACH or card, with automated late-fee and reminder scheduling.
  • User-friendly interface and optional credit-reporting build tenant history

Pricing & Fees:

  • Unlimited Free Plan: Tenants pay $2.50 for ACH; 3.5% card processing fee
  • Unlimited Plus at $9/unit/month: Waives ACH fee entirely and adds next-day payments

4. PayYourRent

PayYourRent focuses on flexible, tenant-friendly payment tools and property manager control, including screening, invoicing, and credit reporting.

Key Rent Collection Features:

  • Same-day payment processing and deposit.
  • Tenants control scheduling of recurring payments, plus invoicing and late-fee automation

Pricing & Fees:

  • Rental Plan: $9.95/month for 1–5 units (1 ACH included/month).
  • Landlord Plan: $19.95/month for 6–50 units (10 ACH included/month).
  • Plus, $2.50 per additional ACH transaction and 3.49% for Card

5. AppFolio

AppFolio is a powerful, scalable cloud platform supporting residential, commercial, and specialized housing, with AI tools and deep operational breadth.

Key Rent Collection Features:

  • Integrated online resident portal for payments, fee visibility, and history tracking
  • eCheck and card rent payment options with automation and notifications.

Pricing & Fees:

  • Minimum $280/month + $1.49/unit.
  • eCheck: $2.49; credit/debit card: 3.49%
  • Fees may be passed to tenants.

6. TenantCloud

TenantCloud gives DIY landlords tools for rent collection, bookkeeping, reporting, renter screening, and maintenance—from a budget-friendly platform.

Key Rent Collection Features:

  • ACH, card, and bank payments with autopay, invoicing, late-fee automation, and QuickBooks sync.
  • Option for tenants to report rent payments to credit bureaus for $4.95/month.

Pricing & Fees:

  • Starter: $16.50/month (annual).
  • ACH fees: $1.95 (Starter), $1.75 (Growth), $1.50 (Pro); volume discounts for Business plan.
  • Credit-reporting optional add-on: $4.95/month.

7. Rentec Direct

Rentec Direct provides landlords with an intuitive platform that includes rent collection, screening, expense tracking, tenant portals, and reporting.

Key Rent Collection Features:

  • ACH payments along with PayNearMe-enabled cash collection across 32,000+ locations.
  • Tenant portal for payments; includes tenant screening, reporting, and reminders.

Pricing & Fees:

  • ACH fees included in subscription costs
  • Rentec Pro: $45/month; Rentec PM: $55/month.
  • Cash payment fee via PayNearMe: Starting $4.99.

8. Yardi Breeze

Yardi Breeze is designed as a streamlined, easy-to-use property management tool for residential and small commercial landlords, with trusted Yardi accounting backbone.

Key Rent Collection Features:

  • ACH, card, or walk-in payments.
  • Automated recurring payments and delinquency tracking.

Pricing & Fees:

  • Residential Breeze: $1/unit/month with $100 minimum.
  • Commercial: $2/unit/month with $200 minimum.
  • ACH included; credit card 2.5%; debit card $3.95–$9.95.

9. Stessa

Stessa is a no-cost platform focused on real-estate investors, offering income/expense tracking, budgeting, and rent collection features.

Key Rent Collection Features:

  • Basic online rent collection.
  • Financial dashboards and tax-ready reporting.

Pricing & Fees:

  • Free core functionality.
  • Optional premium features from $12/month.

10. Baselane

Baselane merges free rent collection tools with landlord-focused banking options—combining payment processing, bookkeeping, and financial products.

Key Rent Collection Features:

  • ACH and card payments with auto-pay and reminders.
  • Tenant portals and bank account integration.

Pricing & Fees:

  • Free, including rent collection and select banking features.
  • Transaction fees: $2 ACH; 3.49% card.

11. Buildium

Buildium delivers an enterprise-grade property management ecosystem, supporting large portfolios, associations, and professional firms, with modules for accounting, leasing, owner portals, and maintenance.

Key Rent Collection Features:

  • Secure online payments with tenant/owner portals.
  • Integrated reporting, screening, and accounting.

Pricing & Fees:

  • Starting $58/month for up to ~20 units.
  • EFT in: $1.99; EFT out: $0.50; card: 2.99%.
  • Fees scale with portfolio and optional modules.

Why Zelle, PayPal, and Venmo Fall Short for Rent Payments

Zelle, PayPal, and Venmo might feel like convenient ways to collect rent — after all, you can send money instantly and avoid handling cash. But when it comes to professional property management, these tools start to show their cracks.

  • No automation: No recurring billing, reminders, or late fee options — meaning more manual chasing.
  • No accounting integration: Payments sit outside your property management system, forcing manual reconciliation at tax time.
  • Compliance risks: These apps don’t meet landlord–tenant requirements for secure deposit handling or rent tracking.
  • Messy finances: Personal and rental payments mix together, making tax prep and audits harder.
  • Confusing records: Payments often lack clear notes or receipts, leaving you to sort out who paid what.

In short, Zelle, PayPal, and Venmo are fine for splitting dinner with friends, but for rent collection, they simply don’t offer the structure, automation, and legal safeguards you need as a landlord.

Final Thoughts: The Best Rent Payment System

Collecting rent might seem like a straightforward task; money comes in, you log it, and done. But in reality, the difference between a smooth, automated rent collection process and a clunky, manual one can be the difference between running a scalable real estate business and being overwhelmed by a second job.

With Landlord Studio, rent collection isn’t just about getting paid. It’s about creating a streamlined, professional system that works for you and your tenants. Payments are automatic, reminders go out without you lifting a finger, late fees are applied instantly, and every transaction is neatly recorded in your accounting. All your documents, reports, and maintenance records live in one place, and you can access it all from anywhere.

The result? Less chasing. Less stress. More control. More time back in your day.

If you’re serious about running your rentals like a business, whether you own one property or a growing portfolio, the smart move is to put everything under one roof. 

Create your free Landlord Studio account and discover how much easier rent collection can be.

FAQs: Best Rent Payment Systems for Landlords

What’s the best way to collect rent from tenants?

The best method is one that’s secure, automated, and integrated with your other landlord tools. While apps like Zelle or Venmo work for casual transfers, they lack features like recurring payments, late fee automation, and built-in accounting. 

Purpose-built platforms like Landlord Studio handle everything in one place — from reminders to reporting — so you stay organized and get paid on time.

Are online rent payment systems safe?

Yes, as long as you use a reputable, landlord-focused platform. Landlord Studio uses bank-grade encryption and secure payment processing. Unlike generic payment apps, it’s designed to protect sensitive rental data and keep payment records compliant for accounting and legal purposes.

Who pays the transaction fees?

With Landlord Studio, you decide. You can absorb the flat $2.50 per payment yourself or pass it directly to your tenants. This flexibility makes it easy to align with your business model while keeping costs predictable.

Can tenants set up automatic payments?

Absolutely. Auto-pay is one of the most powerful features for keeping cash flow steady. With Landlord Studio, tenants can enable recurring payments, so you get paid automatically each month — no chasing, no awkward reminders.

What if a tenant doesn’t have a bank account?

While most tenants prefer ACH transfers, some platforms (including Landlord Studio) also allow credit or debit card payments. This ensures that every tenant has a way to pay electronically, even if they don’t use a traditional bank.

Will I still need separate accounting software?

Not if you use Landlord Studio. Unlike payment-only tools, it integrates rent collection directly into your accounting, automatically tracking income, generating reports, and storing receipts for tax time. No extra spreadsheets or double-entry required.

Can I try Landlord Studio before committing?

Yes, there’s a free plan, plus all new users get a free 14-day trial to Landlord Studio Pro, so you can test the system with your properties before upgrading. This lets you experience the automation, reporting, and all-in-one convenience risk-free.

Why not just use PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle for rent?

While these apps are convenient for casual transfers, they fall short for professional rent collection. They don’t offer recurring payments, automatic reminders, late fees, or integration with your accounting. Payment tracking and receipts are manual, making tax prep and audits harder. With Landlord Studio, all rent payments are automatically tracked, reconciled, and stored in one secure platform, saving you time and reducing risk.

Isn’t direct deposit a simpler system for rent payment?

While direct deposit or bank-to-bank transfers might seem easy, they have hidden drawbacks for landlords. You can’t block partial payments, automatically enforce due dates, or charge late fees, all essential for reliable rent collection. For ACH transfers, you’ll need a third-party system to enable these payments (in which cas, you might as well use a purpose-built landlord software). And wire transfers can run $20–$30 each. 

Can’t I just handle rent manually like I’ve always done?

Manual rent collection through cash and checks might work for a single unit, but as soon as you have multiple tenants, it becomes time-consuming and error-prone. Landlord Studio automates reminders, late fees, and reconciliations, while keeping a clear digital trail that protects you in case of disputes or audits.

Won’t using software cost more than doing it myself?

While there’s a small subscription fee, Landlord Studio saves time, prevents missed payments, and reduces compliance risk. Allowing you to increase your overall profitability, minimize costly vacancies, and reduce potential legal liability. Plus, with transaction fees that can be passed to tenants, you often pay less than the hidden costs of late payments, mistakes, or manual bookkeeping.

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