10 Best Property Management Apps for Landlords

Property management apps have revolutionized real estate investing for landlords, property managers, owners, and investors, transforming tasks that once consumed hours (or days) into minutes. Listing units, collecting rent, and managing finances – there's an app for everything. However, very quickly you can find you've got a separate app for every task and the subscription costs are stacking up.

This is why all-in-one property management apps like Landlord Studio were created. They combine all the various tools you need into one easy-to-use platform. So, instead of having one tool for rent collection, one for finding tenants, one for managing leases, one for document storage, one for tracking income and expenses, and more, everything is in one place.

Not only does the right tool save you time when managing your rentals and money at tax time, but it will reduce your monthly subscription fees as well.

How though, with so many options, do you select the best property management app for you?

What Makes the Best Property Management App?

Finding the ideal landlord property management app means asking yourself honestly what exactly you need help with. 

Are you seeking a simple rent tracker? Or is your main issue finding tenants and filling vacancies? In this case, you will want to look for an app that has a comprehensive listing syndication tool and tenant screening. 

Or you might, for example, need an app to replace your spreadsheet and make financial management and tax time easier, in which case a quality rental accounting suite is essential in the tool you settle for.

In this list, we've curated a collection of some of the finest property management apps for landlords. 

The goal is to optimize your property management, freeing you up to engage in more high-value tasks. After all, that's precisely what exceptional software should empower you to do.

Top 10 Best Property Management Apps

Here are the 10 best property management apps for 2023. Some are standalone smartphone apps, while others come with comprehensive desktop software with a fully functional app version. 

The initial category concentrates on tools designed to assist you in filling your units and reducing vacancies. The second category is for generic accounting software. We’ve created a third category for rent collection apps. And the final category encompasses versatile "all-in-one" solutions. 

The best all-in-one property management apps (such as Landlord Studio) in this list offer a full suite of tools for everything from finding tenants and collecting rent to managing your finances and running rental reports for tax time. 

Landlord Apps for Filling Vacancies

Finding great tenants is an essential and often challenging part of being a landlord. So here are some landlord apps that make it that little bit easier.

1. Apartment List

While widely recognized platforms such as Zillow take center stage in property market discussions, there are hidden treasures that attract substantial monthly traffic. Exploring these platforms can accelerate application processes and help fill your units swiftly. 

Apartment List, for example, holds impressive presence in multiple U.S. states like California, Florida, and Texas. What distinguishes it is its incorporation of AI machine learning, simplifying the search for qualified renters with unparalleled convenience.

2. ShowingHero

Handling property showings can often be a daunting prospect. ShowingHero emerges as your trustworthy assistant, making life easier for property managers. This application excels in enhancing communication by consolidating all showing-related emails, messages, and calls into a single unified platform. It simplifies appointment scheduling and provides lead screening, all seamlessly integrated within the app. 

Although its focus is on showings alone, ShowingHero stands out in optimizing this particular aspect, making it a perfect choice for property managers aiming for efficiency and simplicity in their communication and appointment management.

3. Rentberry

This property management app shares similarities with ShowingHero but focuses primarily on applicant screening and application completion. With Rentberry, you can effectively assess applicants, engage in smooth communication with them, and even finalize entire applications, including signatures, directly within the app. 

If you're looking to improve your tenant onboarding process, Rentberry is the app that can transform your property management efforts into a stress-free experience.

Accounting Apps for Landlords

4. QuickBooks

QuickBooks is a popular accounting option for landlords, offering robust financial tracking capabilities, detailed reports, and good flexibility. Furthermore, QuickBooks integrates seamlessly with various bank accounts, streamlining transactions and minimizing manual data entry. For landlords with a limited number of properties, QuickBooks can serve as a reliable tool for basic bookkeeping needs.

However, using QuickBooks for rental properties does come with significant drawbacks. The software is not specifically designed for landlords, making it challenging to set up and customize for property management purposes. And as landlords expand their portfolios, tracking and reporting on individual properties and units becomes increasingly complex. Because of this, it's easy to make mistakes that can lead to inaccurate financial records. 

Moreover, QuickBooks lacks essential property management features that landlords require, such as rental listings, property maintenance management, and rent collection tools meaning you’ll likely need additional property management apps working in conjunction with QuickBooks to solve all of your property management needs.

QuickBooks offers a few pricing tiers starting at $18 per month. 

5. Xero

Xero is another popular accounting software utilized by landlords for managing rental properties. While not as ubiquitous as QuickBooks, Xero boasts user-friendly interfaces and a range of features that make it an attractive option for small to medium-sized property owners. 

Xero offers a plethora of integrations with third-party applications including one with Landlord Studio, enabling landlords to add tailored property management functionality.

However, similar to QuickBooks, using Xero for rental properties has limitations. While Xero provides a solid foundation for general accounting tasks, it lacks specialized features essential for property management, such as rental listings, maintenance tracking, and rent collection tools. 

Landlords may find themselves needing to invest in additional property management software to address these gaps. Xero’s pricing starts at $13 per month for the basic tier.

Landlord Studio now integrates with Xero for a more complete property management and accounting app experience.

Apps for Collecting Rent Payments

Next, let’s talk about apps that help automate the process of tracking and collecting rent payments.

6. Landlordy

While Landlordy provides both free and paid plans for property management software, it falls short of being a comprehensive solution with no desktop platform and only very basic property management tools.

However, it does excel as a simple landlord app. It offers essential accounting tools through your smartphone, allowing you to collect rent, manage payments, set up bill and rent reminders, and generate basic accounting reports. 

If you have a small number of units and need a straightforward tool to handle your property accounting efficiently, Landlordy may be a worthwhile option to consider.

7. Payyourrent.com

PayYourRent.com is a user-friendly platform designed to simplify the rent payment process for both tenants and landlords. Its primary strength lies in its straightforward approach, allowing tenants to make secure and timely payments online and even allowing them to report payments to credit bureaus. This feature is particularly beneficial for busy professionals and those with hectic schedules, providing a convenient and efficient way to manage monthly rent obligations.

However, Pay Your Rent might not be the ideal choice for property managers seeking an all-encompassing property management solution. While it excels at rent collection, it lacks some of the comprehensive features found in other property management software.

All-in-One Property Management Apps

Lastly, let's delve into more advanced options for property management. The following applications provide fully-fledged software versions compatible with both laptops and desktops, coupled with robust app versions. This flexibility guarantees you can effortlessly handle all crucial tasks, whether you're operating from a computer or a mobile device.

In contrast to applications that concentrate on particular tasks such as filling vacancies or processing rent payments, these solutions are crafted to elevate your entire property management process. They adopt a comprehensive approach, streamlining diverse aspects of your business. Here are three of the most exceptional all-inclusive property management apps.

8. Landlord Studio

(Best for small to medium-sized portfolios)

Landlord Studio offers both iOS and Android apps alongside a comprehensive desktop portal that makes it as easy as possible to manage every aspect of your rentals. 

The free plan includes essential accounting tools, including a GPS mileage tracker, receipt scanner, and income and expense reports alongside streamlined property management tools such as rent collection, property maintenance management, and tenant screening.

While the paid plan, (starting at $12 per month), offers an extended suite of powerful customizable reports and accounting automation with bank feed integration, smart scan receipts, and more.

The app and desktop UI are simple and easy to use with a minimal learning curve, and they offer award-winning customer support and comprehensive help documentation.

It's a quality all-rounder, especially for small to medium-sized portfolios looking to grow.

9. Buildium

(Best for large portfolios)

Buildium is another robust property management app offering a wide range of property management tools within one platform. From tenant screening and lease management to accounting and maintenance tracking. 

Buildium is designed for property managers managing large portfolios and the pricing reflects this with plans starting at $52 per month with their enterprise plan starting at $479 per month. 

This makes it a less suitable option for self-managing landlords and smaller-scale portfolios. It's essential for users to weigh the extensive features against the price and consider their specific needs and budget constraints before committing to this property management solution.

10. Hemlane

The last contender in our list of the best property management apps for landlords is Hemlane, showcasing a robust app equipped with an intuitive user interface. What distinguishes Hemlane is its specialized local support features, allowing for tasks such as property showings and tenant placement.

It's crucial to highlight that these premium features come at an extra cost, making the price of Hemlane's premium property management software relatively high. However, if these specific features align with your unique requirements, Hemlane emerges as a distinctive and tailored solution for your property management software needs.

Final Words: Property Management Apps For Landlords

Choosing the right app and rental property management software can significantly impact your ability to efficiently run your properties. The best property management software is the one tailored to meet your specific business needs. Whether it's handling minor tasks like scheduling showings or crucial activities such as rent collection and managing your entire accounting process.

The most effective way to determine which property management app suits you best is try a few.

Landlord Studio property management app and desktop software offers everything you need including comprehensive accounting tools, a tenant portal for making maintenance requests and automating rent payments, rental listings and accountant-approved reporting.

So, if you're uncertain about where to start, create a free account with Landlord Studio today and experience firsthand how this all-in-one property management app and cloud software can save you time and money

You might like

• 11 Best Rent Collection Apps for Landlords
• The Landlord's Complete Guide To Rental Property Management
• The Complete Guide: How To Categorize Rental Property Expenses
• How To Change From Spreadsheets To A Modern Property Management System