Once your PRO trial is over you can continue using Landlord Studio GO completely free.
By continuing you agree to our Terms & Conditions.
Please visit our United Kingdom site for a better experience
ContinueWe take a look at some of the best rent collection apps that landlords can use to modernize and streamline their rent collection processes.
Managing rental properties can be time-consuming and stressful. Tracking income and expenses, preparing for tax time, managing tenants, and of course, collecting rent – it all adds up. And as your portfolio grows, so do these challenges.
Traditional methods of rent collection such as cash and checks are slow and insecure and make it harder for both landlords and tenants to stay on top of these regular payments. Not to mention they’re outdated.
As a landlord then, having an effective and modern tool for collecting rent from your tenants isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have.
Below we outline 11 of the best rent collection apps that landlords can use to modernize and streamline their rent collection process.
Collecting rent online shouldn’t be a hassle. But to make it easy and affordable you’re going to need the right tool. The best rent collection apps should (aside from enabling your tenants to pay online directly into your bank account) have property management and accounting features, and allow your tenants to:
And it should allow you the landlord to:
Ideally, payments will use the secure ACH transfer network. It's efficient, secure, cost-effective, and payments will be delivered direct into your bank account. Transactions will take between 3-5 business days to process and come with a small transaction fee, generally less than $2.50 per transaction.
Other good features to look for are whether or not the online rent collection service is integrated into an income and expense tracking system (like Landlord Studio) so you can begin automating your bookkeeping, saving your time, reducing manual data entry and potential errors and making tax time easier than ever before.
Landlord Studio’s Online Rent Collection feature is designed specifically for use by landlords. It allows you to automate the entire rent collection process and manage all your rental property income and expenses in one place.
Tenants can set up automatic payments and log in at any time to review their payment history or initiate an online transfer. Payments are made directly into the landlord’s bank account.
It’s fast, secure, and easy, and paired with other Landlord Studio features makes late rent payments a thing of the past.
Landlord Studio is a free property management and accounting software designed by landlords for landlords. There is a $2.50 transaction fee associated with payments made through Landlord Studio.
🔒 Landlord Studio complies with the USA Patriot Act and has strict security and identity verification processes designed to prevent fraud and protect our users when using Online Rent Collection.
Tenants can also log in via the tenant app at any time to schedule payments.
Make late rent a thing of the past and try Online Rent Collection with Landlord Studio today.
The best rent collect apps do more than just allow you to collect rent. They offer a suite of complimentary tools to help you find and manage tenants, track income and expenses, manage property maintenance and more. This section lists a few purpose built tools that focus primarily on rent collection.
PayRent is a purpose-built rent collection platform focused on flexibility and tenant convenience. It allows tenants to pay via ACH or credit card and emphasizes timely payments by offering credit reporting to all three major credit bureaus. It’s ideal for landlords who want to encourage on-time payments without investing in a full property management system. PayRent also offers unique features like a small emergency rent fund to ensure landlords receive payments even during tenant cash flow issues.
Key Rent Collection Features:
Payment Processing Fees:
Platform Fees:
PayYourRent began as a simple rent collection solution but has expanded to include tenant screening and reporting features. It is suitable for landlords who want a lightweight platform that combines rent collection with tenant oversight. The platform allows tenants to pay online while giving landlords control over partial payments, late fees, and automated notifications.
Key Rent Collection Features:
Payment Processing Fees:
Platform Fees:
ClearNow is a no-frills platform built exclusively for automated ACH rent payments. It’s ideal for landlords who want a simple, secure solution for recurring rent withdrawals without extra property management features. Tenants benefit from scheduled deductions, and landlords benefit from predictable cash flow and reduced administrative work. Its integration with Experian RentBureau also allows tenants to report rent payments, helping encourage timely payments.
Key Rent Collection Features:
Payment Processing Fees:
Platform Fees:
Choosing the best rent collection app between property management software can be difficult. Among the things to consider are pricing plans, scalability, transaction fees and how the tools work together. We always recommend trying before you buy to ensure the platform does everything you need it to.
Avail is a property management platform built for independent landlords. It integrates rent collection with rental listings, tenant screening, and accounting tools. Its emphasis on automation—like recurring rent collection, FastPay, and credit reporting—makes it a solid choice for landlords managing multiple units who want a full-featured system without investing in enterprise-level software. Avail’s user-friendly interface makes setup and payment tracking easy, while features like split payments and multiple bank account connections add flexibility.
Key Rent Collection Features:
Payment Processing Fees:
Platform Fees:
Rentec Direct combines property management and accounting features with online rent collection. Its strength lies in providing a professional experience for both landlords and tenants, with tools to automate late fees, track payments, and integrate with accounting dashboards. It’s suitable for small to medium portfolios where both rent collection efficiency and financial transparency are priorities.
Key Rent Collection Features:
Payment Processing Fees:
Platform Fees:
Stessa is a free financial management platform that offers rent collection through ACH transfers. It’s built for landlords who want to focus primarily on tracking income, expenses, and property performance rather than comprehensive property management. While lacking features like tenant screening or maintenance management, it provides a simple, transparent way to receive rent and manage finances digitally.
Key Rent Collection Features:
Payment Processing Fees:
Platform Fees:
Buildium is a comprehensive property management system designed for larger portfolios or professional property managers. It includes full-featured rent collection, accounting, tenant management, and property maintenance tools. Buildium is ideal for landlords who need robust automation and reporting, especially when managing multiple units across different properties.
Key Rent Collection Features:
Payment Processing Fees:
Platform Fees:
We’ve talked about rent collection software, and property management software, but what about using a digital wallet such as PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle for online payments?
These software generally allow for fast, free money transfers between family and friends, but do they work for landlords?
Well, in spite of being “free,” money transfer apps have some serious limitations and often come with high costs for business transactions.
PayPal is a widely-used digital payment platform for personal and business transactions. While it can be used to collect rent, it lacks landlord-specific features like partial payment blocking, late fee automation, and integrated accounting. PayPal is suitable for landlords managing a small number of informal rental arrangements.
Key Rent Collection Features:
Payment Processing Fees:
Platform Fees:
Venmo is a peer-to-peer payment app popular for informal rent payments. Its strength is simplicity and instant transfer capabilities, but it does not offer critical landlord tools like automated reminders, late fee enforcement, or accounting integrations. It’s best for small-scale or casual landlord setups.
Key Rent Collection Features:
Payment Processing Fees:
Platform Fees:
Zelle enables instant bank-to-bank transfers with no transaction fees. While extremely fast and convenient, it lacks automation, reporting, or rent-specific protections. It’s ideal for landlords who want free, one-off payments but not for those managing multiple tenants or properties.
Key Rent Collection Features:
Payment Processing Fees:
Platform Fees:
Find out more about the limitations of payment apps in our article The Best Way to Collect Rent From Your Tenants.
While it may seem easy and convenient to let tenants pay rent using an online payment app. However, there are often high costs involved if you are a landlord and want to use these systems for business purposes.
The high payment processing fees though are just one of the reasons to avoid peer-to-peer payment apps. Some important weaknesses include:
It is easy to pay the wrong person using a digital wallet. Although instant transfers seem like a convenient option, you could lose money if the tenant makes a mistake. Additionally, these payment platforms will generally side with the customer should issues occur. It could take months to claim owed money.
One of the worst things about using a digital wallet for rent collection is that your tenant gets to choose when and how much they send you and there is no way for you to control it. This means they could decide to only pay some of the rent or delay eviction proceedings by depositing small amounts in your account. Blocking partial payments is a standard feature on the best rent payment apps like Landlord Studio.
Most payment apps don’t allow tenants to set up automatic monthly rent payments. This increases the risk of late rent payments, interfering with your cash flow and rental income.
Choosing the best rent collection app for your rentals can be a challenge. Create your free account today to start making the best decision for collecting rent and managing your rentals.
Landlord Studio is a property management and accounting platform designed by landlords for landlords.
“Track income and expenses, screen tenants, set automatic reminders, and more with Landlord Studio.”
Q: What is the best way to collect rent?
A: The most efficient way is to use a dedicated online rent collection platform designed for landlords. These platforms go beyond simple money transfers by offering features like automated reminders, late fee enforcement, partial payment control, and integration with accounting dashboards.
This not only ensures you get paid on time but also reduces administrative work, minimizes errors, and provides a clear digital record of all transactions—critical for tax preparation and resolving disputes.
Platforms like Landlord Studio combine rent collection with broader property management tools, making them ideal for landlords with multiple units.
Q: Can I use Zelle, Venmo, or PayPal to collect rent?
A: Yes, you can, and these platforms are attractive because they are fast and often free. However, they are not designed specifically for rent collection. They lack features like:
While Zelle, Venmo, or PayPal might work for a single tenant or informal arrangements, they are not ideal for landlords managing multiple properties or needing professional, secure documentation of payments.
Q: How long do online rent payments take to process?
A: Payment speed depends on the method and platform:
Keep in mind that processing times can also vary depending on your bank’s policies, weekends, and holidays.
Q: Are recurring payments important for landlords?
A: Absolutely. Allowing tenants to set up automated recurring payments helps:
Recurring payments also benefit tenants by making it easier to stay on schedule, which can improve tenant satisfaction and reduce disputes.
Q: How do transaction fees vary across platforms?
A: Transaction fees depend on the payment method and the platform you use:
It’s important to compare fees when choosing a platform and to take into account monthly subscription costs, especially if you have multiple tenants or large rent amounts, as fees can add up quickly.
Q: Is online rent collection secure?
A: Security is a key benefit of online platforms. Reputable services like Landlord Studio use bank-grade encryption, multi-factor authentication, and compliance with regulations like the USA Patriot Act to protect both landlords and tenants. This reduces the risk of fraud compared to cash or checks, which can be lost or stolen.
Q: What if a tenant wants to pay only part of the rent?
A: Many online rent collection tools allow landlords to block partial payments, ensuring tenants meet their full obligations. This is particularly important if you need to enforce lease terms or pursue eviction for non-payment. Peer-to-peer payment apps like Zelle or Venmo typically do not offer this control.
Landlord Studio is an easy to use property management and accounting software designed for landlords.
Find and screen tenants, collect rent online, track income and expenses, run reports, and more - all for free.
Maximize your rental property tax deductions and file with confidence before the deadline with property management accounting software designed for you.
Hosted by: Logan Ransley, Co-founder of Landlord Studio
From finding tenants to filing taxes. Reduce vacancies and maximize your portfolio ROI with software designed for you.
Get started for free
