The 7 Best Property Management Software for Small Landlords in 2024
Looking for the best property management software as a small landlord? We’ve reviewed 7 of the best apps on the market to help you choose!
As a small landlord, managing rental properties can be a daunting task.
Looking after rental properties often requires you to juggle numerous responsibilities such as tenant screening, rent collection, maintenance coordination, and scheduling repair jobs.
Fortunately, the property management software landscape has evolved to offer a range of solutions tailored to the needs of small-scale investors and independent landlords.
In this article, we’ll be reviewing the seven best property management software for small landlords.
We’ll examine the key features of each app, see what actual users say about them, and assign a score based on an identical set of criteria.
Let’s start with a quick overview of our list.
Top Picks
Below, you’ll find a summary of each app we’ve reviewed, with our scores, each app’s ideal use cases, its pricing, the availability of any free trials or free tiers, and the platforms on which the app is available. Each app has been thoroughly investigated and analyzed for users like you, with pros and cons, key features, integrations, and real user reviews.
Let’s take a look…
9.6 
14-day free trial
6.8 
Not available.
EDITOR’S NOTE: We created Workyard – the first app reviewed here – to address issues we encountered while struggling to track and manage construction payrolls for over 700 workers in over 50 construction businesses. We built the Workyard app from the ground up to support construction companies like yours, with industry-essential features like the industry’s most accurate time clock app with GPS and geofencing, intuitive contractor scheduling, construction cost tracking tools, and more.
Learn more about how Workyard works on our main website, or sign up for a 14-day free trial today to see what Workyard can do for your business.
Workyard
Scoring
Key Features
-
Job-tracking with real-time data
-
Best-in-class GPS time clock
-
Job costing for all types of jobs
-
Scheduling for individual workers and teams
-
Reporting with analysis and insights
-
Labor compliance in-app functionality
-
Integration with payroll systems and workflow in minutes
Accurate time and location capture via GPS
Live job and cost tracking
Easy to use and navigate
Maintenance workers need onboarding for GPS tracking
App may not track in rural areas
Not easy to change time card errors
Highlights
Job Tracking
Sometimes, you don’t need overpriced software with all the bells and whistles. For small landlords and property managers, the best solution can be a simple job-tracking app that lets you monitor repair jobs on your rental properties.
Workyard’s job-tracking software lets you track tasks and projects, displaying them on a live dashboard. It provides you with key metrics like project names, geofence locations, assigned workers, and real-time updates.
Use Workyard to:
- Capture job progress with the mobile app
- Increase transparency around project activity
- Speed up business processes
- Improve billing and job estimates with labor costs
Workyard provides an overview of repair tasks and worker data, including:
Labor time and costs. Every timecard submission includes hours worked per job and/or cost codes.
Site visits. Every worker clock-in and clock-out is automatically captured.
Worksite vehicle trips. Relevant driving trips to each job site are tracked and recorded.
Task updates. Every worker assigned to a job can share progress updates with notes and photos.
Receipts. Workers have the autonomy to record receipts and attach them to the relevant job.
Best-in-Class GPS Time Clock
You can use Workyard’s GPS tracking to monitor the progress of repair jobs. The app tracks worker location and status using live phone-based GPS.
Workyard automatically logs workers’ start and end times on repair jobs, recording their arrival and departure times. During work hours, you can view repair workers and maintenance teams on Workyard’s live map.
Workyard also ensures accurate reimbursement of vehicle trips by calculating mileage and journeys via GPS.
Workyard’s GPS solution minimizes errors in time cards and timesheet records, increasing transparency both in labor and time costs.
See why 50,000+ workers and over 10,000 contractors use Workyard (and why construction project managers and leaders like you have rated us 4.9 of 5 stars on Capterra). Explore Workyard and start a 14-day free trial today to see how we can speed up your construction and workforce management.
Job Costing
Workyard’s live cost tracking captures repair job and maintenance costs for you by recording and analyzing time card submissions as soon as they come in.
Filter and group job costs by:
- Employee
- Project type
- Duration of project
- Cost code
- Date
The app automatically calculates job costs for each repair job and maintenance task as soon as workers submit their time cards and logs. The platform calculates job costs for every maintenance worker and updates your job costing dashboard in real time.
If you’re using an existing account system, you can use Workyard to synchronize job cost data and time sheets to simplify processing.
Scheduling
Need to assign maintenance teams to multi-location, multi-day jobs? You can use Workyard’s visual calendar to simply drag and drop tasks to team members.
Use Workyard’s construction scheduling software to:
- Schedule multiple jobs for any team member (or several team members to the same job)
- Assign job duration from start to completion
- Add to-do checklists to each job
- Track scheduled jobs by status
- See schedules by week, month, or task
- Organize schedules by job type, deadline, date, and others
- Repeat scheduled projects or tasks
Workyard’s mobile app syncs repair and maintenance team members’ schedules in real time, keeping everyone on the same page.
Reporting
You can also use Workyard to create customizable reports and dashboards to derive insights into your workforce management.
Create the following reports in minutes:
- Time cards (detail, summary)
- Time card notes
- Time off summary
- Pay period time
- Project and cost code time (detail, summary)
Generate and customize the following report types within Workyard:
Task report. Filter and group entries by time, cost code, and project code
Project report. Create project reports on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis
Progress report. Export current project notes in PDF and CSV format, including image attachments
Employee time report. Create reports on teams’ worked hours, labor costs, and activity on job sites
Labor Compliance
Let Workyard handle compliance with its built-in labor guidelines. The app automatically creates audit trails and documents time records for every repair and maintenance team member.
Workyard fully complies with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and keeps records in an online archive you can search anytime.
Use Workyard to set rules for mandatory breaks and overtime by state and stay compliant with labor regulations.
Integrations
Workyard integrates with popular accounting and payroll systems. Its native integrations include QuickBooks, Gusto, Oracle NetSuite, Rippling, and more.
After integrating with your existing systems, use Workyard to export employee and project data for streamlined billing, invoicing, and job cost reporting. Workyard also exports data to CSV for use in Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets.
Feel free to use Workyard’s Developer API to connect to more systems not already on the list.
Reviews
Workyard users praised the app’s reliability, citing its time-tracking accuracy as a great advantage.
iOS user William’s review says the app saves him time:
iOS Review:
How greatWorkyard mobile app is ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
More convenient sufficient, and less time consuming. This new technology helps workers sign in and sign out in a more sufficient way as far as having to go to a machine Wait in line and then signing her up and with so much new technology at hand, the Workyard app is just brilliant.
Android user Lou Minor says Workyard simplifies timesheet management:
Google Play Review:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Definitely helps with organizing job sites work crew time cards
Workyard user Bill K. says the app helps him with project estimates and accounting:
Capterra Review:
New Construction/ Maintenance Contractor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall: This app has provided me the ability to gather Real Time information that I needed to more accurately estimate projects, along with accounting information (mileage and Travel Time), eliminating paper logbooks. The Image and Notes feature provides me back-up, when needed, and insight of jobsite conditions, problems, record-keeping, confirmation, etc. The “reminders” of being within project geo-zones is very helpful. A few quirks need to be worked out but the Support Team is Exceptional!Pros: Customizable Cost Coding for each Project
Cons: Difficulty in correcting/ adjusting time entries, particularly when an entry was missed, without sometimes voiding other entries already made.
Pricing
Free Trial?
14-day trial with no credit card required
Time Tracking
Annual: $6 / mo. per user + $50 base fee
Monthly: $8 / mo. per user + $50 base fee
Workforce
Management
Annual: $13 / mo. per user + $50 base fee
Monthly: $16 / mo. per user + $50 base fee
Stay on top of your property management with Workyard
See how it works
Avail
Scoring
Key Features
-
Maintenance tracking portal with task repair progress
-
Photo and notes attachment to repair requests
-
Messaging channel for tenants and contractors
-
Repairs history with job notes and costs
Great customer service
Customizable
Good help resources and content
Not easy to navigate
Not flexible (locks tenants out after basic errors)
Requires intensive onboarding
Highlights
Avail is an online landlord property management and maintenance platform targeted towards DIY landlords and property owners.
It offers tools for rental management as well as maintenance tracking, property accounting, and tenant screening.
You can handle requests for repairs via the platform and message tenants about property maintenance jobs. Tenants can attach photos and notes to their repair requests, so you don’t have to visit the property in person before scheduling repair jobs.
The app also lets you loop in contractors for maintenance tasks. You can track jobs, share repair progress with tenants, and keep records of repairs for reference. The app also lets you include job notes and costs for every repair job completed.
The app did not list any integrations with job-tracking software or project management tools, though it mentions integration with LinkedIn for tenant screening.
Reviews
Avail users feel the app has great concept and potential but want some functions to be more user-friendly.
Avail user Amanda G. says the app has a good concept but could be more user-friendly:
Capterra Review:
Needs some work ok ease of use but good concept ⭐⭐⭐
Overall: It’s ok. Not the best, not the worst. Wish the ease of modifying existing properties would be better.Pros: The tracking of rental payments, and ability to discontinue payments if proceeding with eviction, charge automatic late fees, or stop accepting payments after lease end.
Cons: It is very cumbersome to make modifications to an existing rental such as a lease renewal. The deposits to the landlords account take way too long to process and only with a paid subscription do they go faster. I was sold on this feature and upgraded my subscription only to find out the enhancement had not been made yet.
Pricing
Free Trial?
No Free Trial
Unlimited
$0 / mo.
Unlimited Plus
$9 / unit per mo.
DoorLoop
Scoring
Key Features
-
Work order tracking with urgency levels
-
Tenant portal with maintenance repair management
-
Automated workflow with auto-assigned repair jobs
-
Vendor management with status updates
Great customer service
Integrates well with other systems
Easy to navigate
Limited drill-down details
Expensive with added fees
Not easy to set up
Highlights
DoorLoop is property management software for landlords, residential and commercial owners, community association managers, and affordable housing developers.
It offers solutions for property accounting, leasing, and management. Its work order software lets you manage tenant requests for repairs and create work orders for your vendors. Tenants can submit requests via the tenant portal where you can determine requests’ urgency levels.
Once a repair job is assigned, DoorLoop enables you to track job progress and work orders. You can also automate workflows and auto-assign jobs to your team as requests come in.
DoorLoop helps you manage vendors and streamline transactions in one place. You can send payments, print checks, and communicate with vendors on its platform.
DoorLoop integrates with a host of third-party apps via Zapier.
Reviews
DoorLoop users say they’re optimistic about the app’s potential, but some reported mobile function misfires.
iOS user FrauMcLeod says the app makes it hard for mobile app users (tenants):
iOS Review:
Junk ⭐
Terrible app for the tenants. This app does not know what is in the lease we signed. It charges late fees for rent that was paid before the cutoff date. You have to pay a fee of 3% of your rent to use a credit or debit card to make your payment with the app. Absolutely ridiculous. This app has also been bothering me for rent the next month well before the current month is even due. Just weird and annoying. Apps like this should make this easier for the manager and tenants but this is just nonsense.
Android user Collin P had a complaint to make about file attachments:
Google Play Review:
⭐⭐⭐
When I go to update status and try to upload a picture it refreshes back to the page and I see nothing or it will take me to home page.
DoorLoop user justin W. says he’s still optimistic about the app, but perhaps not for very long:
Capterra Review:
Optimistic, but frustrated User ⭐⭐
Overall: Disappointed and frustrated are the best words to describe my experience with Doorloop. But I haven’t given up yet. I’m invested too much of my own time to give up just yet.Pros: Overall, the potential of Doorloop is amazing. My sales rep was very persuasive and wish the product was as helpful and as automated as he had implied. Syncing bank accounts via Plaid is a major plus! The UI is much better than competitors.
Cons: The onboarding has been really frustrating. All of customer support is helpful, especially [sensitive content hidden], but access to customer support is limited. In some instance it has taken me over a week to book time with [sensitive content hidden].
Pricing
Free Trial?
Demo available upon request
Starter
Annual: $59 / mo.
Monthly: $69 / mo.
Pro
Annual: $119 / mo.
Monthly: $139 / mo.
Premium
Annual: $169 / mo.
Monthly: $199 / mo.
TurboTenant
Scoring
Key Features
-
Maintenance request management via the tenant portal
-
Expenses management with category and time filters
-
E-signature capture for documents
-
Property condition reports
-
Tenant communication channel
Easy to use
Good dashboard overview of renters’ information
Simplifies complex property management tasks
Lengthy processing time for transactions
Poor customer support
Users report personal data privacy concerns
Highlights
TurboTenant is rental property management software for landlords and rental property owners. It offers tools for advertising properties, managing rental applications, tenant screening, and record-keeping for maintenance requests.
The software lets tenants submit issues and requests for repair from their portal. Tenants can attach photos and notes to work orders and select their preferred time for repair jobs. The app provides a paper trail of all maintenance jobs performed on specific units.
You can track and store repair job expenses on the platform. Expense records can be filtered by rental unit, category, and time.
The app also captures e-signatures for online agreements and documents and lets you communicate with tenants via its in-app messaging channel.
TurboTenant generates condition reports about rental properties to help you avoid disputes and unnecessary repair job expenses.
TurboTenant did not list any integrations but announced its partnership with REI Hub, which allows synchronization with external landlord accounting software.
Reviews
TurboTenant users love the app’s ease of use, but some users want a more manager-centered mobile experience.
iOS user GoldyGopher_00 says he wants more manager-centered features from the app:
iOS Review:
Great Website, Disappointing App ⭐
I expected a lot more from this app as a landlord. It’s like they built an app just to have an app and never talked to a single customer about what would actually make building an app useful.
Here’s a tip to the Product Manager running this; Only include features a landlord would use on a daily or weekly basis. This includes:1.Accounting/expenses – the main tab should be adding accounting transactions. This is the most compelling reason to have an app on your phone that you use almost every day.
2.Maintenance – managing your maintenance requests from an app would be very helpful.
3.Payments – visibility into payments frequently would be great.
4.Messages – managing all messages and responding quickly through an app would be great.
The app currently only has functionality you would want to use a computer for, not an app.
TurboTenant user Shane J. says the app was easy to use, but voiced concerns about data privacy issues:
Capterra Review:
We didn’t have the best experience ⭐⭐
Overall: We wouldn’t use them again. We have since asked numerous times for them to stop sending us soliciting emails and while we haven’t received any as of yet the day this review is being written we have received them almost every day leading up to it. So just be aware of Turbo Tenants down sides and you determine if Turbo Tenant is worth the chance for you.Pros: We thought Turbo Tenant had ease of use going for them.
Cons: So we liked the ease of use of Turbo Tenant but heaven forbid you ever have an issue. You likely won’t correspond with the same person if you even get a correspondence. We received a notice that our account was suspended and they didn’t specify why. We sent them numerous emails inquiring as to why. We did not receive a single response (they don’t have a number to call…very odd) and we no longer have access to the database of people that were interested in our rentals. So now Turbo Tenant gets to keep and do god knows what with those client’s information.
So if you are going to try turbo tenant, I’d highly recommend you figure out how to export the leads to another source to ensure those people’s information isn’t being used or sold because Turbo Tenant does not have a method of exporting those leads which we felt was a bit odd as well. Other than those issues, Turbo Tenant wasn’t all that bad but we’ve since found a much more user friendly company that allows for exporting applicants via CSV file. Best wishes.
Pricing
Free Trial?
No Free Trial
FREE
Annual: $0 / mo.
PREMIUM
Annual: $9.92 / mo.
Rentec Pro
Scoring
Key Features
-
Work order management with tenant request portal
-
Repair job order tracking with photo attachments
-
Vendor assignment with bids and invoice approval
-
Customizable expense reports
Easy to use
Good accounting features for landlords
Great customer support
Accounting errors not easy to rectify
Merchant fees not always clear
Users request manager-centered app
Highlights
Rentec Direct is property management software serving landlords and property managers. Rentec Pro is a version of Rentec Direct targeted towards landlords and investors, while Rentec PM targets property managers.
Rentec Pro comes with a work order and maintenance tracking tool. You can enter and track work orders for property repairs on the platform. You can set orders for recurring maintenance jobs and attach photos for job details.
The app allows tenants to submit requests via the tenant portal, accessible through the web or mobile app.
The Rentec Pro platform allows you to track maintenance and repair orders from start to finish. You can assign jobs to vendors and attach bids or invoices for approval. The app also lets you create customizable expense reports to track maintenance expenses.
Rentec Pro integrates with other third-party apps, including DropBox Sign, PayNearMe, Twilio, and RentReporters.
Reviews
Rentec Pro users say they’re happy with the mobile experience, but some say the app is too much trouble to be worth keeping.
iOS user Toml122 is happy with his user experience:
iOS Review:
Header ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
One of my favorite thingsI am so happy they came out this app. It really improves the experience as I use everything from my phone while I’m in the field. Rentec Direct has really improved in the last 8-9 months. I’ve been using this program for about three or four years now, but really started to dive in to all the features of it the last year. This app is a game changer and really improves the user experience.
Rentec Direct user Shana A. M. says the app is affordable, but is too much trouble for the modern landlord:
Capterra Review:
Can’t recommend this to everyone. ⭐⭐⭐
Overall: Honestly, I would switch to another company if I could, but I have too much data in, and am too busy to go through a transfer now, and all of the hassles that would entail. I think Rentec may be a good option if you have only a few units, and very simple accounting, and are looking for a budget product, or have some familiarity with accounting and property management software, so you really don’t need the support.Pros: So it is very affordable, and some of the software is pretty simple to set up. They are continuing to add support articles and more functionality.
Cons: Functionality, especially in the accounting area is limited. No ability to select “classes”. You have to find work arounds for things that you shouldn’t have to. The support team is of little support. I have email chains with OVER 15 EMAILS AND THE QUESTION STILL HAS NOT BEEN ANSWERED. It is difficult to reach anyone when you call most times, so you are relegated to chat/email, and often my main question or issue is NEVER actually answered. I still have issues from my first month, and I am now in month six, that are unanswered.
Many of the things I have learned, were from hours of trial and error. If they are not going to have a free support option that is actually helpful, then they at least need to offer a paid option. There is also a big gap in the merchant processing area. Their processor, Forte, often sends you back to Rentec, and Rentec sends you back to Forte, and the pricing of the merchant options is not clear or transparent until you get your bill.
Pricing
Free Trial?
14-day free trial
RENTEC PRO
Annual: $45 / mo.
Monthly: $50 / mo.
RENTEC PM
Annual: $45 / mo.
Monthly: $50 / mo.
Stessa
Scoring
Key Features
-
Vacancy marketing on the Zillow family of websites
-
Tenant screening with background checks
-
Leasing with legal document e-signing
-
Automated accounting with income and expense tracking
Useful features for rent transactions
Great customer support
Good tracking features for expenses
Cumbersome accounting features
Not available on some mobile devices
Not customizable
Highlights
Stessa is a financial technology platform designed for rental property investors. The app helps property owners and investors centralize tasks and transactions in one platform.
Stessa helps you market vacant rental properties on Zillow’s family of websites to increase your reach to potential high-quality tenants. It then helps you screen tenants with comprehensive background checks and full credit reports.
The app enables you to streamline leasing with tailored leases and other legal documents. It offers e-signature capture via DocuSign for over 60 legal documents.
The platform automates accounting with its single-entry feature and tracking for both income and expenses.
Stessa did not list integrations at the time of review, but did mention a partnership with tenant screening service RentPrep.
Reviews
Stessa users love the app design, but say its features need to be more robust.
iOS user Jhatf says the app delivers basic accounting functionality:
iOS Review:
Cartoon version of Accounting ⭐
If you want to just play around and play accountant for one property, this is fine. But this app is not useful for really accounting or tracking purposes. Very limited features, like bulk transaction sorting. It says it has it, and even shows some screen shots of how it works, but what is in the screen shot is not available in the IOS app. Maybe it is available on the online version, but when you click on “sign in” from a browser, it just opens the app.. when using an IPAD. This seems like an app in early development or just a quick app put together in an effort to look nice and sell… it doesn’t seem to be a realistic for actual use. Try Waveapps or make an excel spreadsheet. if you are looking for something fee. Waveapps is also not user friendly for more than one property. But if you just have one, setup an account just for it and it will work fine.
Stessa user Nicholas H. says he wants to make the relationship work, but Stessa isn’t doing its part:
Capterra Review:
I wanted to love Stessa, unfortunately the features fall short ⭐⭐⭐
Overall: The major issue I have with Stessa is when Stessa downloads your transactions from the bank it will remove some automatically. Customer service said it was just removing duplicates. Anyone that is in property management or owns and operates rental housing knows many transactions are going to be the exact same. Rent doesn’t change by month, and many bills are the exact amount each month, like mortgage payments. Stessa would regularly remove 10-20% of the transactions, and the even worst part is it wouldn’t say it did. They just wouldn’t show up. I only noticed it as the reports looked WAY off. To get correct reports through Stessa I would have to download the CSV file and compare it to my bank CSV file. Then I would have to enter the transactions manually. It isn’t worth it. At the VERY LEAST we should have the option to turn off “removing duplicate transactions”. I’ve mentioned this to customer service more times than I can count and they never do anything.Pros: The design of the site was very intuitive. Useful and pretty reports.
Cons: Pretty reports are useless as there is a serious bug in Stessa software, specifically how it processes transactions downloaded from your bank. I noticed it when I first signed up to this site several years ago and have messaged customer service numerous times. Occasionally it gets fixed but then goes right back to being broken again. I’ll describe the specific issue below.
Pricing
Free Trial?
No Free Trial
Essentials
FREE
Manage
Annual: $12 / mo.
Monthly: $15 / mo.
Pro
Annual: $28 / mo.
Monthly: $35 / mo.
Buildium
Scoring
Key Features
-
Maintenance task management with vendor tracking
-
24/7 contact center for maintenance calls and requests
-
Scheduling for recurrent maintenance tasks
-
Accounting system with vendor payment
Great customer support
Good onboarding experience
Integrates well with other systems
Slow to fix issues
Reporting is time-consuming
Issues with data export
Highlights
Buildium is cloud-based property management software targeted towards property owners and managers. It offers solutions for business operations, leasing, marketing, and accounting and payments.
You can manage maintenance tasks on the platform, including submission and receipt of work orders. Tenants can attach photos, notes, documents, and videos to work orders. The app gives you status updates on tasks via the web or mobile app. You can also set recurring maintenance tasks on the platform.
Buildium offers a 24/7 contact center to handle your tenants’ maintenance calls and requests. After receiving calls, Buildium’s team logs incoming tasks to your Buildium account and dispatches your preferred contacts for emergency repairs.
Buildium integrates its property maintenance software with its accounting system to reduce double entries and errors. You can track vendor bills and expenses along with your income. You can also pay vendors for repair jobs using the platform.
The app integrates with other property management apps via the Buildium Marketplace.
Reviews
Buildium users say the app is simple and easy to use. However, it needs work in several areas, including reporting and integration.
Buildium user brent A. says the app was easy to use, but ultimately gave an average performance:
Capterra Review:
average ⭐⭐⭐
Overall: Wish i didn’t switch over to BuildiumPros: Easy to use, online rent payment function, maintenance
Cons: terrible customer service, can’t customize reports adequately and have to do manually, no integration with QB, can’t delete old leases, bad for commercial
Pricing
Free Trial?
14-day free trial
Essential
Annual: $49.50 / mo.
Monthly: $55 / mo.
Growth
Annual: $156.67 / mo.
Monthly: $174 / mo.
Premium
Annual: $337.50 / mo.
Monthly: $375 / mo.
The Bottom Line
Thanks to digitization, small landlords now have access to an array of sophisticated software solutions designed to optimize their rental business.
By leveraging the power of property management software for small landlords, you can free up valuable time and improve preventative maintenance and repair schedules of your properties.
As you navigate the options, carefully consider which solution best aligns with your unique needs as a rental property manager. With the right tools in place, small landlords can confidently manage their rental property repair and maintenance, maximizing returns on their real estate investment.
Construction managers and field service personnel love the Workyard mobile experience. Our iOS and Android apps are designed around the needs of team managers in the construction business. Our web platform improves scheduling, time tracking, team management, and more for construction managers.
Try Workyard free for 14 days and see how we can simplify your field service management and make your business more profitable!
Our Scoring System Explained
Our 8-part scoring system was created to help you understand the potential value of any software we review simply and fairly.
We created it after reviewing dozens of software products, which we covered in depth, but without providing a direct and simple way for readers to compare products on their merits – without spending a lot of time looking through our articles for the information they needed to make an informed decision.
Every app we review will include Customer Support and Company scores, which we’ll explain in more detail below. Many of the factors reviewed in this article will also be consistent across most (or all) of our software reviews, with some differences:
The 8 factors assessed and their contribution to a product’s overall score may differ slightly from product to product based on various factors, such as the use case we’re reviewing for, the type of business these products are tailored to, and other considerations. However, all reviews will feature an 8-part score, weighted and combined to calculate each product’s overall score.
How We Score Software
All factors in our reviews are scored on a 10-point scale – technically 11 points – from 0-10. However, we only give products a score of 0 if it does not include an essential feature at all, and we try to avoid giving out 0 scores if a product can demonstrate any functionality in line with the specific factor being reviewed.
In general, the 0-10 range translates as:
- 9.0 – 10 – One of the absolute best in its category (amazing).
- 7.5 – 8.9 – Very good, but with some minor issues (very good).
- 6.0 – 7.4 – Mediocre performance with notable shortcomings (average).
- 3.0 – 5.9 – This feature is not ready for prime time (borderline).
- 1.0 – 2.9 – This feature actually makes its product worse (unacceptable).
- 0 – The product doesn’t include this important feature at all.
How We Calculate Overall Scores
The 8 factors reviewed are weighted based on an overall total of 100%:
- Ease of Use: 20%
- Time Tracking Accuracy: 20%
- Scheduling Features: 15%
- Job Tracking: 15%
- Integrations: 10%
- Customer Support: 15%
- Company: 5%
Methodology for Each Factor
Ease of Use
We evaluate a product’s ease of use based on three main considerations:
- How easy is it to set up this app?
- How easy is it for managers to use the backend dashboard?
- How easy is it for frontline workers to use the (mobile) app?
These three considerations cover the main ways you and your team would use the software being reviewed – when you first obtain it, when someone (a manager, executive, team leader, or similar role) needs to use it to manage people, money, data, and other things, and when workers you’re tracking use the app (usually a mobile version of the software designed for frontline and/or field team members) to clock in, clock out, record time worked, or address other day-to-day needs.
Time Tracking Accuracy
Every minute matters when you’re trying to control payroll costs. This factor accounts for various features and common needs in time-tracking apps, such as…
- How accurate or precise is its GPS tracking capability?
- How accurate – and how customizable – is its geofencing feature?
- How accurate is its travel and mileage tracking (if available)?
- Can it automatically clock workers in and out based on the above?
- Can you set and/or restrict rules for clocking in and out?
- Can the app continue tracking workers while offline?
- How easy is its mobile app and/or kiosk for frontline workers?
Scheduling Features
Many construction businesses prefer to manage as many aspects of employee labor activity as possible in a single app, which is why many time-tracking apps also include worker scheduling as a core feature.
When we consider a product’s scheduling features, we look at:
- Its dashboard customizability (daily, weekly, or monthly views).
- Its project-based scheduling and visibility.
- Its real-time updates and notifications for workers.
- Its real-time map views of worker locations for best-fit scheduling.
- Its recurring schedule (copies to subsequent weeks, etc.) functionality.
Job Tracking
This factor helps you understand if the software can also provide insight into specific projects, which is particularly handy when your business deals with many customers or clients who generally need shorter-term work. Effective job tracking typically also includes accurate job costing functionality for construction companies.
We assess several things when calculating a product’s job tracking score:
- Its project-based tracking for multiple projects per day/week/etc.
- Its ability to track multiple / many projects simultaneously.
- Its use of (and your ability to customize) construction cost codes.
- Any built-in job costing views.
- Any integrations for cost coding (QuickBooks etc.)
Integrations
No business can operate on a single app, which is why integrations with other apps and tools are such important aspects of modern business software.
To calculate a product’s integration score, we’ll examine:
- How many native integrations (the simplest connection) does it offer?
- How effective and easy-to-use are its integrations with payroll software?
- Does it have robust data import and export features?
Customer Support
Learning how to use a new app can be frustrating, even if it’s meant to be the most user-friendly app around. That’s why great customer support is so essential when considering which time-tracking app to use.
Customer support scores are calculated based on:
- Live support channels available (phone, email, chat, etc.).
- Live support hours (business hours only, 24/7, etc.).
- The strength of the product’s online help center and/or FAQs.
- What other users say about support in online reviews.
Company
A great company with a highly customer-friendly approach can often make up for shortcomings in their software products – at least up to a point.
When assessing this score, we’ll examine:
- Transparency (easy-to-find pricing, etc.)
- Trial period (duration, feature availability, credit card requirements, etc.).
- Subscription flexibility (contracts, required durations, etc.).
- Ease of cancellation or pausing subscriptions.
- Customer perceptions (online product reviews).
- Website (a minor consideration, but great companies tend to have great websites).
Any questions about our scoring system? Have any suggestions on how we could make it even better? Click here to send us your feedback – we’d love to hear from you!
Property management software is an application designed to help property managers and landlords organize and streamline the management of rental properties. The key features of property management software include:
Accounting Features:
- Electronic funds transfer
- Tax filing
- Bank reconciliation
- Tracking payables and receivables
Operations Features:
- Professional website for listing properties
- Owner portal for accessing property data
- Document storage and sharing with owners/tenants
- User accounts for remote access
- Management and Leasing Features:
- Rental applications
- Property marketing and listing syndication
- Electronic signatures
- Tenant screening
Property management software also offers the added benefits of being cloud-based, allowing access from anywhere and ensuring data security. The best software for a landlord or property manager depends on the specific features needed, pricing, and quality of customer support.
Here are some of the most important features to look for in property management software for small landlords:
Tenant Screening
- Ability to run background and credit checks on prospective tenants
- Collect rental applications and fees online
Online Rent Collection
- Allow tenants to pay rent online or via mobile app
- Set up automatic payments, late fees, and rent reminders
- Automatically deliver rent receipts
Maintenance Management
- Tenants can submit maintenance requests through the software
- Organize all requests, photos, and contacts in one place
- Access a network of vetted contractors to complete jobs
Lease Management
- Generate state-specific leases and collect e-signatures
- Track important lease dates
Accounting and Reporting
- Income and expense tracking
- Customized financial reports
- Tax-ready statements
Other Key Features
- Centralized dashboard to manage all properties
- Secure document storage for leases, applications, records
- Responsive customer support and online training
- Affordability for small portfolios
The best property management software for small landlords streamlines administrative tasks, improves tenant communication, and provides valuable financial insights – all from a single, user-friendly platform. Look for a solution that offers the core features you need at a price point that fits your budget.
Here are some of the best free property management software options for small landlords in 2024:
- TurboTenant
TurboTenant offers a robust free plan with no limit on the number of units. Key features include online rent payments, tenant screening, maintenance request tracking, and automatic property listings. The free plan provides excellent value, though additional features like state-specific leases require an upgrade to the paid Premium plan.
- Avail
Avail has a free plan with unlimited units. The free version includes online rent payments, maintenance request management, tenant screening, and automatic listings. To unlock more advanced features, the paid plans start at $7 per unit per month. Avail has an easy-to-use interface but lacks comprehensive tutorials and knowledge resources.
- Landlordy
For a simple, mobile-friendly solution, Landlordy is a good option. The free version is limited to one rental unit and one tenant lease, with restrictions on expense/payment records. The premium versions start at $14.99 per month for up to 2 units. Landlordy is a basic app ideal for landlords managing their first property.
- Innago
Innago offers a free plan for personal, freelance, and startup landlords with 1-2 units. The free version includes online rent payments, maintenance requests, and tenant screening. Paid plans start at $1 per unit per month. Innago has a user-friendly interface and offers a good balance of essential features for small landlords.
While these free property management software options provide valuable tools to streamline operations, they may have limitations compared to paid alternatives. As your rental business grows, paid plans can accommodate more units and offer additional features like advanced financial reporting and dedicated customer support. However, these free solutions are an excellent starting point for small landlords looking to leverage technology to manage their properties more efficiently.
