Collecting rent from tenants doesn’t have to be a hassle.
In fact, you can automate the entire process. Even better, it can be automated for just a small fee or even for free. That’s thanks to rent collection apps, which can save landlords from headaches and lost time.
But not all online rent payment systems are built the same. That’s why today, we’re going to explore some of the top rent collection apps and software available today, including highlighting their various features. (Hint: Some do way more than just collecting rent.)
We’ll also provide some alternatives to rent collection apps, in case you want to accept online rent payments through different means. And we’ll address frequently asked questions related to rent collection, too.
Take just a few minutes to learn about rent collection apps and software now, and you should save significantly more time in the long run.
Best Rent Collection Apps & Software—Top Picks
1. Baselane (Best Free Rent Collection App)
Available: Sign up here
Baselane allows tenants to pay rent through several payment methods, including bank transfers (via ACH) or debit/credit card transactions. In addition to one-time payments, residents also can choose recurring automatic payments, ensuring rent is always paid on time.
Money is sent directly to the landlord’s bank account. Baselane supports dedicated accounts for security deposits and accounts by property.
In addition to being an online rent payment service, Baselane also offers various tools and charts to help landlords manage their finances. These tools make it easy to see revenues, expenses, and more at a glance.
Landlords can also use Baselane’s debit card, which provides unlimited 1% cash back and categorizes expenses to keep finances organized.
Additionally, Baselane partners with Lendency to provide flexible real estate loans for single and multi-family, five-plus units, portfolio loans, and more. And it offers landlord insurance covering dwelling and liability, loss of rent, and other situations through partner Obie.
Baselane can be used with an unlimited amount of properties, and you can open and use accounts for free. The service does charge for premium features, and like most other rent collection apps, it charges tenants a fee (2.99%) if they make rent payments via credit or debit card.
2. Avail (Best Property Management Software for Small Landlords)
Available: Sign up here
Avail, which claims to have the fastest rent payment processing in the industry, lets residents pay rent, security deposits, and fees online. Tenants can pay from bank accounts; they can make debit and credit card payments, too.
Besides online rent collection, Avail helps landlords with several other tasks, including:
Listing properties and scheduling showings
Avail will publish your listing across several top rental listing sites, including Realtor.com and Trulia
Having potential tenants fill out an online application
Screening tenants for free, including running TransUnion credit reports
These reports won’t hurt potential tenants’ credit scores
Creating custom, state-specific, legally binding leases
Streamlining maintenance requests and tracking repair expenses
Landlords and residents get real-time status updates
Bookkeeping
Rent price analysis
Avail’s basic Unlimited service is free to use. The premium version, Avail Unlimited Plus, is $5 per unit and includes features such as waived ACH fees, next-day rental payments and customizable webpages to create your own property marketing site.