Property management software for 1 to 10 units: a buyer's guide
For 1 to 10 units, start with four questions: what do you pay, what do tenants pay, which jobs do you need done (listing, screening, rent, books, repairs) and how much of the work do you want to type. Published prices for this size range from free (Innago, Avail, Landlord Studio Go) to about $600 a year (Rentec Direct, Hemlane), with DoorKeeping at $2 per unit per month. The table below shows each company's own published figures, dated, and who each one suits.
What to compare
- The owner price at your unit count, and any minimum. Per-unit prices with a monthly minimum cost more per unit when you are small.
- The tenant fees. A free plan often earns through a fee on every rent payment, so add the bank and card fees to the picture.
- The jobs you do every year. Filling vacancies needs listings, applications and screening. A full building needs rent matching, late fees, bills and tax reports.
- Accounting depth. Do you need only a Schedule E report, or separate books for each LLC?
- Who does the work. Some products add paid services (placement, inspections); some, like DoorKeeping, put an AI between you and the software.
- What it costs to leave. Check for a contract term, and whether you can export your data.
Published prices at 10 units
Owner software price for a made-up owner with 10 units, one year, as each company states it on its own pricing page. This is a price list, not a ranking: the products do different jobs.
| Software | Owner price, 10 units, one year | Tenant pays for rent | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zillow Rental Manager | Not published here | Renter pays a $40 application fee that includes screening; rent payment fees not confirmed | 2026-10-30 |
| Innago | $0 | $2 per bank payment, 2.99% per card | 2026-10-29 |
| Avail Unlimited | $0 (Plus: $1,080) | $2.50 per bank payment, 3.5% per card | 2026-10-30 |
| RentRedi | $144 | $1 per bank payment, 3.1% + $0.30 per card | 2026-10-29 |
| TurboTenant Essentials | $149 | $2 per bank payment for renters of Free-plan landlords; free on Pro; 3.49% per card | 2026-10-29 |
| TenantCloud Starter | $180 (10 leases) | $1.95 per bank payment, card fee not published | 2026-10-29 |
| Landlord Studio Pro | $228 (yearly plan, extra units $1.00 a month) | $2.50 bank (landlord or tenant), 3.49% card | 2026-10-30 |
| DoorKeeping | $240 | $0 by bank; 3% by credit card | 2026-10-30 |
| Hemlane Basic | $576 | $0 bank, 3% card | 2026-10-30 |
| Rentec Direct Pro | $600 ($50 monthly minimum) | Mostly free bank on Pro, 2.95% card | 2026-10-30 |
Where a price depends on a plan feature you may not need, the lowest paid plan with rent collection is shown. Always confirm on the company's site; prices change.
Who each one suits
- Zillow Rental Manager: a landlord with a vacancy who wants Zillow's reach; screening reports are free to the landlord and the renter pays the application fee.
- Innago: a landlord who wants a free plan with rent, leases and maintenance in one place and does not mind tenants paying per-payment fees.
- Avail: a landlord who wants listings on many sites and screening requests, with a paid tier to remove the bank fee.
- RentRedi: a landlord with many properties who prefers one flat price regardless of unit count.
- TurboTenant and TenantCloud: owners who want a paid plan priced by unit band or lease cap.
- Landlord Studio: a small landlord who mainly wants bookkeeping, receipts and a Schedule E report at a low price.
- Hemlane: an owner who may want paid services such as tenant placement.
- Rentec Direct: an owner who values published fees and may later want trust accounting.
- DoorKeeping: an owner of apartments who already has tenants, wants separate books for each LLC and prefers to ask Claude or ChatGPT than to click through screens.
A worked comparison of tenant fees
Example a made-up 8 unit owner whose tenants pay $1,200 by bank once a month. Per year the tenants together pay 8 x 12 = 96 payments. At $1 each (RentRedi default) that is $96; at $2 (Innago) $192; at $2.50 (Avail free plan or Landlord Studio) $240; on DoorKeeping, $0 by bank.
These are small sums against rent. The more useful question is who pays, since many of these products let the landlord cover the fee instead, and tenants notice a fee at the moment they pay.
How DoorKeeping handles it
DoorKeeping is $2 per unit per month with no setup cost and no minimum, so 8 units is $16 a month. Tenants pay a 3% card fee if they choose a credit card (where state law allows it), and screening is passed through at cost. It keeps separate books for each property, matches deposits to rent, and does the routine work when you ask your AI app. Read the direct comparisons before you decide.
Sources
- Zillow Rental Manager, Rental applications FAQ, read Oct 30, 2026
- Avail, Pricing, read Oct 30, 2026
- Landlord Studio, Pricing, read Oct 30, 2026
- Hemlane, Pricing, read Oct 30, 2026
- Rentec Direct, Pricing transparency, read Oct 30, 2026
- RentRedi, Pricing, read Oct 29, 2026
- TurboTenant, Pricing, read Oct 29, 2026
- Innago, Pricing, read Oct 29, 2026
- TenantCloud, Pricing, read Oct 29, 2026
Questions
- Do I need property management software for 3 units?
- Not always. A spreadsheet and your bank can work for a few units. Software starts to pay off when you want rent matched automatically, late fees posted, and tax reports built from the books.
- What does property management software cost for 10 units?
- Published owner prices range from $0 to about $600 a year in this guide, before tenant fees. DoorKeeping is $240 a year at 10 units.
- Who pays the fees on rent payments?
- It depends on the product and the plan. Several let the landlord choose. Compare the bank and card fees, not just the subscription.