According to the Federal Reserve Bank, over 43% of consumers pay their bills online, including rent. There are plenty of online rent collection apps, but not all of them include the features you need to make rent collection easier and faster.
Choosing the right online tool or app to collect rent payments is vitally essential to the future success of your real estate business. To help narrow down your options, here is our list of the best online rent collection apps for landlords.
Key Takeaways
- Baselane: A comprehensive landlord rent collection platform offering robust features as one of the best rent collection software options.
- Apartments.com: A user-friendly rental payment app, ideal for basic landlord rent collection needs.
- Rentec Direct: A rent collection software suited to larger portfolios, balancing advanced features with efficient rent processing.
- PayRent: An app to collect rent, catering to landlords who prioritize high-end features despite higher transaction fees.
- Buildium: A top choice among rent collection software for larger real estate portfolios, offering fast transaction processing.
- TenantCloud: Dedicated to landlords with multiple properties, offering customizable payment options.
- Zillow Rental Manager: Perfect for small landlords seeking basic rent collection tools.
- Avail: A landlord rent collection app combining listing services with rent collection.
- TurboTenant: Rental collection software offering property management tools for experienced landlords.
- RentRedi: The rental payment app for landlords with cash-paying tenants.
Put rent collection on auto-pilot
Get paid on time with automated rent payments, reminders, and late fees.
How to choose the best rent collection app?
To choose the best landlord rent collection app, consider factors such as ease of use for tenants, security of transactions, and the app’s ability to improve on-time payments.
Research shows that 80% of tenants prefer to pay rent online, and those who use online rental payment apps are 20 times more likely to pay rent on time. Tenants can easily set up recurring or one-time rent payments and stay on track with automatic payment reminders. This eliminates the hassle of chasing tenants for late payments. Plus, your cash flow will be more consistent to cover bills, pay for repairs, or buy new rental properties.
Online payments are also the most secure way to collect rent from tenants. You don’t have to worry about lost cash, rent checks, or going to the bank. Online rent payments are deposited directly in your bank account, so you don’t have to do any extra work.
What Makes a Rent Collection App a Good One?
Online rent collection tools should be easy to use and allow tenants to pay rent, security deposits, move-in fees, and other charges all in one place. Your solution should also reduce the overall administrative work required for collecting monthly rent payments, reporting rental income, and managing bookkeeping.
Top features to look for when choosing the best rent collection software service:
- Multiple payment methods (ACH, credit card, debit card)
- Low to no tenant fees
- Fast payment processing (deposits within two business days)
- Automatic late fees and rent reminders
- Automatic rent payments
- Payment tracking and notifications for landlords and tenants
- Built-in landlord banking and bookkeeping
- Reliable and responsive customer support for landlords and tenants
Make sure you check the fine print for security protocols and hidden fees. Look for bank-level encryption and online rent payments for landlords that deposit within 2-5 business days.
Try to keep tenant transaction fees below 3% for debit or credit cards and automated clearing house (ACH) bank transfers.
Blocking partial payments for overdue rent should be a standard feature. This will help avoid delays if you’re in the middle of the eviction process.
Other features to look for are built-in banking and bookkeeping to help replace manual data entry with automatic income and expense tracking for Schedule E tax reports.
What is the Best Online Rent Collection App?
There are multiple online rent payment systems and rent collection apps that make rent collection easier. To help you find the best option for your rentals, we compared the ten best rent collection tools landlords use and provided details of what each one offers.
Top Pick (1) - Baselane
Best For
Baselane is an all-in-one banking and financial platform built for the modern landlord. Baselane makes collecting rent payments online a breeze for landlords of any size. This rent collection app offers automated rent collection for landlords and tenants and premium features not found on other platforms, like landlord banking, integrated bookkeeping, reporting and analytics and much more.
On top of all that, their user experience is easy on the eyes. Although Baselane is focused more on financial property management, they also offer tenant screening, landlord insurance, and other property management services.
Overview
Baselane is a property management platform with automated online rent collection for landlords. Every account comes with advanced features for automatic payments, late fees, direct deposits, rent reminders, and expense tracking.
Tenants only pay 2.99% for debit or credit payments and ACH rent payments are free with a Baselane banking account. You can collect rent into an existing bank account or Baselane banking accounts for each property and unit.
If you choose Baselane banking, you can earn 4.19% APY and up to 5% cash back, in addition to enjoying virtual accounts, virtual cards, automated bookkeeping, and more.
Key Features
Baselane features include:
- Built for online rent payments deposited directly into your bank account
- Easy sign-up for tenants and landlords
- Collect security deposits and one-time or recurring fees
- Fast payments: Get paid in 2-3 days
- Automated payment reminders and notifications
- Automated payment history and tracking
- Automatic late fee settings
- Integrated bookkeeping with cash flow analytics and reporting for Schedule E, ROI, net income, and net cash flow.
Tenant rent payment options:
- ACH, Debit, Credit (2.99% fee)
- Tenant Auto-Pay
- High Daily Payment Limits
Integrated landlord banking:
- Unlimited accounts, partitioned by unit
- Virtual cards and spend controls
- Integrated into rent collection software
- Integrated with your external accounts
- No minimum deposit or balance
- No monthly fees
- No overdraft fees
- Up to 5% cash back on debit card
- High-yield checking interest
Pricing
Baselane is free to sign up!
What I Like/Dislike About Baselane.com:
Likes:
- Automated rent collection platform for landlords
- Collect rent for any type of property, room rental, mobile home, residential or commercial
- Built-in banking and bookkeeping
- Fast payments within 2-3 days
- Low 2.99% fee for ACH, debit, and credit card rent payments
- Modern interface and user-friendly features
Dislikes:
- No mobile app (coming soon)
- No tenant messaging (coming soon)
We interviewed some landlords, and here's what we heard:
“During tax season, the integrated bookkeeping is super helpful. It puts money right into my real estate investor bank account, which makes tracking and tax reporting easier.” – Scott L. (Owner of 3 multifamily properties)
“I really like the digital accounts and virtual accounts because I can separate revenue by property or unit. I can easily see my cash flow for each property and how each one is performing.” – Alex S. (Owner of 4 single-family homes).
2 – Apartments.com
Best For
Apartments.com is best for landlords who need basic payment functionalities but do not require integrated bookkeeping and banking tools.
Overview
Apartments.com covers all the basics of online rent collection except for rent payment notifications. Collecting rent from one or multiple tenants in the same unit is easy, and transaction fees are lower than most competitors.
Additional tools are available for rental listings, online applications, and screening tenants. However, it’s an older rent payment service with dated visuals and features. There is an expense tracking feature, but you have to manually enter and categorize transactions.
Key Features
Pricing
Apartments.com is Free!
What I Like/Dislike About Apartments.com:
Likes:
- Low tenant transaction fees
- Split rent between roommates
- Partial rent payments (this can be dangerous for landlords, and we don’t recommend it)
- Additional property management tools
- Tenant communication portal
- Lease creation and signing
Dislikes:
- No automatic expense tracking
- No integrated landlord banking
- Not available for commercial properties
- Customer support is limited to email
- Not very user-friendly or intuitive for landlords and tenants
- Creating unnecessary competition for landlords when Apartments.com markets other rentals to tenants
3 – Rentec Direct
Best For: Rentec Direct is best suited for landlords and property owners with larger portfolios who can afford to pay monthly fees and scaled pricing for premium features.
Overview
Rentec Direct offers free ACH transfers and the option to charge tenants full or partial transaction fees for debit and credit card payments. Tenants can also pay rent in cash using the PayNearMe network for $3.99 per transaction. This service costs $200 to set up and requires ten monthly cash payments.
Additional rental property features are included, but you have to pay a monthly fee of $45 for Rentec Pro or $55 for Rentec PM. Pricing can reach over $2,700, depending on how many units you manage.
Key Features
Pricing
What I Like/Dislike About Rentec:
Likes:
- Accepts electronic cash payments
- Optional same-day ACH deposits
- Mobile apps for tenants and landlords
- 2-week free trial available
Dislikes:
- Pricing increases with more units ($45-$2,750+)
- Monthly fee for multiple merchant accounts ($15 each)
4 – PayRent
Best For
PayRent offers a simple online rent payment service with select premium features for landlords comfortable with high tenant transaction fees.
Overview
PayRent accepts ACH and credit card payments. Tenants will pay $5 for each bank transfer unless you have a paid monthly plan that offers $2 or free ACH payments. All plans charge 3.5% + $0.30 for credit card transactions.
Additional features include renter insurance monitoring and automatic rent payment reporting to major credit bureaus. You can also use RentDefense for tenant bank balance verification. This tool requires a backup rent payment method to help prevent lost or late rent payments.
Key Features
Pricing
What I Like/Dislike About PayRent:
Likes:
- Free tenant rent reporting to three major credit bureaus
- Real-time bank balance verification
- Automated renter onboarding
Dislikes:
- Auto-late fees only on paid plans
- High transaction fees
- No support for multiple landlord bank accounts
5 – Buildium
Best For
Buildium is best suited for larger real estate portfolios, where its setup costs and high monthly fees are more easily offset.
Overview
Collecting rent payments online with Buildium requires a paid account that costs anywhere between $55-$375 per month. Tenants are charged $1.00 for each ACH transfer and 2.95% for debit or credit card transactions.
The biggest perk is the quick rent payment processing time of 1-2 days. However, landlords have to pay a $99 setup fee for each bank account receiving rent payments. Considering the high monthly costs, this rent collection tool best suits rental property managers with larger portfolios or property management companies.
Key Features
Pricing
What I Like/Dislike About Buildium:
Likes:
- Tenant rent payments processed in 1-2 days
- Bulk updates for convenience fees
- Recurring credit card payments
- 14-day free trial available
Dislikes:
- $99 for each landlord bank account
- Customer service limited to support tickets
- Too many features that smaller landlords don’t need (better suited for property managers)
6 – TenantCloud
Best For
TenantCloud rent collection offers additional features for landlords with multiple rental properties who can wait up to seven days for rent payment.
Overview
TenantCloud has four pricing tiers that range from $15 to $50 per month. The free plan has a ton of rent collection features like recurring payments, rent reminders, auto-late fees, and deposit notifications. You can also adjust rules for due dates, late fees, and partial payments for each tenant.
Other free features include property listings, lease templates, and rental applications. There are a few drawbacks, though. Tenants have to pay $2.95 for ACH transfers and 3.5% + $0.30 for debit and credit card payments. Rent payments can also take up to seven days to process.
Key Features
Pricing
What I Like/Dislike About TenantCloud:
Likes:
- Supports multiple landlord bank accounts
- Allows partial rent payments
- Customizable tenant rent payment options
Dislikes:
- No free ACH transfers (charges $2 per payment)
- Payment processing can take seven days (this is way too long)
- Basic plan limits customer support
7 – Zillow Rental
Best For
Zillow Rental Manager is optimal for small or DIY landlords who handle property listings and tenant screening without a property manager or real estate agent.
Overview
Zillow Rental Manager offers free online rent collection for landlords. Currently, this tool can only link one bank account to receive payments. If you add a new bank account for one property, it will update all the properties you have set up rent payments for.
Tenants can send free ACH transfers or pay 2.95% for credit card transactions and $9.95 for debit card payments. Roommates are not able to pay rent separately, so one tenant must submit the total rent payment through their account.
Key Features
Pricing
Tenant Screening
According to Zillow, tenant screening reports are free for landlords. Renters pay a $29 tenant screening and application fee, which allows them to apply to your listing and an unlimited number of participating rentals for 30 days.
Listings
Based on my experience, listing a property costs about $10/week while the listing is available.
What I Like/Dislike About Zillow Rental:
Likes:
- Biggest benefit is the ability to market a property and find tenants
- Collects one-time payments
- Zillow Rental Manager app
- No fees for landlords
Dislikes:
- Roommates can’t pay rent separately
- No automatic late payment fees
- $9.95 for debit card transactions
- Limited to No P&L Reporting or Tax Reports
8 – Avail
Best For
Avail is best for landlords managing a few properties, offering property listings and automated rent collection, but with monthly fees for most features.
Overview
Avail is primarily used as a rental listing site that offers lease templates, but it also offers a full suite of tools to screen tenants, track expenses, and collect rent online. Upcoming rent payments can be scheduled in advance, and the system will automatically send reminders every month.
There is a free plan that charges tenants $2.50 for ACH payments and 3.5% for debit and credit cards. You can upgrade to the premium plan to get free ACH bank account transfers and next-day deposits. This plan costs $7 for each unit per month, so your budget will need to incorporate this.
Key Features and Pricing for Avail
What I Like/Dislike About Avail:
Likes:
- Lease creation and signing with custom applications (most landlords usually have a lease agreement they can edit themselves)
- Next-day rent payments with FastPay ($7/unit)
- Auto-generated payment receipts
- Ability to syndicate some listings (not all)
Dislikes:
- Paid plan charges per unit
- Designed for rental listings
- FastPay only on premium plan
- Outdated user experience
- Support services are limited
- No product demo
9 – TurboTenant
Best For
TurboTenant can be useful for experienced landlords who can maximize the value of additional property management features.
Overview
TurboTenant allows landlords to accept rent payments online for free with the basic plan. This plan also includes expense tracking, rent reporting, maintenance requests, and other property management tools. You can even add features like state-specific lease agreements ($59 each), rent reporting ($4.99/month), and renters insurance ($11/month).
You will have to pay $8.25 a month for the premium plan if you need more than one bank account or faster payouts than the standard 5-7 business days. Tenants will pay 3.49% for credit and debit payments and $55 for application fees regardless of which plan you’re on.
Key Features
Pricing
What I Like/Dislike About TurboTenant:
Likes:
- State-specific leases ($59 each on a free plan)
- Tenant messaging
- Unlimited properties for all plans
Dislikes:
- $45 application fees for tenants
- Rent reminders still send after a tenant pays rent
- Multiple bank accounts and phone support only on premium plan
10 – RentRedi
Best For
RentRedi is best for landlords with tenants primarily paying rent in cash and willing to pay, but there are monthly fees for online payment options.
Overview
RentRedi is a property management software platform that includes online rent collection. There are no free plans, but you can choose to pay monthly, annually, or every six months. These fees range between $9 and $19.95 per month, depending on your chosen plan.
Tenants can pay 2.9% + $0.30 to use credit and debit cards or $1 for ACH transfers. RentRedi also accepts rent paid in cash at more than 90,000 retail locations. Cash deposits cost $1 per transaction.
Key Features
Pricing
What I Like/Dislike About RentRedi:
Likes:
- Accepts cash rent payments
- Mobile app for landlords and tenants
- Unlimited payment accounts
- Ability to create separate invoices (e.g. expenses, section 8)
- Additional property management features like tenant screening
Dislikes:
- No free plans available (might be too expensive for smaller landlords)
- No free payment options for tenants
- Deposits take 4-5 days
- Outdated user experience that can be confusing for landlords and tenants
- Limited accounting features
Why Collect Rent Payments with Baselane?
Baselane is purpose-built for landlords and real estate investors to simplify the hardest parts of managing rental property finances.
As one of the best rent collection software, Baselane offers online rent collection, landlord banking, automated bookkeeping, transaction tagging, cash flow reports, financial statements, and other rental property management tools all in one place.
Baselane online rent collection features:
- Tenant payments via ACH, credit or debit card
- Direct deposits into Baselane Banking or external bank accounts
- Collect security deposits & recurring or one-time fees
- High daily payment limits
- Fast payments within 2-3 days
- Automated late fees and rent reminders
- Edit and manage rent invoices
- Automatic payment tracking & notifications
- Tenant platform for paying rent online with any device
- Tenant auto-pay for rent payments
With Baselane, you can eliminate the hassle of multiple logins and manual spreadsheets, offering a seamless rent collection process.
CashApp vs. Baselane: Which one is better?
Compare CashApp vs. Baselane for collecting rent payments online.
Bottom Line
Collecting rental payments from tenants doesn’t have to be stressful. When you have the right rent collection app to automate rental property finances, you have more time to focus on managing and building your rental business.
Create a free Baselane account to get started with online rent collection, landlord banking, and automated bookkeeping.
Stress-free rent collection
- Easy setup for landlords and tenants
- Fast payments
- Automated reminders and late fees
