Free Landlord Software 2026: Who Pays and When to Upgrade

Free software sounds like a clean deal. No invoice. No card on file. But somebody pays for the screening reports and the fees to send rent. Often it's your tenant. Sometimes it's you, later, when you need a lease or a repair call the free plan doesn't cover.

Almost every page ranking for this search is a vendor putting its own product first. We're a vendor too. So we did this differently. We checked each free plan against the vendor's own current pages. We named who pays each fee. And we put our own free plan in the same tables, limits and all.

Is there free property management software that actually works?

Yes, if you're clear on what "works" means. A rental runs on six jobs: listing, screening, the lease, rent, repairs and the books. Several free plans cover most of those jobs. Each one stops somewhere. Where it stops, and who pays at that point, matters more than the length of its feature list.

Here's how four free plans line up. "Not confirmed" means the vendor's current page didn't show it. We won't guess.

Avail's free plan covers the most of the cycle on paper. That includes lawyer-reviewed state-specific leases. The trade-off sits in rent collection, which we cover next.

TurboTenant's free plan lets you list, take applications, collect rent and manage maintenance requests. Unlimited state-specific leases and addendums come only with its paid Essentials and Pro plans.

Stessa calls its Essentials plan free and lists rent collection on it. State-compliant leases on that plan cost you extra.

Our Starter plan is narrower, and we'd rather you hear it from us. It covers listings, applicant tracking, screening and full rental accounting. It doesn't collect rent. It has no state-specific leases. Independent reviews of Hemlane say the same thing: accounting and advertising are there, state-specific lease templates and upgraded support are not. Want the detail on listing and screening? See our rental advertising software.

One more thing. Some rankings call TenantCloud free. Its own page says otherwise. It has no free plan, only a free trial, and pricing starts at $180 a year as of September 2026.

Can free landlord software collect rent online?

Some free plans can. TurboTenant, Avail and Stessa all list online rent collection on their free plans. The catch is the fee. On TurboTenant's and Avail's free plans, your tenant pays a fee on each bank payment. Our free Starter plan doesn't collect rent at all. Rent collection starts on our Basic plan.

The TurboTenant and Avail fees above come from their own pages as of October 2026.

A $2 or $2.50 fee looks small. It isn't on you, so it's easy to ignore. But it lands on your tenant every month, right on top of rent. Tenants notice. Some will ask why paying rent costs extra.

Paid upgrades change that. Avail's Unlimited Plus waives the fee. TurboTenant's Premium tier waives it. On our Basic plan and up, ACH fees are $0.

Here's what Basic does with rent. It runs autopay, payment reminders and automatic late fees. Tenants can pay by ACH, card or Cash App. Rent lands in your bank account in 2 to 3 business days. 100% of late fees go to you. The number on the lease is the number in your account. Independent reviews back both points: no rent collection on our free tier, and no ACH fees for tenants on Basic. See how it works on our rent collection software page.

How do free landlord software companies make money?

Mostly from fees, and they say so openly. The free plans we checked earn when applicants pay for screening, when tenants pay to send rent, and when owners upgrade. That's a fair business. You just want to know who pays before you put your tenants and your bank account on it.

TurboTenant is plain about it. Its core tools are free for owners, and it earns when tenants pay for screening or send rent. It keeps the screening fee applicants pay. It buys reports in bulk at a lower rate, so it makes a small profit on each one. It also earns on each rent payment on its free tier. Its Premium tier waives ACH fees.

Avail works the paid-tier side. Its Unlimited Plus plan costs $9 per unit per month, so the bill grows with each door. It unlocks waived tenant ACH fees, next-day FastPay deposits, custom lease clauses, reusable lease templates, custom application questions, a branded property website and priority support.

Applicant-paid screening isn't unique to free software. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau notes that owners often use an applicant's fee to buy the screening report. So the fee itself isn't the problem. Its size, and who keeps the margin, are what to check.

Regulators are paying attention to this area. The Federal Trade Commission has asked for public comment on rental housing fees across the whole lease, from application to move-out. That's a request for input. It isn't a rule, and it isn't a finding against anyone. It's still a good reason to know every fee your tenant sees.

Now our model, just as openly. Starter is free. We charge for three paid plans: Basic at $30/mo, Essential at $48/mo and Complete at $86/mo. Each is listed as incl. $28 platform fee, per unit monthly after a 14-day trial. Annual billing discounts are available. We don't charge ACH fees on rent. 100% of late fees go to you. Repairs are invoiced and paid with no markups. Reviews of our Starter plan note that the applicant pays for the screening report there too, so that part works like the others.

What is the difference between free landlord apps and full property management software?

A free app gives you tools, and you do the work. Full property management software adds services: people who take repair calls, coordinate vendors and talk to your tenants. The real line isn't more buttons. It's who acts when the water heater fails at 2 AM. An app can record the request. Someone still has to call the plumber.

Here are our plans, from Starter to Complete, and who does the work at each step.

Independent reviews describe it the same way. Essential brings end-to-end repair coordination with 24/7 support. Complete adds a dedicated assistant who talks to tenants directly.

Leases are where many free plans draw the line. TurboTenant keeps unlimited state-specific leases on its paid plans. Stessa charges for state-compliant leases on its free plan. Avail is the exception and includes lawyer-reviewed ones free. On our side, state-specific lease documents come with Essential.

Our lease management tools create state-specific leases. They collect e-signatures without DocuSign. They send renewal reminders well before a lease ends. See them on our lease management software page.

Past the software, there are people. Licensed local agents handle what software can't: showings, inspections, key handoffs and local-court coordination. Service add-ons cover tenant placement, inspections and eviction assistance. You still call the shots. We handle the load. We've completed 61,218 service requests, and users rate us 5 stars. See how our local support and 24/7 coordination work.

When should a landlord switch from free to paid property management software?

Switch when the free plan's catch starts costing you more than a paid plan would. That usually looks like fees landing on tenants, leases you're not sure about, or repair calls you can't take. If none of that is happening yet, stay on free. Starting free is a smart move. There's no prize for paying early.

Match your sign to the plan that fixes it:

1. You want rent online, with no fee on your tenant. Basic, $30/mo (incl. $28 platform fee). ACH fees are $0, and 100% of late fees go to you.
2. You're losing track of leases, documents and tenant messages. Basic. It adds lease tracking, document storage and tenant messaging.
3. You need a lease written for your state. Essential, $48/mo (incl. $28 platform fee). It adds state-specific lease documents.
4. You can't take the 2 AM repair call. Essential. A dedicated repair coordinator and 24/7 emergency support pick it up. Outside reviews confirm Essential is where 24/7 repair coordination starts.
5. You want someone else talking to tenants. Complete, $86/mo (incl. $28 platform fee). A property management assistant handles it, with vetted repair network access and VIP support.
6. You need hands on the ground, far from the property. Add a service such as tenant placement, inspections or eviction assistance. Or work with an independent licensed partner agent, like Metro Realty Services in Richmond, Virginia. Partner agents are their own businesses, not Hemlane staff. Partner agents on Hemlane list full property management at $60/month for the first rental and $30/month for each additional rental, billed annually.

How does that compare? Other paid tiers cost less. What they add is mostly software: waived tenant fees, faster deposits, more lease options. Avail's Unlimited Plus is priced per unit, so it climbs with every door. TurboTenant's paid plans bill annually at $149 and $199 as of May 2026. Compare what each adds, line by line. Ours costs more from Essential up because people come with it: a repair coordinator and 24/7 emergency support.

On our property management service, we claim 70% time savings and 100% of rent paid directly to owners, in all 50 states. Your own savings depend on your doors and how you work. Users give us 4.8 stars on Capterra, GetApp and Software Advice.

Manage your rentals on Hemlane

Frequently Asked Questions

Is TurboTenant really free?

For owners, the core tools are free. TurboTenant says it makes money when tenants pay for screening or send rent. On the free plan, applicants pay $55 for a screening report. On Essentials they pay $45, as of October 2026. Tenants pay $2 per ACH payment and 3.49% by card. Unlimited state-specific leases need Essentials or Pro, at $149 or $199 a year. So it's free to you, not to your tenant. Prices change, so check its current terms before you sign up.

Is Zillow Rental Manager really free?

We can't give you a verified, current fee list for it, so we won't guess. Ask it the same questions you'd ask any free tool. Who pays to apply? Who pays to send rent, and how fast does it land? Are state-specific leases included? Who takes the repair call? Then check Zillow's current terms. One note: our Starter plan already sends your listing to Zillow, along with Apartments.com and 7 more sites.

What does Hemlane's free Starter plan include?

Starter covers listings, applicant tracking, tenant screening and accounting. Listings go to Apartments.com, Zillow and 7 more sites. Screening covers national credit, criminal, eviction and income reporting. Accounting includes bank sync, a cash flow report, an income statement and more. Outside reviews note that the applicant pays for the screening report.

Here's what it doesn't include. No rent collection. No state-specific lease templates. No upgraded support. Independent reviews say the same. Basic, at $30/mo (incl. $28 platform fee), adds lease tracking, document storage, rent collection and tenant messaging. Reviews confirm Basic has no ACH fees for tenants. Start with what you need today. Move up when one of the signs above shows up. You stay in charge of that call.

Get started with Hemlane

Hemlane, Inc. is a technology company that helps you manage your long-term rental properties. Communications between you and Hemlane are protected by our Privacy Policy. Hemlane also provides access to independent licensed professionals and self-help services at your specific direction. We are not a property management firm. We cannot make any decisions on behalf of any property owners. Any content found in the Hemlane Academy is not a substitute for advice and ideas from a qualified legal source or expert. You are responsible for performing additional research to confirm you are complying with all laws applicable to your rental situation.

Sources

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — Consumer Snapshot: Tenant Background Checks | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau · retrieved November 3, 2026
• Federal Trade Commission — FTC Seeks Public Comment on a Proposed Rulemaking Regarding Unfair or Deceptive Rental Housing Fee Practices | Federal Trade Commission · retrieved November 3, 2026
• Avail (Realtor.com) — Avail vs. TurboTenant: Feature-by-Feature Comparison [2026] · retrieved November 3, 2026
• Avail (Realtor.com) — 12 Best Rent Collection Apps for Landlords [2026 Comparison] · retrieved November 3, 2026
• TurboTenant — Rental Management Software: Hemlane Review · retrieved November 3, 2026
• iPropertyManagement — Hemlane Review: A Rental Management Time Saver? · retrieved November 3, 2026
• Stessa — Pricing - Stessa · retrieved November 3, 2026
• TurboTenant — TurboTenant | Rental Property Management · retrieved October 26, 2026
• TurboTenant — TurboTenant | Free Property Management Software · retrieved November 3, 2026
• TurboTenant Help Center — Is There a Cost to Sign Up for TurboTenant? | Welcome to Our Help Center! · retrieved October 26, 2026
• TenantCloud — TenantCloud vs. Avail: Comparison, Pricing & Reviews · retrieved November 3, 2026
• TurboTenant — Collect Rent Online - Free For Landlords · retrieved November 3, 2026
• TurboTenant — Premium Plan - All-in-One Landlord Software | TurboTenant · retrieved November 3, 2026