If you own one to ten rental units, you probably don't need enterprise property management software. You need something that keeps your leases, tenants, rent records, and maintenance notes organized, and you don't want to pay a monthly fee per door for it. Plenty of apps say they're "free," but in practice that can mean anything from fully free, to free with paid add-ons, to free until you need the feature you came for.
We looked at the free property management apps small landlords actually use in 2026 and sorted out what you get for $0, what costs extra, and who each app suits best. Some of these tools collect rent online, some focus on bookkeeping, and some are simple record-keepers. The right pick depends on how you run your rentals, not on whose feature list is longest.
1. KeyLoft — Best Free Option for Simple, Private Record-Keeping
KeyLoft is an iPhone app for independent landlords who want one organized place for properties, units, tenants, leases, rent tracking, and maintenance, without creating an account or giving their data to a cloud platform. It's free to download and works fully offline, so your records stay on your device.
KeyLoft takes the opposite approach to most apps on this list. It doesn't try to become a payment processor or a listing marketplace. It's a tool for keeping clear records of what you own, who lives there, when leases end, who has paid, and which repairs are still open. For a landlord with a duplex and two single-family homes, that covers most of the day-to-day work.
Pros:
- Free to download, with no account or sign-up required
- Works offline, which helps when you're in a basement, a crawlspace, or a rural property with no signal
- Private by design: tenant and financial records stay on your device instead of on a third-party server
- Simple interface built for small portfolios instead of 500-unit operators
- Tracks properties, tenants, leases, rent, and maintenance in one place
Cons:
- iOS only, so it won't work if you or a partner use Android
- No online rent collection: tenants pay you however they already do, and you log the payment
- No built-in tenant screening, listing syndication, or e-signature leases
- No tenant-facing portal
Pricing: Free to download.
Why it ranks #1: Most small landlords don't need another platform sitting between them and their tenants. They need fewer spreadsheets, fewer sticky notes, and fewer missed lease renewals. KeyLoft does that well, it's fast, and it doesn't push you toward paid upgrades or ask you to hand over tenant data. If your tenants already pay by Zelle, check, or bank transfer and you just want your records in order, it's the simplest good option we tested.
KeyLoft is free to download. Download KeyLoft for Free — no account needed, works offline.
2. Avail — Best for Free Online Rent Collection & Listings
Avail, now owned by Realtor.com, is one of the best-known free platforms for DIY landlords. It covers the whole rental cycle: listing syndication, rental applications, tenant screening, state-specific lease templates, online rent collection, and maintenance requests.
Pros:
- The free "Unlimited" plan supports unlimited units
- Listings syndicate to major rental sites, including Realtor.com
- Lawyer-reviewed lease templates for many states
- Tenant portal for payments and maintenance requests
Cons:
- On the free plan, ACH rent payments carry a fee (usually charged to the tenant), and payouts take longer
- Screening costs are paid by applicants
- Bookkeeping and reporting are basic
- Requires an account and stores all data in the cloud
Pricing: The free Unlimited plan covers the core tools. Unlimited Plus costs about $9 per unit per month and adds free ACH, faster deposits, custom applications, and extra lease features.
Best for: Landlords who want to move tenants to online payments and handle advertising and screening in one place.
3. TurboTenant — Best for Marketing Vacancies & Screening
TurboTenant gives landlords a generous free tier aimed at filling vacancies. Its listing tools, application flow, and screening reports are some of the best in the free category, and it also offers online rent collection and basic accounting.
Pros:
- Free listings that syndicate to dozens of rental sites
- Applications and screening, with the cost usually paid by the applicant
- Free online rent collection by ACH
- Clean interface and good onboarding for first-time landlords
Cons:
- Many useful features sit behind paid tiers, including faster payouts, custom applications, lease templates, and e-signatures
- Card payments carry processing fees
- Expect frequent upgrade prompts in the free plan
- Cloud-only, and an account is required
Pricing: Free plan available. Paid plans (Pro and Premium) are billed yearly and roughly range from $119 to $199+ per year depending on tier. Check the current pricing page, since TurboTenant has adjusted its plans several times.
Best for: Landlords who turn units over often and care most about marketing and screening.
4. Stessa — Best for Rental Bookkeeping & Tax Prep
Stessa, owned by Roofstock, is built around finances. It connects to your bank accounts, categorizes rental income and expenses, stores receipts, and produces Schedule E-ready reports. If tax season is when you feel the most pain, Stessa goes straight at that problem.
Pros:
- Strong automated bookkeeping with bank feeds and categorization
- Income statements, net cash flow, and tax-ready reports
- Receipt scanning and document storage
- Portfolio dashboard with property valuations and performance
Cons:
- Tenant management features are thinner than on Avail or TurboTenant
- The best automation and reporting features are on paid tiers
- Requires bank linking, which some landlords don't want to do
- Better on the web than in the mobile app
Pricing: The Essentials plan is free. Manage runs about $12–$15/month and Pro about $28–$35/month, depending on whether you pay yearly or monthly.
Best for: Investors who mainly want clean books and an easier conversation with their CPA.
5. Baselane — Best for Banking-Integrated Landlords
Baselane combines landlord banking with bookkeeping and rent collection. You open free banking accounts through its partner bank, typically one per property, and transactions are tagged and categorized automatically. It's an unusual setup, and it's a good one if you're willing to move your rental banking.
Pros:
- Free banking accounts per property, which makes separating funds easy
- Bookkeeping that categorizes transactions automatically
- Free online rent collection by ACH
- Useful cash flow reporting
Cons:
- You get the most out of it only if you move your rental banking to Baselane
- Limited leasing, listing, and maintenance tools
- Some advanced features are paid
Pricing: The core banking, bookkeeping, and rent collection tools are free. A paid tier with advanced automation and reporting runs about $20/month.
Best for: Landlords who want a separate bank account for each property and bookkeeping that largely runs itself.
6. Landlord Studio — Best for Mobile Expense Tracking
Landlord Studio is a mobile-first app with good receipt scanning, mileage tracking, and expense logging. It also supports rent collection, tenant screening, and listings. Its free "Go" plan works for very small portfolios.
Pros:
- Solid iOS and Android apps
- Good receipt capture and expense categorization
- Online rent collection and tenant screening
- Reports for tax time
Cons:
- The free plan is limited to a small number of units
- Bank feeds and the more useful automation require a paid plan
- Cloud account required
Pricing: The Go plan is free for up to 3 units. Pro starts around $12/month for a few units, and the price rises as you add more.
Best for: Landlords who record expenses on their phone while out at their properties.
How We Picked These Apps
We compared these apps the way a small landlord would use them, not by counting features. We considered:
- What's actually free: We checked whether the free plan is usable long-term or mostly a trial that pushes you to upgrade. We also noted fees passed on to tenants, since your tenants pay those.
- Fit for 1–20 units: Tools built for large management companies were left out. Every app here works for someone who self-manages a handful of doors.
- Core coverage: We checked how well each app handles the basics: property and tenant records, lease dates, rent tracking, and maintenance.
- Data ownership and privacy: We looked at whether you need an account, where your data lives, and how easily you could leave.
- Ease of use: We asked whether a first-time landlord could get set up in under an hour.
Pricing changes often in this category. Several of these companies have adjusted plans in the past year. Treat the numbers above as current estimates and confirm on each vendor's site before you commit.
Your rental software also isn't the only tool you'll need. Many small landlords have other income streams. If you also freelance or run a side business, Stintly keeps your time tracking and self-employment finances separate from your rental books, which makes your CPA's job (and your Schedule C) much simpler. If you do your own renovations or manage contractors during a big rehab, TrestleBook handles job costing, bids, and contractor billing at a level of detail that rental apps don't attempt.
Which App Is Right for You?
No single app is best for every landlord. Here's a quick guide based on what you need most:
- You want simple, private records with no account and no subscription: Choose KeyLoft. It suits landlords whose tenants already pay reliably and who mainly need to stay organized.
- You want tenants paying online and listings syndicated for free: Choose Avail.
- You fill vacancies often and screening is your top priority: Choose TurboTenant.
- Taxes and bookkeeping are your biggest headache: Choose Stessa.
- You want a separate bank account per property with automatic categorization: Choose Baselane.
- You log expenses and receipts on your phone and have only a few units: Choose Landlord Studio.
Many landlords combine two tools. A common setup is KeyLoft for day-to-day records of tenants, leases, and maintenance, plus Stessa or Baselane for bank-linked bookkeeping at tax time. Another is KeyLoft for record-keeping plus Avail or TurboTenant only when you have a vacancy to list and screen.
A good rule of thumb: pick the app that solves the problem you have most often. If that's "I can't remember when Unit B's lease ends or whether the furnace got serviced," you don't need a payments platform. You need better records.
Whichever you pick, try the free version for a full rent cycle before moving everything over. Any of these apps beats a shoebox of receipts and a spreadsheet you forget to update. If you want the simplest place to start, KeyLoft is free on the App Store and takes only a few minutes to set up.