As a landlord or property manager, selecting the right property management platform is a big decision that can significantly impact your business. In this detailed comparison, we'll dive into key aspects such as pricing, features, and benefits to help you make the best decision for your property management needs.
Are you a hard-pressed landlord or property manager looking for an easy-to-use tool to simplify your property management tasks? Let's dive into a comparison of Avail vs TenantCloud for 2024, two popular platforms that go head-to-head in the property management software market. We'll discuss the unique features and benefits of these platforms from our own professional experience and thorough research.
Brief Overview of Avail and TenantCloud
Avail is a smart property management software designed with landlords and real estate investors in mind. It offers a set of cloud-based tools that integrate various aspects of property management, from financial tracking to tenant management.
On the other hand, TenantCloud is a comprehensive property management solution that aims to streamline various administrative, marketing, and operational functions for property managers.
Importance of Property Management Software
Managing rental properties involves numerous tasks, and there's always something demanding your attention. Here is where property management software can really become a game-changer. These tools are designed to consolidate numerous tasks, including rent collection, property maintenance requests, tenant screening, lease agreement fulfillment, and financial management, all on a cloud-based platform accessible anywhere, anytime.
Finding the right software for your business not only helps streamline your operations but also boosts efficiency, saves time, avoids missed payments or maintenance requests, and can ultimately lead to higher profits.
Here's a quick overview of Avail and TenantCloud's main features:
- Avail: Offers cloud-based property management solutions with free and paid plans, includes tenant management tools, and makes financial management easier.
- TenantCloud: Provides a complete suite of property management services including property listings, lease signings, rent payment options, and a maintenance request system. The platform is scalable, catering to both landlords and tenants.
Understanding Avail
Avail is a robust property management platform that aims to create a seamless landlord-tenant experience. This platform is designed for independent and do-it-yourself landlords, typically those owning between 1-20 units and looking to deliver a professional experience, save time, and maximize returns.
Key Features of Avail
- Online Rent Collection: Avail makes it easy for tenants to pay rent online, reducing the hassle of handling physical checks. It also offers automatic rent reminders, late fee enforcement, and end-to-end tracking of rent processes.
- Tenant Screening: Avail provides comprehensive tenant screening services, including background checks and credit reports, to help landlords make informed decisions.
- Customizable Lease Agreements: Avail allows landlords to create and customize state-specific lease agreements, ensuring legal compliance.
- Maintenance Tracking: Tenants can send maintenance requests through Avail, and landlords can track these requests and communicate updates within the platform.
- Listing Syndication: Avail helps landlords reach a wider audience by syndicating property listings to top rental websites.
Pricing Plans of Avail
- Landlord: Free
- Landlord Plus: $7/month per unit. This plan includes features like custom applications and leases, unlimited units, maintenance tracking, and more.
Pros and Cons of Avail
Avail's strengths lie in its user-friendly interface, robust feature set, and excellent customer service. Users have praised Avail's customer service, describing it as "awesome" and quick to respond, found the background check and communication with applicants straightforward, and appreciated the customizable lease agreements.
However, Avail also has its drawbacks. Some users have reported difficulties in canceling auto payments from the tenant side once they've been authorized but before they've been deposited.
Overall, Avail offers a good balance between functionality and ease of use.
Understanding TenantCloud
TenantCloud is a powerful property management software solution designed to streamline daily operations for landlords and property managers. It offers an array of features ranging from rent collection and maintenance requests to tenant screening and comprehensive reporting, all within a user-friendly cloud-based platform.
Key Features of TenantCloud
At TenantCloud, we offer numerous features to simplify property management tasks. Some of these include:
- Online Rental Listings: We automatically syndicate your property listings to popular real estate websites like Apartments.com, Trulia, and Zillow, widening your reach to potential tenants.
- Tenant Screening: In partnership with TransUnion, we facilitate comprehensive tenant screening that includes credit checks, criminal background checks, and rental history verification.
- Online Rent Collection: Accept rent payments online using a debit card, credit card, or Automated Clearing House (ACH), making it easy for both you and your tenants.
- Maintenance Requests: Tenants can submit maintenance requests online, complete with videos and photos. You can then assign the task to a service professional and track it until completion.
- Comprehensive Reporting: Our software provides customizable reports, allowing you to generate documents like Profit/Loss Statements, Rentability Reports, and the 1099 Tax Form, essential for efficient rental management and tax compliance.
Pricing Plans of TenantCloud
We offer four pricing plans to suit different needs and budgets.
- Starter Plan: Priced at $15.60 per month, it’s the perfect starting point. This plan includes online rent collection, a tenant in-app communication tool, called TC Messenger, document management, maintenance tracking, financial insights, and e-signature.
- Growth Plan: Ideal for landlords with small to medium-sized portfolios, this $29.30 per month plan provides additional features like a lease builder, landlord forms, rent balance tracking, and a property message board.
- Pro Plan: This plan is designed for property managers and owners and costs $50.40 per month. It includes everything in the Growth plan, as well as Tax Reports, Application Customization, and Vendor Network.
- Business Plan: Designed for landlords and property managers seeking more flexibility and customization. Pricing is customized based on your specific needs.
All plans can be used with an unlimited number of properties and units. Customers who pay annually receive a 20% discount, and we also offer a 14-day free trial period.
Pros and Cons of TenantCloud
Like any software, TenantCloud has its strengths and areas for improvement.
Pros:
- Comprehensive feature set catering to all aspects of property management.
- Scalable pricing plans that accommodate a wide range of portfolio sizes.
- Well-designed interface that is easy to navigate.
- Positive feedback from users about the software's functionality and value for money.
Cons:
- Some users have reported occasional bugs and system glitches.
- While our customer service is generally praised for its responsiveness, some users have expressed a wish for extended support hours.
TenantCloud stands out for its comprehensive feature set, scalable pricing, and positive user feedback. The choice, of course, ultimately depends upon your specific property management needs.
Similarities Between Avail and TenantCloud
Both Avail and TenantCloud offer a range of functionalities that are essential for property management. These include:
- Online Payments: Both platforms provide online payment solutions, facilitating prompt and hassle-free rent collection. Tenants can set up auto-payments and landlords receive their payments directly into their bank accounts.
- Tenant Screening: Both Avail and TenantCloud offer tenant screening services, helping landlords make informed decisions about potential tenants. They provide comprehensive reports, including credit history, eviction records, and criminal background checks.
- Maintenance Management: Both platforms have maintenance management features that allow tenants to submit maintenance requests. Landlords can track these requests and coordinate with service professionals directly through the platform.
- Lease Agreements: Avail and TenantCloud both provide customizable lease agreement templates, taking the hassle out of drafting and signing leases.
Differences Between Avail and TenantCloud
While both Avail and TenantCloud offer similar features, there are several key differences:
Pricing
TenantCloud offers a more cost-effective solution. For example, their standard plan is priced at $15.6/month and caters to an unlimited number of properties, while Avail's similar plan is priced at $35/month and only covers 5 units.
Bank Accounts
TenantCloud allows up to six bank accounts to be linked to your profile, offering greater flexibility for landlords managing multiple properties or working in partnership.
Data Storage
While Avail offers unlimited message and photo storage, TenantCloud's standard plan comes with 1GB of storage.
Advertising
TenantCloud provides landlords with a listing website to showcase properties and vacancies, a feature not available on Avail.
Conclusion
Together, we dove deep into the key features, pricing plans, pros and cons, and user feedback for both Avail and TenantCloud. Turns out, both platforms offer their own unique advantages in property management.
Avail provides a simple, user-friendly platform with robust features like online rent payments, tenant management tools, and property tracking. Their pricing plans are affordable and are based on the number of units under management.
On the other hand, TenantCloud goes beyond the basics to offer a comprehensive suite of property management services. From posting property listings to receiving rent payments and handling maintenance requests, it's all integrated into their system. Their pricing plans are flexible and they even offer a 14-day free trial.
If you're managing a smaller portfolio and prefer a straightforward and simple platform, Avail could be the right choice. However, if you're dealing with a larger number of properties and need a platform that can handle more complex operations, TenantCloud could be the perfect fit. It's also an excellent choice if you're looking for a platform that grows with your business, given its progressive pricing plans.
The ultimate goal is to simplify your property management tasks, automate processes where possible, and make your life easier. Both Avail and TenantCloud are great options in their own right. It's about finding the one that aligns with your needs the most.
For more insights and to explore our features, check out our blog and pricing page.
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