Whether you’re a property owner, property manager, or a landlord, chances are you could use a hand completing the myriad of tasks you have to do. It’s a lot of work for just one person and is nearly impossible if you have more than one property to look after.
Hiring a few people to help you out can cost a lot of money, and you’d need to take a lot of time to hire the right person and train them on how to do the jobs required of them. If you’re like me, you don’t have any extra time to spare… in fact, you’re probably looking for ways to free up time.
I’ve read tons of Rentec Direct reviews when I was on the search for property management software to help alleviate some of the workload I had as a property manager. I didn’t have time to hire a staff and I didn’t have the money to pay for a high-end software that could help me out, but thankfully I found Rentec Direct.
After reading through plenty of reviews and using the software myself, I just had to share the results with other property management teams and landlords alike. If you’re looking to free up time in your day to do things you enjoy while getting more work done, please, read my in-depth review.
I wanted to share with you everything that the software does, the key features, where you can get it, and how it’s different than other property management software available. Before you spend any of your budget, read all about how this inexpensive software can make a huge difference in your work life!
[box]Inexpensive is great, but free is better. That is what QuickLease Pro, also property management software, is. Here’s our detailed review![/box]
A Table Of Contents For Rentec Direct Reviews
- Rentec Direct Reviewed – What The Software Can Do
- Analysis Of Rentec Direct – Key Features And Functions
- Where To Get Rentec Direct
Rentec Direct Reviewed – What The Software Can Do
So, you’re probably curious what Rentec Direct is and what it can do for you and your properties. Before I used it for myself, I was confused by all of the Rentec Direct reviews; some said it was the best software they’ve ever used, while others said it was just “okay”.
I wanted to share with you an honest review where we talk about what the software is from an unbiased point of view where I tell you about the good and the bad of the property management software that claims to be the best. Let’s talk a bit about what exactly Rentec Direct is.
This property management software is meant for people who have between 25 and 5,000 properties and/or units. If you have any less or more properties than that, Rentec Direct will not work for you. On the other hand, if you do fall within those numbers, you’ll likely get a lot of use out of this software.
I think the best part about Rentec Direct is that there aren’t any hidden costs. You won’t get a surprise charge or bill from this software. There is also no commitment, so you can start and stop using the software at any time. There is no monthly service charge or any time commitment that you have to stick to.
This isn’t to say that everything on this software is free; there are features that you have the option to pay an additional fee to use, but we’ll discuss what those are so you know what you’re getting for free and what you’re not.
One of the best features in my opinion has to be the training they offer. They have a customer service team that you have unlimited access to and you’re able to contact them about any questions or concerns you may have. This can come in handy if you’re not the most tech-savvy person or you’re still learning how to software works.
You may be wondering what makes this property management software stand out from the rest. Rentec Direct is best known for how well it can organize reports and can help you keep track of ledgers, all in one place. If you don’t have the money for an accountant, you will get a lot out of this feature.
When you use this software, you’ll be able to easily keep track of work orders from vendors and you can view and process any incoming/ outgoing credit card charges and payments. Rentec Direct will even make filing your 1099 tax forms easier.
I personally love the marketing feature. Chances are you’ve taken far too much time out of your day to list vacant units for sale. You have to go out and take photos and videos, upload them and write in descriptions on every individual renter website.
Rentec Direct essentially does the job for you; you just upload the photos and information once and it will automatically post advertisements that list your available units across the most popular websites like Zillow and Trulia!
Landlords and property managers aren’t the only ones that can take advantage of Rentec Direct. There is a portal online that allows tenants to easily set up an account and pay for their rent online each month. If they’re using a transfer, it will be free but if they use a credit or debit card, they will have a fee of 2.75% of the initial charge.
If you’re a one man or one woman team, you know how annoying and overwhelming it can be to receive a ton of maintenance requests. They always happen to come in late in the evening or on weekends or holidays. Thankfully, your renters will have the ability to use the online portal to submit any maintenance requests they may have.
A feature a lot of landlords and property managers enjoy is that Rentec Direct gives you to option to screen possible tenants. When people apply, you can charge an application fee that covers the prices of the screen process. Rentec Direct will show you if the applicant has had any past evictions and it will also provide you with their background and credit checks!
Another great thing that sets Rentec Direct apart from other property management software options available is that it is mobile friendly! A lot of us work from our phones a lot, especially when we have multiple properties. They have an app that works smoothly, but we’ll discuss that more later on.
You won’t have to worry about sensitive information being entered into the software such as credit card numbers or bank account information because Rentec Direct uses bank-grade security standards. This protects your data and gives you and your tenants peace of mind.
One thing that I do want to note is that the customer service they provide does run on the time zones within the United States. If you’re wanting to use this software and you live outside of the United States, you may need to be awake at odd hours to contact them if you have any questions or concerns. You can always send in an email if you don’t need an immediate response.
Since it’s pretty safe to assume you’re comparing several property management software options, I wanted to share with you a broken down pros and cons list to make it easier when comparing. Below you will find some of the greatest things about this software, and a couple things that could be improved. Let’s take a look:
Pros
- Well-trained and educated customer service
- Software works smoothly on mobile and desktop devices
- Easily files and organizes paperwork
- Add-ons are more inexpensive than other software available
- Screening tenant option gives you important information of applications
- The software can quickly and easily market available units
- It’s inexpensive
- There are no hidden costs or commitments
- Tenants can pay rent online
- Maintenance requests can be submitted online
Cons
- It’s only for people with 25 to 5,000 units and/or properties
- The customer service is on US time zones, which can affect those living outside of the US
Analysis Of Rentec Direct – Key Features And Functions
So, now you know what exactly Rentec Direct is and the basics of what it can help you with, but I wanted to tell you a little bit about the key features and functions this property management software has. These features are what make the software stand out and what people enjoy about it.
This is a great section to take some notes and use them when you’re comparing different software options to one another. After reading this analysis, you should have a better idea of what you’re looking for in property management software and which features you want! Let’s start off by talking about how it can help you with finances!
Accounting
Whether you own the properties you’re renting out or not, chances are you probably have a ton of paperwork. Whether you have piles of leases, lists of tasks that need to be done, fees for late rent or pets, bank information, or anything else, you could likely use some help getting all of it organized.
Rentec Direct helps with tax information, bookkeeping, and accounting tasks. Like anything else, you could hire someone to help you with the accounting, but it’s much cheaper to have software do it for you. It doesn’t matter if you’re working with residential property, commercial, or even student housing, this software can keep everything in its place.
We’ll talk a bit more later on about how tenants can pay rent using the app, but it’s nice to know that the software will record any incoming or outgoing money. Rent will be automatically recorded in a ledger each month.
Maintenance Requests
Easily my favorite feature of Rentec Direct is how much it helps with maintenance requests. Tenants are able to easily submit requests at any time. They can include the dates and times they’re available for someone to come assess the issue and tenants can upload photos when they submit requests as well!
If you’re a landlord or property owner, you can easily see what needs to be done and assign maintenance tasks accordingly. If you want to create a better home and work life balance, having the option for tenants to submit a request at any time to the software will help you not be bothered during non-working hours.
You’ll be able to see who put in a request, what it’s for, view photos if they’re available, schedule a time that works with both you and the tenant, and lastly, you can prepare work orders and reach out to maintenance employees via the software. It’s incredibly convenient for people who have several properties to look after!
Pricing Options
Below I discuss where you can get Rentec Direct and how much it costs. The elephant in the room always seems to be money related, and as a property owner, that makes sense! How much does software like this cost? Can I afford it? Is it really cheaper than hiring a couple of people to get tasks done?
Rented Direct comes with two different pricing options that have four features separating them at the time of writing this review. You can read more about Rentec PM and Rentec Pro in the section below to give you a better idea of what each of them can do for you!
Online Rent Collection
One thing that landlords and tenants both love is the ability to pay rent online. If the tenant is using an ACH transfer, this will be a free feature for them, but there is a small fee of 2.75% if they’re paying with a debit or credit card.
The set up process is free for tenants, which isn’t common to find in a property management software. Not only are they able to pay rent online, but they can pay late fees or extra charges such as a parking spot fee or a monthly pet deposit.
This saves you and the tenant time and gas driving to the bank to deal with rent each month. There is also a possible ATM fee that the tenant could be saving, depending on where they bank. This is a great feature for people who are too busy to try to make it to the bank by a certain date and time since it’s available on desktop and mobile devices!
Tenant Screening
Tenant screenings can be easily done for those who are applying for a vacant unit you have available. When a person is applying, you can ask for their email address, this is the only information you’ll need to complete a screening.
Screenings cost money and this is the reason why most places require an application fee for potential tenants. Use this fee to cover the tenant screening costs to see if the applicant fits your desired requirements of a tenant.
You may be wondering what a tenant screening includes and if it’s worth charging someone for. The screening with include a background check and a credit check, and you’ll be able to view any prior evictions if they have any. This can be used to make sure your properties stay safe and that you have reliable tenants that will be paying their rent every month.
It’s common to require a specific credit score in order to live in a property. The credit check will show you if they have the score you set for your tenants.
Now you’ve read a handful of the great features that make Rentec Direct stand out from the competition. You can use any of these features to make your job easier and focus on things that are more important, such as tenant/landlord communication.
Any of these features have the ability to dramatically improve your work life and the lives of your renters. I did want to talk to you a bit about where you can get Rentec Direct and go into depth about the pricing options they have available.
[box]You’d definitely need the “tenant screening” option with any property management software that you consider for your business. But why not choose something – like QuickLease Pro – that comes with the ability to create all the documents you need plus online applications?[/box]
Where To Get Rentec Direct
Have you read all of this information to land on the decision that this sounds like the best property management software for you? If so, I wanted to share with you a few places you’ll be able to get it. But before you decide that this is the software for you, I wanted to talk with you a bit about the free trial they provide.
The free trial they have is a full two weeks long. You’ll be able to use to software as you would if you owned it during those two weeks. They give you a date that the trial ends, before you even sign up. If this sounds like something you’re interested in trying out, you can sign up here.
One thing that I didn’t like about the free trial is that you have to provide your credit card information and you will be charged after the two weeks if you decide to keep it or forget to cancel your account. Because of this, I always suggest setting a reminder on your phone or computer on the date your trial ends.
You may be wondering why you’d be charged for free software. The software itself is free but there are monthly prices and add-on fees that can be charged to landlords and tenants alike. There are two different plans you can sign up for: Rentec Pro and Rentec PM.
Rentec Pro is cheaper than Rentec PM, but their prices are both based on how many units you have. There isn’t a massive price difference between the two, so if you have the money, you may as well go with Rentec PM to get more features.
The four features that Rentec PM has that Rentec Pro doesn’t are the following:
- Trust Account Management & Reporting
- Owner Portal
- Pay Owners via ACH
- Automated CAM Charges
You can look at both plans more in detail here and decide which one could work for you and your properties.
Rentec Direct provides a total of four apps, which is practically unheard of when it comes to property management software! There are two for renters that they can use to pay rent, communicate with their landlords, submit maintenance requests, and more. You can find it in the App Store for iOS devices, along with the Google Play Store for Android devices.
Similarly, there are also two apps available for landlords and property management. You’ll be able to easily connect with your tenants, take notes during inspections, check report information, and more with this app! It’s available for iOS devices on the App Store and the Google Play Store for Android devices!
[box]If Rentec Direct sounds too expensive for you at this moment, check out our detailed review of a free property management software alternative – QuickLease Pro![/box]
Final Words
I’ve talked about how overwhelming it can be to own property or be a landlord. There is a ton on your plate such as paperwork, accounting tasks, showing vacant units, and more. If you want a bit of help from these daily tasks that can take over your life, consider using property management software.
You don’t have to pick Rentec Direct, but I think overall it’s a solid choice, especially when compared to others like it. For some individuals, this software is a lifesaver. It helps keep them organized, there is a consistent line between each tenant and the landlord, and maintenance requests are much less staggering.
I had to share my review of the software because now I have enough free time to enjoy my life and I’m not stuck at work for more hours than necessary. I hope this software can change your work life like it did mine whether you’re trying to get more organized or you just need a bit of help.
Take time to find out what you need property management software for exactly and compare a few options before deciding on one. That way, you’ll choose the software that works best for you and your properties. Good luck!