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Landlord Bench

Ranking Landlords who self-manage

The 18 best landlords who self-manage tools (2026): rent payment fees

The best landlords who self-manage tools in October 2026 are ClearNow, LeaseRunner and RentRedi. ClearNow is the pick for landlords who want rent taken from tenants' bank accounts automatically. We read the price of 17 of the 18 on their own sites.

Landlord Bench ResearchUpdated

18 ranked · 17 checked against their own site 27–28 October 2026

Landlords who self-manage tools, first paid plan, October 2026 11 of the 12 tools that publish a monthly price start under $100 a month. The median first paid plan is $23.
  1. Under $2566 of 12
  2. $25 to $9955 of 12
  3. $100 to $29911 of 12
  4. $300 or more00 of 12
18
ranked
$23
median first paid plan
10
of the 18 have a free plan

landlordbench.com · First paid plan from each tool's own pricing page, read 27–28 October 2026.

On this page
  1. The short answer
  2. Pick by what you need
  3. All 18 picks at a glance
  4. The ranking
  5. Side by side
  6. Questions buyers ask
  7. Sources and method

The short answer

ClearNow ranks first.

LeaseRunner ranks second from $17 per applicant, and RentRedi third from $29.95 a month. Tellus and Apartments.com Rental Manager have free plans too.

Half of the 12 tools with a monthly paid plan charge $23 a month or less.

10 tools here have a free plan to try before you pay. The highest ranked are Tellus, Apartments.com Rental Manager and Zillow Rental Manager.

All 18 picks at a glance

#ToolBest forStarts at
1ClearNowLandlords who want rent taken from tenants' bank accounts automaticallyPrice not established
2LeaseRunnerUS landlords screening applicants and signing leases without a monthly subscriptionFrom $17 per applicantits pricing page
3RentRediA US landlord who manages their own rentalsFrom $29.95 a monthits pricing page
4TellusSmall landlords who want free rent collection and expense tracking from a phoneFreeits pricing page
5Apartments.com Rental ManagerSelf-managing landlords with a handful of rentals who already advertise on Apartments.comFreeits pricing page
6Zillow Rental ManagerSelf-managing landlords who list on Zillow and want screening and rent collection freeFreeits pricing page
7DoorLoopProperty managers and owners running residential, commercial or affordable portfoliosFrom $239 a monthits pricing page
8Rent PerfectSelf-managing landlords who want a person to research criminal and eviction recordsFrom $10 a monthits pricing page
9RentPostProperty managers keeping separate trust balances and statements for each ownerFrom $30 a monthits pricing page
10PayRentDIY landlords who want to stop partial payments and automate late feesFree, then $29 a monthits pricing page
11HemlaneLandlords and small managers who want staffed repair and leasing help behind the softwareFree, then $36.50 a monthits pricing page
12StessaUS landlords who self-manage a few rentals and want the books and rent in one placeFree, then $15 a monthits pricing page
13BaselaneUS landlords who want rent, banking and property books in one accountFree, then $20 a month billed annuallyits pricing page
14InnagoIndependent landlords with a few units who want full software with no monthly billFreeits pricing page
15AvailDo-it-yourself landlords with a handful of units who want one free place to run themFrom $9 a seat a monthits pricing page
16Landlord StudioSelf-managing landlords who want rent, books and tax reports in one appFree, then $15 a monthits pricing page
17Rentec DirectLandlords and small managers wanting per-unit pricing and fee-free rent by bank transferFrom $25 a monthits pricing page
18TurboTenantSelf-managing landlords with 1-50 units who screen tenants and collect rent themselvesFree, then $12.42 a month billed annuallyits pricing page

Checked between 27 October 2026 and 28 October 2026.

18 tools, ranked. How we rank

About this list

18 of 30 landlords who self-manage tools match “Rent payment fees”. Of the rest: 6 on some plans only, 1 no, 5 unknown.

How the landlords who self-manage tools matching “Rent payment fees” differ: only 0 of 18 match “Unit caps”, against 8 of 12 in the rest; and 18 of 18 also match “Rent collected online”, against 5 of 12 in the rest of the category.

The ranking

  1. Best forlandlords who want rent taken from tenants' bank accounts automatically

    Rent payment fees: Yes — The landlord carries the cost of each payment taken from a tenant's bank account, not the tenant: the first tenant is covered by the base monthly fee and each further tenant costs two dollars a month, and the site offers no card option.“ClearNow fees are based on your debit day and are only charged when you attempt to debit a tenant.”Pricing section, opening paragraph · checked 2026-10-27

    Price
    Price not established
    Visit ClearNow ↗Read the reviewGet a quote →
  2. US landlords screening applicants

    Best forUS landlords screening applicants and signing leases without a monthly subscription

    Rent payment fees: Yes — Each rent payment pulled from a tenant's bank account costs $5, and the landlord decides at setup whether the tenant or the landlord carries that fee; card payments are not supported at all.“No, there is no monthly minimum. LeaseRunner charges a $5 fee per ACH payment, regardless of the number of transactions. The fee can be paid by the tenant or covered by the landlord”FAQ, 'Is there a monthly fee or minimum for using LeaseRunner's rent collection service?' · checked 2026-10-27

    Price
    From $17 per applicant · source
    Visit LeaseRunner ↗Read the reviewGet a quote →
  3. A US landlord who manages their own rentals

    Best forA US landlord who manages their own rentals

    Rent payment fees: Yes — A rent payment by bank transfer or cash carries a $1 convenience fee charged to the tenant, cards 3.1% plus $0.30, and the landlord may choose to cover the $1.“Our convenience fee is only $1 for ACH/Cash and the tenant can set up their RentRedi mobile app to automatically pay rent every month.”Help centre article 'RentRedi vs Quickbooks for ACH Payments', fee comparison table and the paragraph below it · checked 2026-10-28

    Price
    From $29.95 a month · source
    Visit RentRedi ↗Read the reviewGet a quote →
  4. A free plan before you pay

    Best forsmall landlords who want free rent collection and expense tracking from a phone

    Rent payment fees: Yes — A rent payment from the tenant's checking account carries no fee for either side, while a card payment adds 3.40% to what the tenant pays.“There is no fee charged to Tenants who pay rent with Tellus from Tenant’s checking account (via the ACH network). Payments by credit/debit card involve a processing fee of 3.40%, which will be added to the amount of the Tenant’s payment.”Rent payment fees paragraph · checked 2026-10-28

    Price
    Free · source
    Visit Tellus ↗Read the reviewGet a quote →
  5. Self-managing landlords with a handful of rentals

    Best forself-managing landlords with a handful of rentals who already advertise on Apartments.com

    Rent payment fees: Yes — A renter paying from a checking account by bank transfer pays nothing, and the landlord pays nothing either; paying by card or Google Pay costs the renter 2.75% of the rent.“Renters can pay for free with their checking account (ACH transfer) when paying rent. Alternatively, renters can pay with a credit card, debit card, or Google Pay for a 2.75% fee.”Help Center article 'Are there any fees with collecting or paying rent on Apartments.com?', second paragraph · checked 2026-10-28

    Price
    Free · source
    Visit Apartments.com Rental Manager ↗Read the reviewGet a quote →

Side by side

Every field, side by side

Scroll sideways to see them all.

FeatureClearNowLeaseRunnerRentRediTellusApartments.com Rental ManagerZillow Rental ManagerDoorLoopRent PerfectRentPostPayRentHemlaneStessaBaselaneInnagoAvailLandlord StudioRentec DirectTurboTenant
DescriptionAutomatic rent debits from tenant bank accounts, deposited to the landlord three banking days later.Pay-per-use tenant screening, state lease templates and rent collection by bank transfer for US landlords.One flat subscription for unlimited units, with a $1 bank-transfer fee the tenant pays by default.Free mobile rental management with rent collection, work orders and expense tracking, funded by a lending business.Free landlord tools bundled with an Apartments.com listing; applicants and card-paying renters carry the costs.Free listing, screening, leases and rent collection for self-managing landlords on Zillow's rental network.AI agents answer tenants, run repairs and renewals inside the same system holding your leases and books.Screening researched by licensed private investigators, plus leases, rent collection and a ledger for small landlords.Trust-accounting property management software for landlords and managers, priced per rental unit.Rent collection app for independent landlords, with payment controls and free rent reporting.Rental management software with optional 24/7 repair coordination and leasing help, priced per unit.Free rental bookkeeping, banking, leasing and rent collection for US residential landlords.Landlord banking, rent collection and bookkeeping for rental property owners in one account.Free rental management software for small landlords, paid for by tenant payment and screening fees.Free all-in-one software for do-it-yourself landlords: listings, screening, leases, rent and repairs.Rental listings, screening, rent collection and landlord bookkeeping in one app, free for up to three units.Property management software for landlords and small managers, priced per unit with free rent payments by bank transfer.US landlord software for posting rentals, screening, leases and online rent, free with renter-paid fees.
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Questions buyers ask

How much do landlords who self-manage tools cost?

The median first paid plan is $23 a month, across the 12 of the 18 that publish a monthly price. They run from $9 to $239.

Which landlords who self-manage tools have a free plan?

10 of the 18 have a free plan.

How current are these figures?

The prices were read 27–28 October 2026.

Sources and method

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