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AI Property Tools

Free property management software, and what tenants pay for it

Checked Oct 24, 2026As of October 2026, 7 tools we track have a free plan for landlords: Innago, Landlord Studio, TurboTenant, Stessa, Avail, Baselane and Hemlane. Landlord Studio's free plan stops at 3 units. The free plans are paid for by fees: tenants pay to send rent online and applicants pay for screening.

The free plans side by side

ToolWhat's freeTenant fees for rent paymentsScreening, who paysLeases / e-sign
Innago logoInnagoFree for landlords at any unit count: no monthly, setup or contract fees. Tenants pay transaction and screening fees.1ACH is $2 per transaction; card is 2.99%. Tenant pays by default; landlord can absorb it.2Credit, criminal and eviction reports at $30-35 per applicant, paid by the applicant by default. Income verification adds $10.3Built-in ESIGN-compliant e-signature, with templates or your own lease. No state-specific lease library.
Landlord Studio logoLandlord StudioGo is free, capped at 3 units and one user, with basic reports and 10 documents.4Online rent and deposits, partial payments, late fees and reminders on all plans. Fees not published.5TransUnion screening report costs landlords $0; the tenant pays.6Electronic signatures and document storage. State-specific leases not confirmed.
TurboTenant logoTurboTenant$0 per month, no fees or contracts. Includes listings, screening and online rent collection.7Free-plan tab: ACH $2, card 3.49%. Pro tab: ACH free, card 3.49%.8TransUnion credit, criminal and eviction checks. Applicant pays $45 or $55 by plan; landlord pays $0.9State-specific lease builder with e-signature; unlimited on Essentials and above. Lease creation isn't listed on the Free plan.
Stessa logoStessaEssentials is free: unlimited properties, bank feeds, basic reports, rent collection, screening. Leases cost $15 each.10No-fee ACH for landlords; cards also supported. Accelerated rent payments on Manage and Pro.11Through RentPrep: credit or background check $29 each, complete package $49, income verification add-on $10.12Attorney-drafted state leases. Essentials $15 each; Manage: unlimited leases, 1 e-signature/month; Pro: 7/month.
Avail logoAvailUnlimited plan: $0 per unit, unlimited units. Tenants pay ACH and card fees.13Free plan: tenant pays $2.50 per bank transfer. Card payments add a 3.5% fee on any plan.14TransUnion credit and background checks, started by the tenant. Price varies by state; tenant or landlord pays.15State-specific, lawyer-reviewed lease templates with digital signing on the free plan.
Baselane logoBaselaneCore is $0/month: banking, bookkeeping, rent collection essentials, tax package and Schedule E reports.16ACH $2 to $5 per payment, waived for deposits into Baselane accounts; card 3.49% charged to tenant. Deposits: 5 business days, 2 on Smart.17Starts at $24.99, listed under tenant fees. Provider and who pays are not stated.18Not documented
Hemlane logoHemlaneStarter is $0: advertising, screening, rental accounting. Rent collection and e-sign start at Basic.19$0 ACH fees on Basic and above; card payments cost 3%; peer-to-peer fee not published.20Credit, criminal/eviction and income checks; $40 total, paid by the tenant.21Basic: lease tracking, document storage, e-sign. Essential adds state-specific leases, amendments and notices.

Is free property management software really free?

For the landlord, often yes. The cost moves to tenants and applicants: a fee each time a tenant pays rent by bank transfer or card, and a screening fee paid by the applicant. Some tools let the landlord absorb those fees instead. The table above lists each tool's fees as its pricing page states them.

What do you give up on a free plan?

Usually the paid add-ons: faster rent deposits, income verification, tax reports such as Schedule E, state-specific lease templates or AI tools. Each tool's page lists its paid plans and what they add, and the pricing page shows what the paid plans cost at your unit count.

Which free plan fits?

  • Innago: Independent landlords who want a free platform and are comfortable with tenants paying payment and screening fees.
  • Landlord Studio: Small landlords starting with 1-3 units who want a free plan and paid tiers as they grow.
  • TurboTenant: Self-managing landlords with 1 to 50 units who want free listings and screening paid by applicants.
  • Stessa: Landlords and real estate investors wanting a free starting plan and flat pricing regardless of property count.
  • Avail: DIY landlords who want free rent collection, listings, screening and leases, and accept tenant-paid payment fees.
  • Baselane: Multi-property investors wanting free banking, bookkeeping and rent collection, plus Schedule E and tax reports.
  • Hemlane: Owners and managers who want free listing and accounting tools, with paid tiers for rent collection and repairs.

Last checked Oct 24, 2026. Every figure links to the page it came from (see Sources). Found something out of date? Tell us. How we pick and rank: methodology.

Sources 21 sources from 7 sites, including innago.com, landlordstudio.com, turbotenant.comShow

Every fact on this page comes from one of these.

  1. Innago is genuinely 100% free for landlords.innago.com/faq
  2. ACH payments incur a $2 transaction fee, and credit/debit card payments incur a 2.99% transaction fee.innago.com/faq
  3. Tenant screening costs between $30-35 per tenant and is charged directly to the applicant by default.innago.com/faq
  4. 3 units only Single user account Standard reports onlylandlordstudio.com/pricing
  5. Collect rent online Included Included Includedlandlordstudio.com/pricing
  6. $0 for landlordslandlordstudio.com
  7. Free Start managing for free No fees or contracts – ever $0/monthturbotenant.com/pricing
  8. $55 Online Rent Payments Bank Transfer (ACH) $2 fee Credit / Debit Card 3.49% feeturbotenant.com/pricing
  9. With TurboTenant the applicant pays $45 or $55 depending on the landlord’s plan, and the landlord pays nothing.turbotenant.com/tenant-screening
  10. Essentials Free For newer investors looking to get organized and accomplish key tasks efficiently.stessa.com/pricing
  11. With a no-fee ACH option for landlords and additional payment methods like credit cards and debit cards also supportedstessa.com/rent-collection
  12. Complete Screening Package $ 49 Order Nowstessa.com/tenant-screening
  13. Unlimited $0/unit Unlimited Units Access basic rental property management tools.avail.co/pricing
  14. With Unlimited (free), tenants pay $2.50 per bank transfer.avail.co/pricing
  15. The cost of tenant screening reports can be covered by the tenant (most common) or the landlord, depending on the landlord’s preference.avail.co/pricing
  16. Yes — Baselane is free to sign up and use Core features for banking, bookkeeping, and rent collection.baselane.com/pricing
  17. ACH payments incur a $2 fee, which landlords can either cover, pass to tenants, or waive by depositing rent into a Baselane checking account.baselane.com/rent-collection
  18. Tenant screening $24.99+baselane.com/pricing
  19. Starter Free forever, no credit card required $0/mohemlane.com/pricing
  20. Rent collection, late fees, financial tracking, $0 ACH feeshemlane.com/pricing
  21. Tenant screening is $40 total, paid by the tenant.hemlane.com/pricing