Managing properties is no easy task, and it’s important to stay on top of all facets of property ownership. Whether you’re dealing with property maintenance, finding tenants or collecting payments, rental property management software can be an invaluable tool.
A property management software free trial is the best way to decide which features suit you best. To find out how you can keep track of all your property management needs in one convenient location, read on.
What does property management software do?
Property management software is used to help make managing property simpler. Whether you have one property or several, staying on top of rental payments, keeping up with property maintenance, advertising property availability and managing lease agreements are all important for the smooth running of a property portfolio.
Property management software in Australia can make life easier for landlords, property managers and tenants alike. Functions include the ability to pay and collect rent online, keep track of maintenance requests and ensure any issues are dealt with in a timely fashion.
Free online rental property management software
Rental property management software needs to be capable and scalable. Property management software free trials are a good way to compare the various tool suites on offer.
Below is some of the best free online rental property management software available. We’ve filtered this selection based on a range of criteria, including having a high overall user rating (with a minimum of 100 user reviews), a high search volume, a free trial version and is available for the Australian market.
1. Avail
Overall rating: 4.5/5
Ease of use: 4.3/5
Customer service: 4.5/5
Avail was founded in 2013 and is suitable for first-time landlords, or those with less than ten total properties. Avail allows users to set up online recurring billing to collect rent from their tenants. It includes an autopay feature so that both the landlord and your tenants can set and forget rent payments. Avail also includes features that help landlords find tenants, including advertising rental properties and running credit reports.
Price to upgrade: Avail offers a free version and a free trial. It also offers a premium version, starting at $5 USD per unit per month.
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2. Zoho Creator
Overall rating: 4.3/5
Ease of use: 4/5
Customer service: 4/5
Zoho Creator is a platform that enables property managers to build and run their own custom business apps. The app development process is intended to be simple, so writing code is not necessary. Instead, a drag-and-drop interface helps make tasks, such as building forms, intuitive. Business workflows can be consolidated into a single centralised location and integration with other apps and services (such as Paypal, Twilio, Quickbooks and CRM platforms) is available.
Price to upgrade: Zoho Creator offers a free version and a free trial. A paid version starts at $10 USD per month.
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3. SimplifyEm
Overall rating: 4.2/5
Ease of use: 4.2/5
Customer service: 4.4/5
SimplifyEm was founded in 2007 and features a web-based property management tool suite, aimed at making life less complicated for property managers. Online rental applications, tenant and lease information, rent collection, late notifications and plenty of other useful features are all included. Reporting functionality also makes it easy to track and visualise important figures and values, helping landlords to stay on top of their portfolio activities.
Price to upgrade: SimplifyEm offers a free version and a free trial. A paid version starts at $20 USD per month.
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Landlords vs property managers: Which software is best?
Property owners and property managers have significant overlap in the kind of features that they want, which is why a property management software free trial is useful. Landlords may be more interested in the maintenance aspects of free online rental property management software, while property managers may need a feature suite geared towards finding tenants and collecting rent payments.
Some of the most important features to consider are how many properties you wish to manage and the type of properties you own. Software geared towards residential properties will include useful tenant management tools that are less suitable for property managers and landlords with commercial rental properties, for example. Using a property management software free trial is a great way to help choose the right software before making a financial commitment.
How to choose property management software
When choosing property management software in Australia, it’s a good idea to highlight the key features of the software you are looking at. For example, making sure it’s cloud-based so that you and your tenants all have access to the same tools, no matter where you are in the world. This is particularly useful during the coronavirus pandemic when many people are staying home and working remotely.
Take the time to read real-user reviews of software. Seeing what people think and where its key strengths lie can help you determine whether it’s suitable for your needs. Always be sure to read a mixture of reviews where possible, and try to average out the user scores to arrive at a fair estimation.
Be sure to make use of property management software free trials before buying any tool. Free trials are very useful as they allow you to get a feel for a piece of software and to get an idea of how you would integrate it into your workflow. Many free rental property management software versions will contain most of the features you will need, giving you a good indication of the benefits of that software, as well as what you would gain from upgrading to a paid model.
Streamline property management through software
Property management can be time-consuming and complicated, but using the right property management software can smooth things considerably. Cloud-based property management software not only makes your life easier but also that of your tenants and maintenance personnel.
Rather than trying to keep track of everything in your head or in files that only you have access to, having everything available in a virtual location can make massive savings in time as well as cost.
Tool selection methodology:
Capterra chose tools for scheduling software based on the following criteria:
- At least 100 real-user reviews on the Capterra website
- A high search volume (using SEO tools) in Australia
- At least an overview rating of 4 / 5 stars
- Offers a free trial
- Cloud-based
- An Australian market.
This article may refer to products, programs or services that are not available in your country, or that may be restricted under the laws or regulations of your country. We suggest that you consult the software provider directly for information regarding product availability and compliance with local laws.
