Avail (owned by Realtor.com) has built a reputation as one of the more complete free-to-start landlord software options for owners self-managing a small handful of units. We looked at what it actually does well, where it falls short of property-management-grade software like Buildium, and who it’s genuinely the right fit for.
What Avail Actually Covers
Avail bundles the core landlord workflow into one platform: rental listing syndication (to Realtor.com, Zillow, and other major listing sites), online rental applications with tenant screening (credit, criminal, and eviction reports), state-specific lease templates with e-signature, online rent collection with ACH and card payment options, and basic maintenance request tracking. For a self-managing landlord with a handful of units, that’s most of the actual admin work covered in one login instead of five separate tools stitched together.
Rental Listing and Tenant Screening
The syndication to Realtor.com and Zillow is a genuine time-saver — you post once and the listing propagates to the major sites renters actually search, rather than manually re-posting to each platform. Screening reports pull from a real credit bureau and are typically ready within a day, and Avail structures the cost so the applicant pays the screening fee directly rather than the landlord fronting it, which is a meaningful convenience for a self-managing owner running several applications a month.
Rent Collection
Rent collection supports ACH bank transfer (the cheaper, standard option) and card payments (which typically carry a processing fee, usually passed to the tenant or landlord depending on how it’s configured). Landlords get a dashboard view of payment status across units, automated late-fee assessment, and payment history that’s useful at tax time. It’s not real-time accounting software, but for the actual job of “did rent come in and how much,” it does the job cleanly.
Lease Templates and Compliance
Avail provides state-specific lease templates built to reflect the landlord-tenant law of the property’s state, which matters more than it sounds — using a generic lease template across state lines is a common way self-managing landlords end up with unenforceable clauses. E-signature support means the whole application-to-signed-lease flow happens without printing anything, which is the kind of small friction removal that actually gets used consistently rather than skipped under time pressure.
Pricing
Avail’s core plan is free and covers listing, applications, screening (paid per-report by the applicant), rent collection, and basic maintenance tracking. The paid “Unlimited Plus” tier adds features like faster rent deposits, a rental analysis report, and lease-specific add-ons, priced around $5-$10 per unit per month depending on current promotions — always confirm current pricing directly on Avail’s site since landlord-software pricing tiers shift periodically.
Where It Falls Short
Avail is built for self-managing landlords with a small portfolio, not property managers running dozens of units across multiple owners. It lacks the full accounting depth (a general ledger, owner statements, trust accounting) that platforms like Buildium or AppFolio are built around, and its maintenance tracking is closer to “a request log” than a full vendor-dispatch and work-order system. If you’re managing property for other owners as a business, you’ll outgrow Avail’s model quickly.
Comparison Table
| Platform | Best For | Accounting Depth | Free Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avail | Self-managing landlords, 1-20 units | Basic | Yes, core features |
| TurboTenant | Self-managing landlords, similar niche | Basic | Yes, core features |
| Buildium | Professional property managers | Full (trust accounting, GL) | No, paid only |
| Rentec Direct | Mid-size portfolios, some PM firms | Full | No, paid only |
Common Mistakes
- Choosing Avail (or any self-managing tool) once you’re managing units for other owners. Trust accounting and owner-statement requirements typically demand full property-management software, not a landlord tool.
- Skipping the state-specific lease template in favor of a generic one you already had. Landlord-tenant law varies meaningfully by state — a mismatched lease clause can be unenforceable exactly when you need it most.
- Not verifying current per-unit pricing before assuming it’s free. The core plan is genuinely free, but confirm which specific features you need actually live in the free tier versus Unlimited Plus.
- Treating the maintenance log as a full work-order system. It tracks requests, not vendor dispatch or job costing — for a portfolio with regular maintenance needs, you may still want a dedicated tool alongside it.
FAQ
Is Avail actually free, or is that a trial?
The core plan (listing, applications, screening, rent collection) is a genuinely free ongoing tier, not a time-limited trial — the paid tier adds specific extras rather than gating the basics.
Who pays for tenant screening reports?
The applicant typically pays the screening fee directly during the application process, not the landlord.
Can I use Avail for units in multiple states?
Yes — the lease templates are generated per-property based on the property’s state, so a multi-state portfolio isn’t a blocker.
Does Avail integrate with accounting software like QuickBooks?
Avail’s own reporting covers basic rent-collection history, but it isn’t built as a full accounting system — for portfolio-level bookkeeping, most owners still export data to or reconcile against dedicated accounting software.
The Verdict
Avail is one of the strongest free options for a landlord self-managing a small number of units — the listing syndication and built-in screening alone save real time over a manual, spreadsheet-and-email workflow. It’s not a substitute for property-management-grade software once you’re managing for other owners or running a portfolio large enough to need trust accounting, but for its actual target user, it covers the core job well without a subscription requirement to get started.
