We examined over many websites to determine how simple it is for a landlord to create an appealing and informative rental listing, the number of applications and screening tools they provided, and the costs associated with using those websites. We have compiled a list of the top four rental listing websites that can swiftly fill your properties with eligible renters to assist you in reducing the vacancy losses that you incur.
The Top Four Websites for Listing Rental Properties in 2022
- Best Overall: Manager of Rentals for Zillow
- Best for Screening Prospective Tenants: Apartments.com is your best bet for attracting applicants who meet your qualifications.
- The Best in Terms of Cost Comparisons: Rentometer
- Avail
Zillow Rental Manager
Zillow Rental Manager is currently the best rental listing website due to the sheer volume of information and services. It has the most site traffic and the largest inventory and offers services that take care of everything a landlord needs, from marketing to collecting rent payments.
Pros
- The largest database of over 135 million homes and apartments for rent, for sale, and not currently on the market attracts many eyeballs.
- Built-in tenant screening tools
- Easy to create an informative and attractive listing with images, videos, and amenity details
Cons
- No option to categorize the property into a specific neighborhood
- After the first free listing, the cost to the landlord is $9.99 per week for each additional listing
Avail
Avail's tenant screening process goes above and beyond criminal background checks and credit history, which it also does.
Pros
- More screening reports than other best listing sites
- The tenant pays for the screening reports (Though landlords may elect to cover those costs themselves)
Cons
- No mobile app
- Tenants pay fees on each payment when the landlord is on the free plan.
- Small listing inventory
- A short list of search filters
Avail offers a free unlimited plan for landlords, and its premium plan, Unlimited Plus, costs the landlord $5.00 per unit per month. If the landlord chooses the free plan, the tenant's cost for each bank transfer will be $2.50. A processing charge of 3.5 percent is applied to tenant payments made with a credit or debit card. This price is assessed independently of the subscription plan selected by the landlord.
Apartments.com
Because Apartments.com requires applicants to pay a fee to apply using its mobile app, the website is ideal for drawing in quality applications. Before submitting their application, applicants must carefully examine a listing to ensure that the property's price, size, and rules are suitable for their needs before submitting their application. This presents an advantage to landlords.
Pros
- Many map overlays are available for tenants to pre-qualify their search.
- The website includes condominiums, apartments, single-family homes, and townhouses.
- The mobile app application costs $29.99 plus tax, and users are allowed to submit up to 10 applications in 30 days.
Cons
- Users of the app have reported that the updating and sorting capabilities might sometimes be annoying.
- The listing is distributed over a network of seven more websites by Apartments.com, allowing the landlord to get visibility on other websites such as ForRent.com, ApartmentFinder.com, Apartmenthomeliving.com, Apartamentos.com, and others.
By filling up the amenities list included in the listing profile, landlords have another opportunity to attract the attention of prospective renters on the site. Apartments.com also makes it easy to schedule online tours, submit applications, conduct tenant screenings online (including credit and background checks), sign leases online, and collect rent payments. Renters do not have to pay anything to use either the mobile app or the website to do their property research. Apartments.com's rental listing site requires users to pay a fee to apply, which is why we gave it our highest rating for attracting quality applications. As a result, landlords are receiving fewer applications and waste their time since the applicant has a financial interest in the application process. This is in contrast to listing sites where applicants may apply for free.
Rentometer
Rentometer is the website we believe to be the finest option for locating cost comparables due to its patented technology. This technology compares rent based on the input of many other landlords.
Pros
- Rent comparisons accessible in seconds
- The form that is simple and condensed
- You have no risk in trying it out for a week.
Cons
- No mobile app
- The cost is associated with the majority of the higher-end services.
Rentometer was established in 2012 and provided in-depth rental comparisons throughout the country. The website is used by landlords, real estate brokers, and renters; thus, if a renter types an address located within the vicinity of your property, your listing will show on the page that displays the results.
