Buildium vs Rentec Direct

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Our analysts compared Buildium vs Rentec Direct based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Property Management Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Product Basics

Buildium is a cloud-based software that helps approve lease applications, manage payments, update financial records, create bulk emails and announcements and resolve maintenance issues on the go. Users can manage portfolios that include community associations, student housing, affordable housing and residential properties.

It offers accounting, vendor management, maintenance management, analytics and insights, leasing, community association management and more. The vendor also provides a dedicated onboarding team, 24x7 customer support and a 14-day free trial.
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Designed for landlords and property managers, Rentec Direct is a web-based software for property marketing, maintenance and accounting. It helps create customized websites, manage online payments, publish vacancies online and store or share lease agreements, photos and more.

It offers nuanced features for property accounting like trust accounting and 1099-MISC eFiling. The vendor provides a two-week free trial and customizes packages based on the number of units to be managed.
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$55 Monthly
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Tailored to your specific needs
$45 Monthly
Get a free price quote
Tailored to your specific needs
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Windows
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Linux
Android
Chromebook
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Linux
Android
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Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
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24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Work From One Place: Bring every marketing, accounting and management workflow together in a centralized platform. Monitor operations from the unified dashboard. Receive real-time alerts, notifications and updates on potential disruptions. 
  • Streamline Communications: Ensure easy year-end auditing by maintaining transparent communication via role-based portals and recording interactions and documents. 
  • Consolidate Marketing Efforts: Advertise portfolio on multiple channels, personal website and social media. Manage every listing, track prospect information and coordinate showings from the dashboard. 
  • Expedite Turnovers: Keep properties ready-to-rent with on-time rent clearances, maintenance activities and vacancy tasks. Assign associates for each task, track progress and issue work orders to external vendors. 
  • Identify Opportunities: Perform comparative analysis and design business-specific data visualizations to identify threats and drill down on opportunities. 
  • Easy Integrations: Integrate business-specific external software and create unique stacks by leveraging an open API. 
  • Secure Data Storage: All the data is TLS-encrypted with a 2048-bit certificate, signed with SHA-256 and stored in a physical warehouse monitored by Amazon Web Services. 
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  • Improve Portfolio Visibility: Market properties on multiple listing channels and design websites without coding expertise. Create postings and maintain a consistent brand experience across channels using templates. 
  • Minimize Costs: Take more bookings and applications directly from the business website and avoid the costs of third-party listing channels. Club tenant screening cost with the application fee to remove another business expenditure. 
  • Promote Remote Workflows: Offers three different mobile apps for residents, owners and managers to access the platform. Managers can perform remote property inspections via a partnership with zInspector. 
  • Flexible Rent Collection: Tenants can pay rent via debit cards, ACH, bank transfers and credit cards. Charges a 2.75% fee for credit card transactions and delegates it to tenants. Supports cash payments through a partnership with PayNearMe. 
  • Transparent Communications: Improve accountability and perform quick audits by creating a central repository of every document and interaction with tenants, owners and vendors. Track work orders, assign vendors and attach bids and invoices. 
  • Easy Bookkeeping: Leverage unique automations through a trust accounting-certified platform to eliminate triple or more entries for basic transactions. 
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  • Accounting: Track and share owner, vendor and residential accounts and maintain accurate books. 
    • Property Accounting: Record transactions, convert work orders into bills and pay in bulk, automate bank reconciliations, identify discrepancies, and share customized reports. 
    • Company Financials: Capture financial overviews by tracking property-specific transactions alongside miscellaneous income and expenses. 
    • Online Payments: Accept rent, set up recurring transactions, pay bills and automate bookkeeping. Residents can add bank accounts or credit cards through individual portals. 
    • Retail Cash Payments: Leverage partnership with PayNearMe to allow residents to pay rent, dues and other fees in cash at multiple convenience stores like 7-Eleven, Casey’s General Store and more. Automatically update payments on respective ledgers and deposit them into bank accounts within a week. 
    • 1099 eFiling: E-file 1099-MISCs and 1099-NECs forms, mail paper copies to owners and vendors, and automate tax calculation based on year-round incomes. 
  • Business Operations: Streamline communication with owners, vendors and residents from a centralized platform. 
    • Resident Center: Residents can pay rent, set up recurring payments, submit maintenance requests coupled with photos and access important documents via mobile-responsive portals. Offers an announcement board to highlight updates, notifications and alerts from managers. 
    • Owner Portal: Owners can access property-specific financial documents and reports. Managers can control access levels for each owner portal. 
    • Document Storage: Securely store property-related documents, including leases, addendums, expense reports, vendor invoices and more and share with a few clicks. Offers unlimited storage space. 
    • Maintenance Tracking: Track maintenance requests, create work orders, assign preferred vendors and automate recurring maintenance activities. 
    • Property Inspection: Perform inspections on the go using an app powered by Happy Inspector. Choose from several templates to customize reports. Make a to-do list, take notes, and capture pictures and videos. 
    • Renters Insurance: Provide tenants with a fully integrated renter’s insurance solution powered by MSI. Document enrollment information and manage each policy till maturity from the dashboard. 
    • Analytics: Monitor real-time data visualizations, customize reports, compare data with localized industry benchmarks and share analysis with clients and board members. 
  • Marketing and Leasing: Increase digital visibility of the entire portfolio, shortlist suitable prospects and design custom leases. 
    • Rental Listings: Create and syndicate custom property listings on multiple channels, including Apartment List, HotPads, Lovely, MyNewPlace, Trulia, Zillow and Yahoo. 
    • Professional Website: Own and design a personalized property website for prospects to apply for listings. Upload important documents like residents rulebook, floor plans and model leases to create a secure self-service hub for prospects, tenants and owners. 
    • Rental Applications: Choose the best applicants based on personalized parameters through a customizable online rental application form that integrates with the website. Accept any related application fees online. 
    • Showings Coordinator: Leverage the module powered by TenantTurner to automate tour schedules according to set rules. Communicate with prospects via email, texts and SMS. 
    • Tenant Screening: Set custom credit score requirements, run background checks and receive credit score information from TransUnion. 
    • Leasing: Design custom lease templates and autofill data to expedite the process. Prospective tenants can digitally sign documents from remote locations. 
  • Homeowner Association Management: Log, track and report property violations remotely. Automate penalties and consequent bookkeeping. Offers a unified inbox for communication among board members, homeowners and vendors. 
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  • Property Marketing: Fill up vacancies faster, increase inventory visibility and boost occupancy rate with marketing tools: 
    • Customizable Listings: Create personalized listings mentioning amenities and rules and regulations, and automatically syndicate them on industry-leading listing websites like Trulia, Zillow, HotPads and more. 
    • Personal Website: Build a custom website to showcase listings and accept online applications and fees. Customize the website with HTML or CSS coding to promote the brand and company. Free web hosting on vendor servers is included with the Pro and PM plans.
    • Lead Tracking: Track leads and automatically match prospective tenants with vacant units based on their interests and rental preferences. Tenants can save their preferences and get email notifications about suitable vacant properties. 
  • Rental Applications: Choose the best applicants based on personalized parameters with a customizable online rental application form. Accept applications and screening fees online. Store applicants’ data online and notify them upon selection. 
  • Tenant Screening: Identify the best applicants through screening for various parameters like background check, minimum credit score, national eviction searches, SSN validation and more. 
  • E-leasing: Create and store unlimited custom leases with specific clauses and obligations; invite renters to sign them virtually. 
  • Property Maintenance: Receive maintenance requests and assign work orders. Residents automatically receive email notifications upon work completion. Conduct virtual property inspections with the mobile application, powered by ZInspector. 
  • Online Portals: Save time and reduce confusion with a single platform for communication between property managers, owners and residents. The individual portals offer a few extra benefits: 
    • Tenant Portal: Residents can pay rent and ancillary charges, view statements, purchase insurance and submit maintenance requests. They can also receive announcements and notifications via this portal. 
    • Owner Portal: Owners can track property performance, occupancy rates, cash flows and notices. Download statements and reports. 
  • Payment: Receive and pay rent via online bank transfers, credit or debit cards or eChecks. Residents can also directly pay rent via cash by depositing the money at any of the 20,000 cash payment locations provided. They can also set up monthly recurring payment schedules. 
  • Accounting: Review, edit and print ledgers for every property, owner and bank account managed. Electronically file 1099-MISC tax forms with assistance from Nelco Solutions. Save time and reduce human error by automating double or triple entries through the QuickBooks integration. 
  • Reporting: Quickly view, analyze and drill down on specific items with a robust reporting system. Email, print or export reports as PDF or Excel files. 
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Product Ranking

#4

among all
Property Management Software

#15

among all
Property Management Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

86
73
93
71
84
39
69
84
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Platform Capabilities
Leasing
Accounting & Financial Management
Leasing

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Buildium
Rentec Direct
+ Add Product + Add Product
Accounting & Financial Management Business Operations Dashboards And Reporting Leasing Maintenance Marketing Platform Capabilities 93 84 69 98 70 60 99 71 39 84 87 48 81 80 0 25 50 75 100
96%
0%
4%
73%
0%
27%
86%
0%
14%
43%
0%
57%
71%
0%
29%
86%
0%
14%
100%
0%
0%
88%
0%
12%
71%
0%
29%
43%
0%
57%
33%
0%
67%
83%
0%
17%
93%
0%
7%
73%
0%
27%

Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

63%
0%
37%
75%
0%
25%

User Sentiment Summary

Excellent User Sentiment 1604 reviews
Excellent User Sentiment 360 reviews
90%
of users recommend this product

Buildium has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 90% when considering 1604 user reviews from 2 recognized software review sites.

92%
of users recommend this product

Rentec Direct has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 92% when considering 360 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

n/a
4.4 (2)
4.4 (112)
4.5 (4)
n/a
4.62 (179)
4.5 (1492)
4.6 (175)

Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Buildium and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Leasing and Platform Capabilities. Buildium stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award
Leasing Award
Platform Capabilities Award

Rentec Direct stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

End-to-End Software: Buildium is a comprehensive solution that can handle marketing, leasing, maintenance and management workflows of a property management business, according to 88% of users reviewing its features
Accounting: It offers robust and intuitive accounting features, according to 90% of reviews on this aspect.
Resident Experience: All the users who mentioned this element said that the software enhances overall tenant experience via individual communication portals, digital work orders and electronic rent payment.
Intuitive Interface: It has a simple and easy-to-use user interface, according to 80% of reviews on this aspect.
Customer Support: According to 90% of users who reviewed support services, the vendor offers responsive and agile customer support.
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Tenant Portal: Tenants can pay rent and submit maintenance requests online, which can save property managers time and hassle.
QuickBooks Integration: Rentec Direct can be integrated with QuickBooks, which can make accounting easier for property managers.
Good Customer Support: Many users report that Rentec Direct has good customer support, which can be helpful if property managers have any questions or problems.
Customizable: Rentec Direct is customizable, so property managers can tailor it to their specific needs.
Mobile App: Rentec Direct has a mobile app, which can be convenient for property managers who are on the go.
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Commercial Property Management: The software lacks nuanced features for commercial property management, according to 100% reviews on this aspect.
Leasing: Insufficient in-depth leasing customizations are an issue, according to 85% of users who reviewed this element.
Automation: Accounting and maintenance management, according to 100% of reviews on this element.
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Limited Accounting Features: The platform lacks robust accounting functionalities, such as generating a balance sheet or tracking depreciation, which are essential for comprehensive financial management.
Customer Support Challenges: Obtaining timely and effective assistance from Rentec Direct's customer support can be difficult, leading to frustration and delays in resolving issues.
Mobile App Limitations: The mobile app's functionality is restricted compared to the web version, hindering on-the-go property management tasks.
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Buildium helps property owners and managers digitize and streamline every property management workflow. Users prefer the solution because of its end-to-end property management features, ease of use and responsive support suite. Reviewers also mention that residents are fond of the platform’s mobility and prefer paying rent and issuing maintenance requests digitally. However, reviews note that the platform is mainly built for residential properties and lacks nuanced features like complicated lease structures, automatic utility tracking, in-depth CC&R and violation tracking for commercial, student and community properties. Users also have to manually match transactions to bank entries and can’t issue work orders automatically. Considering everything, buildium can get confusing for larger portfolios but is perfect for single landlords and managers to organize and monitor operations from a unified dashboard.

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Stepping into the realm of property management software, Rentec Direct emerges as a prominent contender, capturing the attention of landlords and property managers seeking efficient solutions. User feedback from the past year sheds light on the platform's strengths, weaknesses, and unique attributes, painting a comprehensive picture of its capabilities and suitability for various needs. Rentec Direct receives consistent praise for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive suite of features. The platform simplifies tasks such as rent collection, tenant screening, maintenance requests, and lease management, streamlining operations for property management professionals. Users appreciate the affordability of Rentec Direct, especially when compared to competitors like AppFolio and Buildium, which often come with higher price tags. However, some users have expressed concerns regarding the responsiveness of customer support, highlighting the need for improvement in this area. The ability to access the software from any device with an internet connection is a significant advantage, providing flexibility and convenience for users on the go. Rentec Direct caters to a diverse range of property management needs, making it suitable for both individual landlords and larger property management companies. Its scalability and affordability make it an attractive option for those starting or expanding their portfolios. The platform's comprehensive feature set ensures that users have the tools necessary to manage their properties effectively, from tenant communication to financial tracking. While Rentec Direct may not be the perfect fit for every user, its combination of affordability, user-friendliness, and comprehensive features positions it as a valuable tool for those seeking to optimize their property management processes.

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