Avail Landlord Software Review 2026: The Best Free Option for DIY Landlords?

Avail (now by Realtor.com) is one of the most polished free landlord software platforms available. Acquired by Realtor.com in 2020, it benefits from the backing of a major real estate brand while staying focused on its core audience: independent landlords who manage their own rental properties.

Avail directly competes with TurboTenant for the title of "best free landlord software." Both are excellent — but they have meaningful differences that matter depending on your situation. Here's our honest assessment after extensive testing.

What Is Avail?

Avail is a cloud-based property management platform designed specifically for independent, self-managing landlords. It covers the essentials — listing vacancies, screening tenants, creating lease agreements, collecting rent, tracking maintenance requests, and basic expense tracking.

What sets Avail apart from competitors is its design polish and educational approach. The platform looks and feels modern, guides you through processes with helpful explanations, and offers a substantial library of educational content for first-time landlords. If you're new to being a landlord, Avail's onboarding experience is one of the best in the industry.

Since being acquired by Realtor.com, Avail has integrated with the Realtor.com ecosystem, which gives your listings additional visibility on one of the largest real estate platforms in the country.

Avail Pricing Breakdown (2026)

Avail keeps pricing simple with two tiers:

The free plan has one notable catch: ACH transaction fees. On the free plan, each ACH rent payment costs $2.50 (typically passed to the tenant). On the Pro plan ($7/unit/month), ACH fees are waived. For a landlord with 3 units, the Pro plan costs $21/month — and the waived ACH fees alone save $7.50/month (if tenants pay monthly). Add in expense tracking and rent analysis, and Pro is a good value at 3+ units.

Screening costs for tenants typically run $30-$55 depending on which reports they select (credit, criminal, eviction). On the Pro plan, landlords can choose to cover the screening cost themselves — a nice option if you want to attract more applicants.

Avail Features: What Actually Works

Lease Agreements (⭐ Excellent)

This is where Avail genuinely shines. The platform offers lawyer-reviewed, state-specific lease agreements that you can customize with your own clauses, addendums, and rules. Both parties sign electronically, and everything is stored digitally. The lease templates are comprehensive and regularly updated to comply with changing landlord-tenant laws.

Compared to TurboTenant's lease offering, Avail's templates feel more thorough and professional. For first-time landlords who aren't sure what should be in a lease, Avail's guided process is invaluable — it walks you through each section with explanations of why it matters.

Tenant Screening (⭐ Very Good)

Avail uses TransUnion for screening, offering credit reports, criminal background checks, eviction history, and income verification. Reports are presented in a clean, easy-to-understand format with risk assessments and recommendations.

On the free plan, tenants pay for their own screening ($30-$55 depending on report selection). On Pro, landlords can absorb the cost. The screening is thorough — comparable to what you'd get from standalone services like RentPrep or SmartMove.

Online Rent Collection (⭐ Good)

Tenants set up ACH payments through the platform, with autopay available. Late fees can be automated, and payment history is tracked clearly. The experience is straightforward for both landlords and tenants.

The free plan's $2.50 ACH fee per payment is the main drawback — it's not much, but tenants notice it. TurboTenant offers free ACH on its free plan, which is a competitive advantage. If you're on Avail's free plan with multiple tenants, those fees add up to $30+/month, at which point the $7/unit Pro plan starts making financial sense.

Listing & Marketing (⭐ Good)

Avail syndicates listings to Realtor.com, Trulia, Apartments.com, Zillow, and several other sites. The Realtor.com integration is the unique advantage here — your listing appears on one of the highest-traffic real estate sites in the US, with Avail-branded application links.

The listing builder is clean and easy to use, though the total number of syndication partners is smaller than TurboTenant's 20+ sites. For most markets, Avail's syndication reaches the platforms that matter.

Maintenance Tracking (⭐ Good)

Tenants submit maintenance requests with descriptions and photos through the platform. Landlords can track status, communicate about repairs, and mark requests as complete. It's more polished than TurboTenant's basic maintenance tracking — the interface is cleaner and the photo/communication flow works well.

However, there's no vendor management, automated dispatch, or work order templates. For landlords managing 1-10 units, this is fine — you're probably coordinating repairs yourself or calling your go-to handyman. For anything larger, you'll need more robust tools.

Expense Tracking (⭐ Basic — Pro Only)

The Pro plan includes basic expense tracking — categorize expenses, attach receipts, and generate reports for tax time. It's not full accounting (no P&L statements, no bank sync), but it's better than a spreadsheet. For comprehensive financial tracking, pair Avail with Stessa (free).

Educational Resources (⭐ Excellent)

Avail offers one of the best libraries of landlord education content in the industry. Their guides on lease creation, tenant screening, local laws, and property management best practices are genuinely helpful, especially for new landlords. This is a soft advantage — it won't show up in a feature comparison, but it makes a real difference when you're learning the ropes.

Avail Pros & Cons

Who Should Use Avail

✅ Avail Is Perfect For:

• First-time landlords who want guidance and education alongside their tools
• Design-conscious landlords who want a modern, polished platform
• Landlords who prioritize lease quality — Avail's state-specific templates are top-notch
• DIY landlords with 1-10 units who want everything in one place
• Landlords already using Realtor.com — the integration is seamless
• Anyone tired of managing rentals with spreadsheets and paper leases

❌ Avail Is NOT For:

• Property management companies — no owner portal, no trust accounting, no team features
• Landlords with 20+ units — you'll outgrow it quickly. Look at Hemlane or Buildium
• Anyone who needs serious accounting — pair Avail with Stessa, or upgrade to Buildium
• Landlords focused on listing reach — TurboTenant syndicates to more sites for free
• Commercial property owners — residential only

Avail vs Alternatives

Avail vs TurboTenant: The two most direct competitors. TurboTenant wins on listing syndication breadth and free ACH payments. Avail wins on lease quality, UI design, and educational content. Both are excellent choices — pick TurboTenant if you want the widest listing reach and zero fees, pick Avail if you value design and better lease templates.

Avail vs Hemlane: Hemlane is a hybrid software + services platform that goes much further than Avail — offering repair coordination, tenant placement, and management assistance. If you want more hands-on help managing your rentals, Hemlane is worth the premium. If you're comfortable self-managing and just need good tools, Avail is simpler and cheaper.

Avail vs Innago: Innago is completely free (including ACH payments) and offers more features on its free tier. But Avail has a better interface, stronger lease templates, and the Realtor.com backing. Innago is the better value on paper; Avail is the better experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Avail really free?

The base plan is free with no unit limits, but there are per-transaction costs. ACH rent payments cost $2.50 each on the free plan, and tenant screening fees ($30-$55) are typically paid by the tenant. The Pro plan ($7/unit/month) eliminates ACH fees and adds expense tracking, rent analysis, and next-day deposits.

Who owns Avail?

Avail was acquired by Move, Inc. (the parent company of Realtor.com) in 2020. This gives Avail strong backing and integration with one of the largest real estate platforms in the US. The team has continued to develop the product independently since the acquisition.

Is Avail better than TurboTenant?

They're very close. Avail has better lease templates, a prettier interface, and stronger educational content. TurboTenant has wider listing syndication and free ACH payments. For most landlords, you can't go wrong with either. Try both and pick the one that feels right.

Can I use Avail for commercial properties?

No. Avail is designed exclusively for residential rentals. For commercial properties, look at AppFolio or Rent Manager.

When should I upgrade from Avail to paid software?

Consider upgrading when you hit 10-15 units and need better accounting, when you start managing properties for others (need an owner portal), or when maintenance coordination becomes overwhelming. At that point, look at Hemlane (hybrid software + services), Buildium (professional PM), or DoorLoop (modern mid-market option).

Does Avail have a mobile app?

Avail works well on mobile browsers but doesn't have a dedicated native app as of 2026. The responsive web experience is good enough for most tasks, but a native app would be a welcome addition — especially for maintenance photos and on-the-go rent tracking.