Stessa, Baselane, and Landlord Studio offer free starting points, while RentRedi and Buildium charge from the first month and focus on wider rental management. Schedule E reporting is free on Baselane Core, and included on Stessa Manage and Landlord Studio Pro at $12 per month billed annually. General accounting tools such as QuickBooks Online, Xero, and Wave suit landlords who want a full ledger, accountant access, and reports beyond rental income.
We compared 8 options for best bookkeeping software for rental properties. Each profile below lists the price, free plan, pros and cons as published by the company.
On this page
Best bookkeeping software for rental properties: comparison table
Swipe the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
| # | Name | Best for | Starting price | Free plan / trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stessa | Free rental accounting with tax reports | $12 per month | Yes | Visit |
| 2 | Baselane | Banking plus bookkeeping for landlords | $20 per month | Yes | Visit |
| 3 | RentRedi | Flat rate rent collection and accounting | $12 per month | No | Visit |
| 4 | Landlord Studio | Mobile first accounting for small portfolios | $12 per month | Yes | Visit |
| 5 | Buildium | Management companies with full accounting | $65 per month | Free trial (14 days) | Visit |
| 6 | QuickBooks Online | General ledger accounting with accountant access | $38 per month | Yes | Visit |
| 7 | Xero | Multi user accounting with no per user fee | $27 per month | No | Visit |
| 8 | Wave | Free ledger for one rental business | $19 per month | Yes | Visit |
The 8 best best bookkeeping software for rental properties, in detail
Stessa
Best for: Free rental accounting with tax reports
Stessa is built for rental owners who want income and expense tracking by property. Essentials is free and includes unlimited properties, automatic bank feeds, basic reports, online rent collection, tenant screening, and maintenance tracking. That free tier suits a landlord with one or two rentals who wants clean monthly numbers and a simple year end summary.
- The Manage plan costs $12 per month billed annually, or $15 per month billed monthly, and adds the Schedule E report, 60 plus legal forms, unlimited l
- Pro costs $28 per month billed annually, or $35 per month billed monthly, and adds unlimited receipt scanning, project expense tracking, budgeting too
- Owners who scan many paper receipts each month will need Pro or a separate receipt workflow.
Pros
- Free Essentials plan covers unlimited properties
- Schedule E report is included on the Manage plan
Cons
- Receipt scanning is limited to 5 per month below Pro
- Advanced reports need the Pro plan at $28 per month billed annually
Baselane
Best for: Banking plus bookkeeping for landlords
Baselane combines landlord banking with bookkeeping, so rent and expenses sit in property specific accounts. Core costs $0 per month and includes unlimited checking and savings accounts, property level tracking, automated rent collection, reminders and late fees, an accountant tax package, and Schedule E reports. Banking services are provided by Thread Bank, Member FDIC, and Baselane states that it is a financial technology company rather than a bank.
- The Smart plan costs $20 per month billed annually and adds 2 day rent deposits instead of 5 days, AI auto tagging across more than 120 categories, ad
- Baselane also offers QuickBooks and Xero sync.
- The limit to weigh is scope, because Baselane does not handle maintenance requests or lease documents, so landlords who need those tools will pair it
Pros
- Core plan is free and includes Schedule E reports
- Unlimited property specific checking and savings accounts
Cons
- Full value needs rental money in Baselane accounts
- No built in maintenance request or lease document workflow
RentRedi
Best for: Flat rate rent collection and accounting
RentRedi charges one flat rate for every feature, which makes budgeting simple as a portfolio grows. The annual plan costs $12 per month billed annually, the 6 month plan costs $20 per month, and the monthly plan costs $29.95 per month. All three terms include the same features, unlimited properties, tenants, and teammates, rent collection, accounting, listings, maintenance tracking, and tenant messaging, plus a 30 day money back guarantee.
- The flat model is the main appeal, because the subscription does not rise when you add a unit.
- Rent collection supports ACH, card, and cash, with AutoPay, reminders, and automatic late fees.
- The accounting side tracks income and expenses and produces reports for tax preparation.
- Screening is charged to the tenant at $39.99, or $49.99 with income verification, and credit reporting costs $5.99 per month.
Pros
- One flat rate covers unlimited properties, tenants, and teammates
- Every billing term includes the full feature set
Cons
- No free plan, so you pay from day one
- Tenant screening costs extra at $39.99 per report, or $49.99 with income verification
Landlord Studio
Best for: Mobile first accounting for small portfolios
Landlord Studio is an accounting first rental app for self managing landlords who work from a phone. GO is free for the first 3 units and includes income and expense tracking, rent collection, listings, tenant screening, receipt scanning, and mileage tracking. That makes it a low risk way to test the workflow on a small portfolio before moving to a subscription.
- Pro starts at $12 per month billed annually, or $15 per month billed monthly, with $1 per extra unit per month on annual billing.
- Pro adds automated bank feeds, advanced reporting, lease tracking, and a one click Schedule E report, plus a two way Xero sync.
- Pro Plus starts at $28 per month billed annually, or $35 per month billed monthly.
- A 14 day free trial of Pro is available with no credit card required.
Pros
- Free GO plan covers the first 3 units
- Pro includes bank feeds, receipt scanning, and a Schedule E report
Cons
- Free GO plan is limited to 3 units
- Bank feeds and Schedule E need the Pro plan
Buildium
Best for: Management companies with full accounting
Buildium is a full property management platform, and its accounting is built for companies that manage rentals for owners. Essential starts at $65 per month and includes basic accounting, maintenance, and leasing, basic communications with an AI assistant, and standard and bulk reporting. Growth starts at $202 per month and adds more customization, reporting automation, enhanced screening, lower cost eSignatures and EFT transactions, and business analytics.
- Premium starts at $420 per month and adds the full AI and automation suite, Open API, free inspections and eSignatures, and first year free incoming E
- The accounting covers bank reconciliation, financial reporting, owner statements, trust accounting, and 1099 e filing through an add on.
- Rent collection supports ACH, cards, and autopay, with resident and owner portals.
- Essential charges $2.35 per incoming EFT transaction, $0.99 per outgoing EFT transaction, and $99 per business bank account setup.
Pros
- Full general ledger accounting with bank reconciliation and owner statements
- Includes leasing, maintenance, screening, and resident portals
Cons
- No free plan and the starting price is high for a single landlord
- Incoming EFT costs $2.35 per transaction on Essential
QuickBooks Online
Best for: General ledger accounting with accountant access
QuickBooks Online is a general accounting platform that many landlords and accountants already know, which makes it easy to hand the books to a professional. The Free plan costs $0 per month, allows 1 user, connects 1 bank, allows 2 invoices per month, and includes a profit and loss report, balance sheet, and account quick report, with no accountant access. Simple Start costs $38 per month and adds automated bookkeeping, invoicing and payments, bill pay, general business reports, and access for 2 accountants.
- Essentials costs $85 per month and adds 3 users, enhanced reports, and time tracking on invoices.
- Plus costs $140 per month and adds 5 users, budgets, project profitability, inventory, and classes and locations.
- Advanced costs $340 per month and adds 25 users, custom permissions, workflow automation, and priority support.
- New customers can get 50 percent off for 3 months instead of a 30 day free trial.
Pros
- Free plan covers basic income and expense tracking
- Accountant access is included on subscription plans
Cons
- Simple Start allows only 1 user
- Rental specific reports such as Schedule E need manual setup or a separate workflow
Xero
Best for: Multi user accounting with no per user fee
Xero is a cloud accounting platform that suits landlords who work with an accountant or a bookkeeper, because every plan includes unlimited users with no per user license fee. Early costs $27 per month and includes quotes, 20 invoices per month, 5 bills per month, bank reconciliation, and a 30 day cash flow forecast. Growing costs $59 per month and removes the invoice and bill caps, adds automatic reconciliation, budgets, and a 60 day forecast.
- Established costs $97 per month and adds multiple currencies, project tracking, expense and mileage claims, international bill payments, and a 180 day
- New customers in the United States can get 80 percent off for the first 3 months on their first organization, then the regular price applies.
- Payroll powered by Gusto is a separate add on at $36 per month plus $6 per person.
- Hubdoc is included in all three plans when connected to a Xero subscription.
Pros
- No per user license fees on any plan
- Unlimited users on Early, Growing, and Established
Cons
- Early caps invoices at 20 per month and bills at 5 per month
- Multi currency, projects, and expense claims need Established at $97 per month
Wave
Best for: Free ledger for one rental business
Wave offers a free double entry ledger that suits a landlord who wants simple books without a monthly fee. Starter costs $0 per month and includes unlimited estimates, invoices, bills, and bookkeeping records, mobile invoicing, and online payments at 2.9 percent plus $0.60 per card transaction, or 3.4 percent plus $0.60 for American Express. Manual bank entry is the trade off on Starter, because automatic bank imports moved to Pro.
- Pro costs $19 per month, or $190 per year, and adds automatic bank import, auto merge and categorization, unlimited receipt capture, automated late pa
- Pro also waives the $0.60 fixed fee on the first 10 card transactions each month.
- Payroll is a separate add on at $40 per month plus $6 per person.
- Wave fits one rental business with low volume, while owners with several businesses should note that Pro is charged per business profile.
Pros
- Starter plan is free with unlimited invoices, estimates, bills, and bookkeeping records
- Pro adds automatic bank imports and unlimited receipt capture
Cons
- Automatic bank imports need Pro at $19 per month
- Pro is charged per business, so two rental businesses need two subscriptions
How we chose
We opened each vendor pricing page on 2026-11-12 and took the starting price from that page, then checked plan pages for free plans, Schedule E reports, bank feeds, receipt limits, and rent collection. We included rental specific tools such as Stessa, Baselane, RentRedi, Landlord Studio, and Buildium, plus general accounting tools such as QuickBooks Online, Xero, and Wave. We left out tools whose pricing was hidden. We did not claim hands on testing, and we did not use third party ratings, awards, or customer counts to rank the tools. Prices change, so check the vendor pricing page in Sources before you subscribe.
What to check before you buy
Check how each tool handles property level tracking, because a single combined ledger makes it hard to see which rental is making money. Check whether Schedule E is included on the plan you would actually buy, and whether receipt scanning, bank feeds, and advanced reports are capped or gated to a higher tier. Check rent collection fees, including ACH fees, card fees, and who pays them, because those fees can exceed the subscription on a small portfolio. Check export options and accountant access, so you can hand data to a tax professional without retyping it. Check whether the price is flat, per unit, or per business, because it rises as you add doors.
| Portfolio size | Best fit on price | Monthly subscription at that size | | 1 to 3 units | Stessa Essentials, Baselane Core, Landlord Studio GO, or Wave Starter | $0 | | 4 to 10 units | RentRedi annual, Landlord Studio Pro, or Stessa Manage | $12 to $19 | | 11 to 50 units | RentRedi annual, Baselane Smart, or Landlord Studio Pro | $12 to $20, plus $1 per extra unit on Landlord Studio Pro | | 51 to 150 units | Buildium Essential or Growth, or a general ledger with a rental tool | $65 to $202 on Buildium, before transaction fees | | Management company | Buildium Growth or Premium, or QuickBooks Online Plus with a rental workflow | $140 to $420, before add ons and fees |
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free bookkeeping software for rental properties?
Stessa Essentials and Baselane Core are the strongest free starting points. Stessa Essentials is free with unlimited properties, bank feeds, basic reports, and rent collection, while Baselane Core is free with property specific banking, bookkeeping, rent collection, and a Schedule E report. Landlord Studio GO is also free for the first 3 units, and Wave Starter is free for one business.
Do I need rental specific software, or will QuickBooks Online work?
QuickBooks Online works when you want a full general ledger, accountant access, and reports beyond rental income, and you are willing to set up classes or locations for each property. Rental tools such as Stessa, Baselane, RentRedi, and Landlord Studio add rent rolls, tenant ledgers, and Schedule E reports with less setup. Many owners use a rental tool daily and export the year end summary to an accountant.
Which tool includes a Schedule E report?
Baselane includes a Schedule E report on its free Core plan. Stessa includes it on Manage at $12 per month billed annually. Landlord Studio includes it on Pro at $12 per month billed annually. RentRedi includes tax reporting in its flat rate plan. QuickBooks Online, Xero, and Wave do not list a built in Schedule E report on their pricing pages, so owners using those tools will need manual categories or a separate tax workflow.
How much should a landlord budget for bookkeeping software each month?
A landlord with 1 to 3 units can start at $0 with Stessa Essentials, Baselane Core, Landlord Studio GO, or Wave Starter. A landlord with 4 to 10 units can expect $12 to $20 per month on RentRedi annual, Landlord Studio Pro, Stessa Manage, or Baselane Smart. A management company should budget $65 to $420 per month on Buildium, plus transaction fees, or $38 to $140 per month on QuickBooks Online, plus add ons.
Can I switch bookkeeping software later without losing my records?
You can switch, but the effort depends on export options and how your data is organized. Before you move, export transaction history, receipts, tenant ledgers, and year end reports, and keep a copy outside the old tool. Check whether the new tool imports CSV files, connects to your bank, and keeps property level history. A free plan or a 14 day trial lets you test the import before you cancel.
Does free rental software really cost nothing?
A free plan can cost $0 in subscription fees, but transaction fees can still apply. Baselane charges $2 per ACH rent payment when it is not a Baselane to Baselane deposit, and card payments carry a 3.49 percent fee. Stessa charges up to $2 per tenant ACH payment unless rent is deposited into a Stessa Cash Management account, and card payments carry a 3 percent fee. Wave charges 2.9 percent plus $0.60 per card payment on Starter.
Sources
- https://www.stessa.com/
- https://www.stessa.com/pricing/
- https://www.baselane.com/
- https://www.baselane.com/pricing
- https://rentredi.com/
- https://rentredi.com/pricing/
- https://www.landlordstudio.com/
- https://www.landlordstudio.com/pricing
- https://www.buildium.com/
- https://www.buildium.com/pricing/
- https://quickbooks.intuit.com/
- https://quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing/
- https://www.xero.com/
- https://www.xero.com/us/pricing/
- https://www.waveapps.com/
- https://www.waveapps.com/pricing
Prices and features were read on each company’s own website in November 2026. They change often, so confirm the current offer on the official site before you sign up or buy.