5 Online Tools for Managing Your Rental Properties Remotely
If you plan to live far from your rental property, either permanently or for a short time, you need to have a plan for remote property management. With the current spread of the coronavirus, property managers are seeking effective ways to manage their rental property from the comfort of their homes.
One effective way to achieve remote management of rental properties is through the use of online-based tools. Online tools for property management give you convenient ways to fill vacancies, collect rent, and communicate with your tenants and owners. Also, not only does it help you reduce running costs, it allows you to achieve real-time control over your property and tenants.
Below is a list of five online tools for managing your rental properties remotely.
- Google Forms
A huge part of being a property manager requires collecting information from tenants. Whether you want to know about customer satisfaction or what time of day is best to remodel the apartment pool, Google Forms is an excellent tool for conducting surveys and collecting data. Besides, with the AppSheet's add-on for Google Forms, you can keep all survey data conveniently in one back-end spreadsheet, eliminating the need for manual survey review.
- VerticalRent
VerticalRent offers a free background check tool and credit checks for prospective tenants, and even more advanced features if you pay a small fee. Using this tool and some basic information about a tenant, you can check for criminal records, view credit reports, check eviction reports, and more – ensuring you only rent to qualified tenants. Property managers can even view information about past employers, public record filings, such as court documents, and payment histories for individual credit accounts.
- TenantCloud
This app is a good solution for property managers looking to manage multiple aspects of their property. Tenants can use it to pay rent online, and property managers can use it to screen applicants, track contractor invoices, and other bills. Above all, it helps to create a seamless communication channel between landlords, property managers, and tenants.
- Landlordology
This handy tool is a free resource for getting fast answers to simple legal issues. Landlordology consists of an extremely helpful up-to-date Interactive State Rental Law Map, which helps property managers keep track of their state(s) landlord-tenant laws.
For each state, Landlordology links to the official rules and regulations and summarizes them into these six categories: security deposit; lease, rent and fees; notices and entry; disclosures and miscellaneous notes; court and legal-related; and business licenses. While we always recommend consulting your counsel for legal matters, Landlordology can be a great online tool for multi-state property managers.
- Keepe
With the current lockdown in the US, property managers may at some point, require the service of a handyman or contractor to handle emergency property repair issues. For rental property repairs, there are few speedy and efficient solutions to get the job done. Online-based solutions such as Keepe are fast, changing how property managers handle maintenance issues. Keepe is an on-demand online maintenance solution for rental property managers. Keepe helps property managers find contractors, obtain estimates, get the work done, and pay for services.
In conclusion,
Embracing the power and convenience of online tools for property management can be a bit intimidating at first. With the right technology in place, you can manage your properties more efficiently than ever before. Whether you're a property owner who wants to self-manage, or an independent property manager, you can use any or all the tools above to manage properties with ease.