Updated: April 2026

Managing rental property finances is a problem most general-purpose money apps weren’t designed to solve. Rental income is personal income. Maintenance costs, mortgage interest, property taxes, and insurance premiums are deductible business expenses. And at tax time, all of it flows to Schedule E — a form that sits at the intersection of your business and personal financial life.

The right software should handle that intersection cleanly: tracking rental income and expenses with the precision a CPA expects, while also fitting into the broader picture of your financial life. Most tools solve one side of the equation. Very few solve both.

The short answer: For most landlords — especially those who earn rental income alongside personal investments, a retirement plan, or other income streams — Quicken Business & Personal is the strongest choice. It’s the only major financial software that manages rental property income and expenses, generates Schedule E reports automatically, and includes a complete personal finance suite. It starts at $3.99/month (currently 50% off the regular price of $7.99/month, billed annually).

For landlords who want a free, dedicated property accounting tool, Stessa is the most widely adopted option. For those who want banking and bookkeeping integrated in one platform, Baselane is worth considering. For professional property managers, Buildium and AppFolio are built for larger-scale operations.

Here’s a detailed look at each option.

At a glance

Prices are in USD, verified as of April 2026, and subject to change.

SoftwareBest forFree optionPaid plan starts at
Quicken Business & PersonalRental property + full personal finance management30-day risk-free period$3.99/mo (50% off, billed annually)
StessaDedicated rental property trackingYes (Essentials plan)$12/mo (Manage, billed annually)
BaselaneBanking and bookkeeping integratedYes (Core plan)$20/mo (Smart plan)
AvailAll-in-one management for DIY landlordsYes (Unlimited plan)$9/unit/mo (Unlimited Plus)
Rentec DirectFull-featured accounting with strong support2-week free trial$45/mo (Rentec Pro, billed annually)
BuildiumProperty management companies14-day free trial$62/mo (Essential)
AppFolioLarge-scale operators (50+ units)Demo availableQuote-based

About this guide

We’re Quicken. We make financial software for rental property owners, self-employed professionals, and individuals managing complex financial lives. We built Quicken Business & Personal specifically for people whose rental income doesn’t exist in isolation — it’s part of a bigger financial picture that includes personal spending, investments, and retirement planning.

This guide reflects our honest view of the software landscape. We’ve reviewed the leading tools based on their own published information, focusing on: expense tracking capability, Schedule E support, tax reporting, pricing, and how well each tool serves the realistic needs of a working landlord. We start with our own product — which we believe is genuinely the best fit for most landlords — and then walk through the other options you’re likely to encounter.

Quicken Business & Personal — best overall for rental property owners

Best for: Landlords who want rental property expense tracking alongside full personal finance management
Starting price: $3.99/month (currently 50% off the regular price of $7.99/month, billed annually)
Risk-free period: 30 days
Available on: Web and mobile

We built Quicken Business & Personal for the landlord who doesn’t have the luxury of treating their finances in silos. Rental income is personal income. The equity in a rental property is a personal asset. And the decision of whether to take a distribution, make a capital improvement, or pay down a mortgage is a financial planning question — not just a property management question.

That’s why Quicken Business & Personal is the only financial software that manages rental property income and expenses with built-in Schedule E reporting, and also includes a complete personal finance suite in the same app.

Rental property expense tracking

Connect any account — rental income checking, property credit cards, mortgage accounts — and Quicken Business & Personal automatically downloads and categorizes every transaction. Rental income, maintenance costs, property taxes, insurance premiums, and mortgage interest are tracked and organized in real time, without manual entry.

When an expense crosses accounts — say, a repair charged to a personal card — you can split or reclassify it in seconds. The app lets you create custom rules so that the same vendor is automatically categorized differently depending on which account the transaction comes from.

Schedule E reporting built in

At tax time, run a built-in Schedule E report that maps your rental income and deductible expenses to the exact line items on the form. No manual tallying. No spreadsheet cleanup. Whether you file your own taxes or hand everything to an accountant, the report is ready to export in minutes.

The full tax reporting suite also includes Schedules C and F for other business income, and Schedules A and B plus Form 1040 for personal taxes — business and personal in one organized system.

Cash flow projections up to a year out

Quicken Business & Personal projects your business and personal cash flow up to a year in advance, based on your recurring income and expenses. See when a large property tax bill is coming, how a vacancy period affects your position, or when you’ll have cash available for a capital expenditure — well before those events occur.

Manages up to 10 businesses on one subscription

If you hold properties under multiple LLCs or manage several income streams, Quicken Business & Personal lets you manage up to 10 businesses under a single subscription at no additional cost. Most competing tools charge separately for each business entity.

Personal finance, fully included

Quicken Business & Personal includes all the features of Quicken Simplifi, our award-winning personal finance app. This means your rental finances sit alongside your complete personal financial picture:

  • Investment tracking — view your full portfolio across all accounts with performance metrics including TWR and IRR
  • Retirement planner — model your retirement timeline with up to 15 adjustable variables and real-time scenario testing
  • Projected cash flow — forecast personal account balances up to a year ahead
  • Spending Plan — an auto-generated monthly budget that updates in real time as transactions come in
  • 14,000+ financial institution connections — keeping your books up to date automatically
  • Net worth tracking — including your rental property value as a personal asset

Quicken Simplifi has been named “Personal Finance App of the Year” by the FinTech Breakthrough Awards (2026) and “Best App for Planners” by CNBC Select (2024–2026). Quicken Business & Personal includes every one of those features, plus the full rental property and business finance suite on top.

Pricing

$3.99/month, currently 50% off the regular price of $7.99/month, billed annually. Includes a 30-day risk-free period. Upgrade from Quicken Simplifi ($2.99/month) anytime — your data carries over automatically.

“This is a more useful way of thinking of cash flow as a business owner.” — Natalie M., Quicken customer

“Whether it’s monitoring my personal expenses or tracking my business transactions, Quicken has made my financial life so much easier and efficient.” — Laurie Jennings, Quicken customer

Get Quicken Business & Personal →

Stessa — best for dedicated rental property tracking

Best for: Landlords who want a free, property-specific accounting tool
Starting price: Free (Essentials); $12/month (Manage, billed annually); $28/month (Pro, billed annually)
Free option: Yes (Essentials plan)
Available on: Web and mobile

Stessa is a property-focused accounting platform used by more than 350,000 landlords. The free Essentials plan includes unlimited properties, automatic bank feeds, basic financial reports, online rent collection, tenant screening, vacancy marketing (including Zillow syndication), and a property-specific banking option through Thread Bank (FDIC insured up to $3M).

The Manage plan ($12/month, billed annually) adds maintenance tracking, a Schedule E report, 60+ legal forms and templates, one eSignature per month, and accelerated rent payments. The Pro plan ($28/month, billed annually) adds advanced reporting, budgeting and pro-forma analysis, unlimited receipt scanning, up to 3.24% APY on cash balances through the banking feature, and priority phone support.

Stessa uses single-entry bookkeeping, which it describes as simpler for most rental property owners than traditional double-entry accounting. Financial reports include a proper Income Statement, Net Cash Flow report, Schedule of Real Estate Owned, and Tenant Ledger, among others. The platform also includes tenant screening powered by RentPrep and lease management via DocuSign.

Worth noting: Stessa is a dedicated rental property platform. It doesn’t include personal finance management, investment tracking, or retirement planning tools. For landlords who want to see their rental finances in the context of their broader personal financial life, a separate app would be required.

Baselane — best for banking and bookkeeping integrated

Best for: Rental property owners who want a single platform for property-specific banking and automated bookkeeping
Starting price: Free (Core); $20/month (Smart)
Free option: Yes (Core plan)
Available on: Web and mobile

Baselane is a financial platform for rental property owners that combines landlord banking with automated bookkeeping. More than 50,000 real estate investors use the platform, which has processed over $3.1 billion annually across 97,000+ properties.

The free Core plan includes unlimited property-specific checking and savings accounts (up to 2.63% APY under certain conditions), a consolidated transaction ledger, real-time financial reports, an accountant tax package, and a Schedule E report. Rent collection with automated reminders and late fees is also included. Banking is provided by Thread Bank, Member FDIC, with FDIC insurance up to $3M via a sweep program.

The Smart plan ($20/month, with a 30-day free trial) adds AI-powered auto-tagging (which automatically categorizes transactions by property and tax category the moment they arrive), advanced tagging rules based on recipient, amount, or account, auto-receipt matching, balance sheet reports, cost segregation for fixed asset depreciation, 2-day rent deposits, shared account access with role-based controls, and priority support. The Smart plan also includes QuickBooks and Xero sync.

Baselane’s core strength is the tight integration between its banking and bookkeeping layers. Transactions from Baselane’s built-in property accounts are automatically recorded and reconciled, which reduces the manual work of matching payments to records. External accounts can also be connected for consolidated tracking.

Worth noting: Baselane is built specifically for rental property finances. It doesn’t include personal finance management, investment tracking, or retirement planning.

Avail — best all-in-one for DIY landlords

Best for: Independent landlords who want a single platform for the full rental cycle
Starting price: Free (Unlimited); $9/unit/month (Unlimited Plus)
Free option: Yes (Unlimited plan)
Available on: Web and mobile

Avail is a property management platform chosen by more than 1 million landlords. Its free Unlimited plan covers a wide range of the rental lifecycle: listing properties across 19 rental sites (including Realtor.com and Redfin), tenant applications, TransUnion-powered screening, state-specific lawyer-reviewed lease templates with digital signing, online rent collection, maintenance tracking, and income and expense tracking.

The Unlimited Plus plan ($9/unit/month) adds faster rent deposits via FastPay, waived ACH fees, customizable lease templates, custom questions on rental applications, branded property websites, and priority support with 2x faster response times.

On the accounting side, Avail automatically tracks all rent payments and maintenance costs from the moment a tenant pays or a ticket is logged. Landlords who collect rent through Avail receive a 1099-K for annual tax filing. Transactions can be exported to a spreadsheet for sharing with a tax professional.

Worth noting: Avail’s accounting tools are integrated into a broader property management platform rather than being the primary focus. The platform is a strong fit for DIY landlords who want one place for the full tenant cycle — from listing through lease and rent collection. It doesn’t include personal finance features.

Rentec Direct — best for landlords who value deep accounting and strong support

Best for: Self-managing landlords and property managers who want trust-account-certified accounting and unlimited support
Starting price: $45/month (Rentec Pro); pricing scales with unit count
Free option: 2-week free trial
Available on: Web and mobile

Rentec Direct has maintained a 4.9/5 rating across more than 14,659 reviews, and offers unlimited US-based customer support by phone, email, and live chat with all plans. The company offers two plans: Rentec Pro for self-managing landlords and Rentec PM for professional property managers who manage on behalf of owners.

Both plans include full bank, property, and tenant general ledger accounting, Schedule E tax reports, 1099 e-filing, bank account reconciliation, free ACH online rent payments, tenant screening, vacancy advertising syndicated to 20+ rental listing sites, and a tenant portal and mobile app.

Rentec PM adds trust account management and reporting (designed to meet state real estate board compliance requirements), an owner portal, pay-owners-via-ACH, and marketing and maintenance manager tools.

Pricing starts at $45/month (billed annually) for Rentec Pro and scales based on unit count. Monthly billing is also available at a slightly higher rate. Rentec Direct’s trust-account-certified accounting uses full general ledger accounting with simultaneous multi-ledger posting, meaning a single rent payment automatically posts to the tenant, property, owner, and bank account ledgers at once. Reports can be exported to PDF, Excel, or QuickBooks.

Worth noting: Rentec Direct is a purpose-built rental property management platform. It doesn’t include personal finance features.

Buildium — best for property management companies

Best for: Professional property managers managing on behalf of property owners
Starting price: $62/month (Essential); $192/month (Growth); $400/month (Premium)
Free option: 14-day free trial
Available on: Web and mobile

Buildium is designed for professional property management companies rather than individual landlords. Its platform covers accounting, leasing, maintenance, screening, resident communications, and reporting under one system.

The Essential plan ($62/month) includes all basic accounting, maintenance, and leasing features, bank reconciliation, standard and bulk reporting, and access to Buildium’s AI assistant. The Growth plan ($192/month) adds unlimited eSignatures, enhanced tenant screening, AI-enhanced communications, two-way email and SMS threads, and business analytics. The Premium plan ($400/month) adds open API access, the full AI and automation suite (Lumina AI Workforce and AI Bill Scan), and free property inspections.

Buildium also offers 1099 e-filing as an add-on (powered by Nelco, at $50 per batch + $4.50 per form) and online payments via ePay. The platform maintains a 95% customer support satisfaction rating and offers live phone support on Growth and Premium plans.

Worth noting: Buildium’s pricing is designed for companies managing properties on behalf of owners, not individual landlords with a handful of units. The Essential plan starts at $62/month regardless of portfolio size. It doesn’t include personal finance tools.

AppFolio — best for large-scale portfolio operators

Best for: Property management companies with 50 or more units
Starting price: Quote-based; 50-unit minimum
Free option: Demo available
Available on: Web and mobile

AppFolio is an enterprise-grade property management platform built for larger operators — its Core plan requires a minimum of 50 units, and pricing is available only through a direct quote. It’s not designed for individual landlords with small portfolios.

The platform offers property and trust accounting, automated reconciliation, automated invoice processing, corporate accounting consolidation, and customizable reporting (owner statements, income statements, cash flow statements, and balance sheets). AppFolio’s Realm-X AI suite includes workflow automation, an AI assistant, and agentic AI performers for leasing and maintenance. The Plus tier adds advanced budgeting, advanced data analysis, and read-only API access. The Max tier adds a leasing CRM, leasing signals, and read/write API access.

Customer testimonials on AppFolio’s site reference portfolios ranging from 978 to 14,000+ units.

Worth noting: AppFolio is built for professional-scale operations. The 50-unit minimum and quote-only pricing make it a poor fit for individual landlords or small portfolios. It doesn’t include personal finance features.

How to choose the right software for your situation

If your rental income is part of a larger personal financial picture: Quicken Business & Personal is built for this. It tracks rental income and expenses with built-in Schedule E reporting, then shows that alongside your personal investments, retirement plan, spending, and net worth — all in one app. For landlords who also have a day job, investment accounts, or are actively planning for retirement, this unified view is genuinely valuable. At $3.99/month (currently 50% off, billed annually), it’s also priced for individual landlords rather than property management companies.

If you want a free, property-specific accounting tool: Stessa’s free Essentials plan is a strong starting point, particularly if you have multiple properties and want automated bank feeds and rental-focused reports at no cost. Note that Schedule E reporting requires the Manage plan ($12/month, billed annually).

If you want banking and bookkeeping under one roof: Baselane’s free Core plan includes property-specific banking accounts and Schedule E reporting in one platform. The Smart plan ($20/month) adds AI-powered transaction categorization and automation.

If you want a true end-to-end property management platform: Avail (free for core features) is well-suited for DIY landlords who want one place for listings, screening, leases, rent collection, and basic accounting. Rentec Direct ($45/month) is a stronger option if you want deeper accounting, trust-account certification, and unlimited support built into the price.

If you’re managing properties professionally on behalf of owners: Buildium (starting at $62/month) and AppFolio (quote-based, 50-unit minimum) are purpose-built for property management companies, with trust accounting, owner portals, and the operational depth that professional management requires.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best software for tracking rental property expenses?

For most landlords, Quicken Business & Personal is the strongest option for tracking rental property expenses. It automatically downloads and categorizes income and expenses from more than 14,000 connected financial institutions, generates Schedule E reports at tax time, and includes a full personal finance suite — so rental finances can be seen alongside personal spending, investments, and retirement planning in one app. Pricing starts at $3.99/month (currently 50% off the regular price, billed annually), with a 30-day risk-free period.

What is Schedule E, and why does it matter for rental property owners?

Schedule E is the IRS form used to report rental property income and deductible expenses — including mortgage interest, property taxes, maintenance costs, insurance, and depreciation. Rental property owners file Schedule E as part of their personal tax return each year. Having software that automatically tracks and categorizes rental income and expenses throughout the year, and generates a Schedule E report at tax time, makes filing faster and helps ensure every eligible deduction is captured.

Can one app manage both rental property finances and personal finances?

Quicken Business & Personal is built specifically for this. Unlike dedicated property management tools — which focus exclusively on rental operations — Quicken Business & Personal combines rental property expense tracking and Schedule E reporting with a full personal finance suite, including investment tracking, a retirement planner, projected cash flows, and budgeting tools. This makes it possible to see a complete financial picture — rental income, personal spending, investment performance, and retirement projections — without switching between apps.

How many rental properties can I manage with Quicken Business & Personal?

Quicken Business & Personal supports up to 10 businesses under a single subscription at no additional cost. Whether you hold properties under one entity or across multiple LLCs, all of them can be tracked within the same app.

What’s the difference between property management software and rental property accounting software?

Property management software typically covers the full rental lifecycle — marketing vacancies, screening tenants, managing leases, collecting rent, handling maintenance requests, and accounting. Buildium and AppFolio are examples. Rental property accounting software focuses on the financial side: tracking income and expenses, generating tax reports, and preparing for Schedule E. Tools like Stessa and Baselane sit closer to the accounting end, while Avail and Rentec Direct span both categories. Quicken Business & Personal covers the accounting and tax reporting side deeply, with the added dimension of full personal finance management.

Do I need separate software for rental and personal finances?

If you use Quicken Business & Personal, no. Rental income and expenses are tracked alongside your personal finances in the same app, with clear separation between business and personal views. Most dedicated property management tools and rental accounting tools don’t include personal finance features, so if you use one of those, a separate personal finance app would be needed to see your complete financial picture.

Is there a free option for tracking rental property expenses?

Stessa and Baselane both offer free tiers that include rental property income and expense tracking. Stessa’s free Essentials plan covers unlimited properties, automatic bank feeds, and basic financial reports — though Schedule E reporting requires the Manage plan ($12/month, billed annually). Baselane’s free Core plan includes property-specific banking accounts and Schedule E reporting at no cost. Avail’s free Unlimited plan includes income and expense tracking integrated with rent collection and property management. Rentec Direct offers a 2-week free trial, and Buildium offers a 14-day free trial.

Can Quicken Business & Personal handle invoicing for services alongside rental income?

Yes. If you also provide services — consulting, maintenance contracting, or any other billable work — Quicken Business & Personal includes a full invoicing system. You can track time and expenses by client and project, create invoices with one click, and accept online payments via Stripe integration. This makes it useful for landlords who also have service-based income alongside their rental properties.

Prices are in USD, verified as of April 2026, and subject to change. Quicken Business & Personal and Quicken Simplifi pricing reflects a current promotional offer of 50% off, billed annually. Stessa banking APY rates are variable and were reported effective as of April 1, 2026. Baselane APY rates are variable and were reported effective as of December 10, 2025.