If you work in property management, accounting is an important part of the job. You’ll need to track expenses and monitor incoming payments in addition to your other day-to-day activities. There are a few property management solutions that either build in accounting tools or integrate with popular bookkeeping solutions.
- QuickBooks Online: Best for Very Small or New Property Management Companies
- QuickBooks Desktop Pro: Best for Growing Businesses That Want to Use Quickbooks
- Properbooks: Best Standalone Tool with Quickbooks Online Integration
- Buildium: Best All-in-One Software for Smaller Property Management Companies
- Yardi Breeze: Best for Midsize Property Management Companies
- Appfolio: Best for Large Property Management Enterprises
Software | Cost | Core feature | Customer support |
QuickBooks Online | Starts at $15/month | Easy, self-guided setup | Chat and phone support available M-F, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT and Saturday, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT |
QuickBooks Desktop Pro | Starts at $41/month | Advanced inventory | Chat support available M-F, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET; phone support available M-F, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET |
Properbooks | Starts at $25/month | Combines property management with QuickBooks | Phone support available M-F 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
Buildium | Starts at $55/month | All-in-one solution | Phone and ticketing support available M-F, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. with emergency after-hours support available |
Yardi Breeze | Starts at $1/unit | Multi-property management | Live chat and phone support available M-F, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT |
Appfolio | Starts at $1.40/unit | Legal compliance | Support available via chat or support ticket |
6 Best Property Management Accounting Softwares
The right tools can make your life easier as a property manager. Here are some top solutions for managing accounting in your property management business.
QuickBooks Online: Best for Very Small or New Property Management Companies
For smaller businesses and startups, cloud-based solutions tend to work a little better. QuickBooks Online is the internet-based version of an established accounting tool. With QuickBooks Online, you’ll get free guided setup and licensing for up to 25 users, with assisted bookkeeping available for an extra $50 a month.
QuickBooks plans start at $15 a month, but this doesn’t include payroll or automatic time tracking. If your accounting software property management needs include this feature, make sure you include this extra cost when you’re comparison shopping.
pros
- Easy setup
- Affordable basic plan
- Free 30-day trial
cons
- Payroll and time tracking cost extra
- Limited to 25 users
- Large number of features can be overwhelming
QuickBooks Desktop Pro: Best for Growing Businesses That Want to Use Quickbooks
Some businesses need a more robust accounting software property management tool. That’s when QuickBooks Desktop is a better option. You’ll get support for up to 40 users and advanced inventory management features. The reporting tools in QuickBooks Desktop can also drill down to your specific industry, giving you insights into your property management business that you couldn’t get otherwise.
Desktop plans start at $41 a month, but this only includes one user. Monthly plans top out at three users for $130 a month. If you need more, you’ll have to go with the enterprise version, which ranges from $1,830 to $4,400 a year.
pros
- Automates inventory management
- Enterprise version allows up to 40 users
- Detailed reporting options
cons
- Expensive annual pricing
- Setup takes time and tech skills
- Limited integrations
Properbooks: Best Standalone Tool with Quickbooks Online Integration
If you want a streamlined property management software accounting tool, Properbooks is worth a look. The app integrates with your existing QuickBooks account to combine your bookkeeping with all your other property management tasks. You’ll have all your contacts and property information in the same place as your financials.
Properbooks costs only $25 a month for up to five users, but there’s a caveat. Although it works as a standalone app, to make the most of the accounting side of things, you’ll need a QuickBooks Online subscription.
pros
- Easy to set up and use
- Affordable monthly fee
- Includes property and contact management
cons
- QuickBooks Online subscription required for full accounting features
- Limited to five users
- No weekend support
Buildium: Best All-in-One Software for Smaller Property Management Companies
Buildium was founded by two former landlords looking for ways to simplify property management. If you’re on the hunt for property management software for small business use, it’s worth considering. Buildium helps you manage everything from lease applications to maintenance requests to billing and accounts payable. It’s an all-in-one solution that doesn’t require any integrations.
Plans start at $55 a month, and the basic plan includes most of the features you’ll need. To get advanced reporting and live phone support, though, you’ll have to upgrade to a higher-tier plan.
pros
- No integrations required
- Easy to use
- Free trial and demo available
cons
- Phone support not included with lowest pricing tier
- Customer support can be spotty
- Pricier than some other options
Yardi Breeze: Best for Midsize Property Management Companies
For larger property management companies, the best accounting software for property management might be Yardi Breeze. You get all the tools you need in one place, as well as easy integration with your business bank account.
Yardi Breeze’s pricing model sets it apart. Instead of a flat monthly fee, you’ll pay by the rental unit. There are two tiers, priced at either $1 or $2 per unit per month. The higher-priced tier adds on features like online lease documents, invoice approval and processing, and customized financial statements.
pros
- Pricing by the unit
- All-in-one solution
- Allows for multiple property types
cons
- No free trial available
- Steep learning curve
- Limited customer support
Appfolio: Best for Large Property Management Enterprises
Appfolio is among the best property management accounting software options if legal compliance is your priority. The app strives to remain on top of local laws to help keep property managers in line. As with other property management accounting solutions, you’ll get bookkeeping and property management in one package.
Like Yardi Breeze, Appfolio uses a per-unit pricing model, with subscriptions starting at $1.40 for each managed unit per month. Most of the features you need will be in the lower tier, but there is a premium option that offers advanced reporting and better support for $3 per unit per month.
pros
- New features added regularly
- All-in-one solution
- Helps with legal compliance
cons
- Higher price than competitors
- Numerous complaints about customer service
- Steep learning curve
How We Evaluate Property Management Accounting Softwares
For property managers, the right property management accounting tools can make all the difference. You’ll need something that makes it easy to manage your properties while staying on top of your finances at the same time.
The best property management software for small business won’t necessarily translate to the best solution for a midsize or larger operation. Keeping that in mind, we looked at a variety of solutions, making sure to include software that satisfies both of those business models.
In addition to taking an in-depth look at each tool’s features and pricing, we also paid close attention to customer reviews. We often get deep insights into a solutions provider’s support from these reviews. It’s one thing to get you up and running with a property management solution, but you also need to know that you can reach someone when you experience an issue.
FAQs
Can QuickBooks be used for property management?
QuickBooks can be used for the financial aspects of property management. However, you’ll need a separate solution that helps you track your properties, manage work orders, and interact with tenants.