No matter how many rental properties you own, there’s one thing every landlord can agree on: nobody wants an empty unit. Vacant rentals mean lost income and higher chances of break-ins and property damage. But finding new tenants takes valuable time and effort.
That’s where Zillow Rental Manager comes in. Designed to help landlords handle key aspects of property management, this software offers rental advertising, leasing, and application capabilities to fill vacancies quickly. But is Zillow Rental Manager right for you?
If you’re considering signing up for Zillow Rental Manager, you’ve come to the right place. In this review, we’ll go over the features, costs, and best use scenarios. Keep reading to find out whether you should give Zillow Rental Manager a try.
What is Zillow Rental Manager?
Part of the Zillow real estate marketplace, Zillow Rental Manager is property management software that helps landlords and property managers oversee their rentals. The software integrates with one of the most popular rental listing platforms, enabling landlords to reach the largest possible audience.
Notably, Zillow Rental Manager offers all of its core property management tools for free. Certain features are available as add-ons for an extra cost, but these options make Zillow Rental Manager an excellent choice for landlords on a tight budget.
Still, Zillow Rental Manager does have its drawbacks. The program lacks certain features that other property management software provides, so it won’t be the perfect fit for every landlord. We’ll take a closer look at those services next.
Reviewing Zillow Rental Manager’s Features
Zillow Rental Manager focuses on the front end of the property management process, and most of its features are related to filling vacant rentals. Here’s what you should know:
Rental Advertising
Landlords can expect especially strong rental advertising from Zillow Rental Marketplace, given its widespread popularity. Zillow bills itself as the #1 most-visited rental advertising site, and also syndicates listings across platforms like Redfin and Realtor.com to expand your reach.
If you’re looking to list a vacant rental, you can choose from several different advertising tiers. The free Base package gets you basic advertising, while the Enhanced, Premium, and Signature tiers incur additional costs for broader exposure.
However, Zillow’s popularity can be a double-edged sword. Some landlords have reported being overwhelmed with low-interest leads and inquiries from unqualified renters, even with the paid advertising packages. So, you may want to proceed with caution when scheduling rental showings.
Rental Applications
Zillow Rental Manager lets tenants apply to rent directly from your Zillow property listing. This feature encourages tenants to submit applications quickly, speeding up the process of filling your vacant rental. You can then view applications from your own Zillow account.
You can customize application forms to include specific questions, and Zillow also provides modifications to ensure compliance with local laws. Though landlords can use the rental application tool for free, tenants must pay $35 to cover screening costs (more on that later).
Again, Zillow’s popularity can both help and hinder you here. Landlords complain that unqualified tenants often apply, which can create headaches if your city or state requires you to send rejection letters. Otherwise, this might not be the biggest deal, but it’s still worth noting.
Tenant Screening
During the application process, you should always conduct tenant screenings to ensure you only rent to reliable, trustworthy individuals. To that end, Zillow Rental Manager partners with Experian to provide landlords with credit, background, and eviction reports.
Since your applicant will pay the screening fee, you can receive these reports for free. As a bonus for renters, Zillow Rental Manager only runs a soft credit check, which does not negatively impact applicants’ credit scores.
With that said, Zillow Rental Manager’s screening reports tend to be on the basic side. Perhaps even more concerning, other users have noted that the screening reports are not always accurate, so you may have to proceed with caution or conduct tenant screenings through an outside service.
Lease Agreement Generation
When you’ve found a great tenant and are ready to sign a new lease, Zillow Rental Manager makes it easy. You can create and customize a lease using the program’s state-specific lease templates, which Zillow’s legal team reviews for compliance.
Landlords and tenants can also e-sign leases through Zillow Rental Manager for added convenience. Leases and other documents are stored automatically in Zillow, so you can access your agreement online at any time.
Notably, Zillow offers state-specific, lawyer-reviewed leases for less than 40 states at the time of writing. So, for instance, New York landlords may have to look elsewhere. This can be a significant downside for anyone relying on property management software for leasing.
Maintenance Coordination
Conducting both routine and urgent property maintenance can be a big hassle for landlords. Many property management programs provide maintenance coordination to help landlords stay on top of these chores, but unfortunately, Zillow does not offer this service.
Though landlords can communicate with tenants through Zillow Rental Manager, tenants cannot file maintenance requests. Instead, they’ll have to reach out directly to their landlord, who must then assess the issue, hire contractors, and schedule repairs outside of the program.
Many users note that this is one of Zillow’s most significant drawbacks. Landlords have to either handle repairs the old-fashioned way or use another program to stay on top of maintenance. If you hope to be more hands-off about property management, this might be a dealbreaker.
Rent Collection
Zillow’s online rent collection portal provides a simple, secure payment option for landlords and tenants. Tenants can pay via ACH direct deposit, credit, or debit card, and Zillow sends tenants automatic payment reminders, so you don’t have to chase down payments.
Unlike many other property management programs, Zillow does not charge tenants an extra fee for direct deposit, though credit or debit card payments incur a nominal fee. Landlords, meanwhile, can benefit from payment tracking and quick access to 1099s during tax season.
Despite the convenience of Zillow’s rent collection feature, some users have noted that the program can take between 7 and 10 days to deposit payments. Landlords who need quick turnarounds (to make mortgage payments, for example) may get impatient with the delay.
Accounting & Bookkeeping
To keep close track of all money in and out of your rental properties, you’ll need detailed accounting methods that you can rely on. Unfortunately, however, Zillow Rental Manager does not offer accounting or bookkeeping tools for landlords.
If you use accounting spreadsheets or manage your finances elsewhere, this may not seem like a big issue. But without integrated bookkeeping, you’ll need to switch between programs to keep up with rent payments and expenses, which can lead to costly errors.
For anyone seeking a proper, all-in-one management program, this could be a significant factor to consider. Because you can’t handle every aspect of property management in one place, you may end up spending more money on multiple programs.
Mobile App/Compatibility
Zillow Rental Manager offers a free mobile app for both Android and iOS devices, with full compatibility across all operating systems. Both tenants and landlords can use the mobile app to make rent payments, sign leases, and more while on the go.
Users have given the app more than 4 stars on both the App Store and Google Play, noting its user-friendly interface and intuitive design. Most of Zillow’s key features are available on mobile, so you don’t have to juggle different devices.
If you want to collect rent and sign leases from anywhere in the world, Zillow Rental Manager could be a good choice. Sure, you’ll need to take a more DIY approach to property maintenance and accounting, but the tradeoff may be worthwhile depending on your priorities.
Zillow Rental Manager Pricing
Zillow Rental Manager’s pricing differs from that of other property management software, which typically offers multiple membership tiers.
Zillow allows landlords to use its rental advertising, screening, leasing, and online rent collection tools for free, with a few extra services only available as paid add-ons.
Naturally, this makes Zillow Rental Manager one of the most affordable property management software available. For comparison, here’s how it stacks up against other software:
- TurboTenant: Starts free, paid memberships from $9.92 per month
- Buildium: From $62 per month
- Avail: Starts free, paid memberships from $9 per unit
- Hemlane: Starts free, paid memberships from $30 per month
- TenantCloud: From $16.50 per month
Pricing for Premium Add-On Features
Zillow Rental Manager charges extra for extended advertising reach and services such as tenant placement assistance. While these add-ons can help you reduce vacancy rates and improve occupancy, they can be costly.
- Premium listing: Flat fee of $39.99 per unit for 90 days
- Advanced tenant placement: 50% of the first month’s rent once a new tenant signs a lease
In addition to these fees, tenants are responsible for paying screening fees and additional processing fees if they pay rent via credit or debit card. You’ll have to weigh the pros and cons of Zillow Rental Manager to determine whether you want to proceed with these costs.
Who Zillow Rental Manager is for
Considering its features and costs, Zillow Rental Manager will generally be better for some landlords and property managers than others. Here’s who would find the program the most useful:
- Budget-conscious landlords
- Landlords who only want assistance with a few parts of the rental process, including advertising and applications
- Landlords who prioritize mobile property management
Since Zillow Rental Manager focuses on securing a new tenant, landlords who need assistance with rental advertising and leasing will get plenty of use out of the program. And because Zillow Rental Manager is free to use, it’s easy and cost-efficient to get started.
Who Zillow Rental Manager isn’t for
As we’ve discussed, Zillow does lack certain features that property managers and landlords would need, so you may not want to use this program if you fall into one of the following categories:
- Landlords who need assistance with maintenance requests
- Landlords who need integrated bookkeeping and financial tracking
- Landlords who want to be more hands-off
- Landlords seeking an all-in-one property management solution
Despite Zillow Rental Manager’s upsides, it’s far from comprehensive, requiring landlords to use other software to meet all of their needs. In particular, the lack of accounting tools is a major inconvenience, since this is one of the most critical aspects of property management.
Is Zillow Rental Manager for you?
Zillow Rental Manager can be a fantastic, budget-friendly option for landlords looking to reduce property vacancy time and secure new tenants. However, it does lack maintenance coordination and accounting, so it won’t be the right choice for everyone.
If you’re dealing with extended rental vacancies and want to give Zillow Rental Manager a try, you can get started for free. However, you’ll have to pay extra for specific features, including improved advertising reach.
There are plenty of other property management software solutions that can help you with all aspects of the rental management process from start to finish. If you’re interested in an all-in-one program, read up on options like TurboTenant, TenantCloud, and more.
FAQs: Zillow Rental Manager Review
Is Zillow Rental Manager legit?
Yes, Zillow Rental Manager is a legitimate property management software run by the Zillow real estate marketplace. The program offers rental advertising, applications, leasing, and online rent collection to help landlords secure new tenants and reduce property vacancy rates.
Does Zillow Rental Manager do a hard credit check?
No, Zillow Rental Manager does not run a hard credit check. Instead, Zillow partners with Experian to conduct a “soft pull,” enabling landlords to obtain important information about a potential tenant’s credit history without affecting the applicant’s credit score.
Does Zillow Rental Manager have a free version?
Yes, most of Zillow Rental Manager’s features are free for landlords to use. Zillow Rental Manager does not offer paid memberships, but landlords can invest in specific add-ons, such as expanded rental advertising packages and tenant placement assistance.