Property Management Maintenance Software for Small Landlords

Property management maintenance software turns a text or phone call about a leak into a tracked request with photos, a work order for whoever fixes it, and a record of the cost. For a landlord with a handful of units, the free and low-cost tools below cover most of it. This page compares maintenance features only; for everything else, see the free property management software guide.

How maintenance software works

The entry step is where software cannot help you with the law. In Arizona, a tenant's repair request "constitutes permission from the tenant for the landlord to enter the dwelling unit" for that job (A.R.S. 33-1343); in Washington, you still need "at least two days' written notice" unless it is an emergency (RCW 59.18.150). Check the rule in your state's lease agreement page.

Maintenance software for property management, compared

From each company's pricing or maintenance page, read November 2, 2026. "Free plan?" means maintenance requests are listed on a $0 plan. RentRedi has one paid plan with all features. Prices change; check before signing up.

What maintenance costs at 1 to 5 units

Monthly software or service price only, before payment processing or screening fees. Hemlane's figure includes its repair coordination service.

For most small landlords the free and low-cost plans do the job: the difference between them is mostly whether tenants can send photos, whether you can hand a request to a vendor, and whether repair costs flow into your books. Paying for coordination makes sense when you cannot take the calls yourself.

Property management work order software: what to look for

What the software tracks, by vendor

• TenantCloud: a dashboard to "view progress, track maintenance costs, and resolve issues quickly," and records of "invoices, payments, status, and receipts" (TenantCloud).
• Innago: a mobile view to "Receive and respond to requests from anywhere" (Innago).
• RentRedi: "Customizable maintenance workflows for every property you own" with a ticketing system (RentRedi).
• DoorLoop: one calendar for "move-ins, move-outs, tasks, and work orders" (DoorLoop).
• TurboTenant: online condition reports in its plan comparison (TurboTenant), useful as the move-in record.
• Buildium: task and work order management, maintenance projects, reports and billing (Buildium).

Your repair duties come from state law, not the app

Software organizes the work; the duty to do it is set by statute. Arizona and North Carolina use the same words: the landlord must "Make all repairs and do whatever is necessary to put and keep the premises in a fit and habitable condition" (A.R.S. 33-1324; N.C. Gen. Stat. 42-42), and Arizona adds keeping electrical, plumbing, heating and air-conditioning "in good and safe working order and condition." Washington requires the landlord to "keep the premises fit for human habitation" throughout the tenancy (RCW 59.18.060). A request log with dates is your best evidence that you responded.

Maintenance fees Illinois bans from 2027

For Illinois leases signed after January 1, 2027 (except owner-occupied buildings of 6 units or fewer, 705/35(e)), a landlord may not charge a fee for any of these (765 ILCS 705/35(c)):

• "A fee or fine for after-hours requests for maintenance service."
• A fee for contacting the owner or manager about repairs, or for calling a maintenance hotline (705/35(c)(6) and (c)(8)).
• "A fee or fine for the routine maintenance and upkeep of the unit."
• A travel fee for needed maintenance or safety repairs (705/35(c)(7)).
• Pest removal where the tenant "has in no way contributed to the infestation."

If a software plan or service passes such charges to tenants, turn them off for Illinois units. See the Illinois lease agreement template for the rest of the 2027 fee rules.

Property management inspection software

Move-in and move-out inspections are maintenance records too. Buildium sells inspections as an add-on on Essential, listed as "$99 setup fee. $40-$95 monthly fee," and on Growth "All fees Included. *After 3 years, $0.40 per unit" (Buildium). TenantCloud adds move-in and move-out inspections on its Growth plan (TenantCloud). A free alternative is our printable move-in and move-out checklist, which several states require in writing.

Repair coordination services vs software

Some tools sell a service on top of the software. Hemlane's Essential plan adds "End-to-end repair coordination with 24/7 emergency support" at $20 a unit plus a $28 platform fee (Hemlane), with invoicing "with no markups". TurboTenant lists vendor sourcing and repair coordination with no markups among its services rather than as a software plan feature (TurboTenant), and RentRedi offers "nationwide, on-demand repair services" (RentRedi). These save time if you live far from the property; if you have reliable local trades, plain request tracking is enough.

Yearly maintenance software cost at 1, 5, 10 and 20 units

Computed from each pricing page, read November 2, 2026: Landlord Studio Pro $15 a month for 3 units plus $1.20 per extra unit; Hemlane Essential $20 a unit plus a $28 platform fee each month; Buildium Essential starting at $65 a month; DoorLoop One $2.50 a unit with a $199 minimum billed yearly, or $3.00 a unit with a $239 minimum billed monthly. AppFolio Core needs at least 50 units, so it is not in this range.

Up to 20 units, the free plans and Landlord Studio Pro cost $424.80 a year or less. Hemlane costs more because it includes a person coordinating repairs; at 20 units that is $5,136 a year. DoorLoop's minimum means the same $2,388 a year (billed yearly) whether you have 1 unit or 20.

From request to paid bill: the full workflow

1. Request. The tenant reports the problem in the app with photos (Avail lists "Photo uploads and workflows"; RentRedi also takes video).
2. Diagnose. You, or a service, decide what is wrong. Hemlane's Essential plan lists "Automatic diagnosis and troubleshooting of repairs" (Hemlane).
3. Assign. Send a work order to yourself or a vendor; DoorLoop gives vendors a portal to post updates.
4. Enter. Give the entry notice your state requires, unless the request itself counts as permission.
5. Close and pay. Record the invoice and payment against the property. TenantCloud tracks invoices, payments, status and receipts; Buildium lists maintenance billing; AppFolio Plus lists "Maintenance Scheduling & Automated Billing".

The last step matters most at tax time: a paid bill tied to a property becomes a repair expense on Schedule E without re-entering it.

Who should not pick each tool

• Avail or Innago free plans: skip them if you need someone else to take repair calls; they track requests but do not send a coordinator.
• Hemlane Essential: not worth $1,536 a year at 5 units if you already have trusted trades and answer your own phone. Its Complete plan, at $58 a unit plus the platform fee, adds full management assistance.
• DoorLoop: its minimum, $2,388 a year billed yearly, makes it costly below about 80 units for maintenance alone.
• AppFolio: not for anyone under 50 units.
• Landlord Studio Pro Plus ($35 a month): the extra cost buys more users and bank feed accounts, not more maintenance features; Go and Pro already include maintenance management.

Questions to ask before choosing

1. Can tenants attach photos or video to a request?
2. Can I send a work order to my own plumber, and can they update it?
3. Are repair costs recorded against the property for Schedule E?
4. Is maintenance on the free plan, or only on a paid tier?
5. If the vendor offers coordination, what does it add per unit, and does it mark up invoices?

Compare total costs on landlord software pricing, and keep repair receipts for the year-end rental tax filing.