Small landlords don’t need “enterprise.” You need clear records, fast rent collection, easy leases, and maintenance that doesn’t eat your evenings. This quick comparison shows where the popular all-in-one tools shine—and why RentMouse is the best fit if you manage a handful of doors (especially in Canada).
TL;DR (the buyer’s shortcut)
If you’re in Canada and want provincial-friendly workflows and simple per-unit pricing, choose RentMouse.
If you only need free U.S. rent collection and listings, Apartments.com Rental Manager is strong (owners pay $0; tenants pay card fees).
If you want “one price, unlimited units” and you’re okay with a U.S.-centric stack, look at RentRedi.
If you want a low entry price with broad features, TenantCloud starts from ~$18/month and now supports multi-currency (incl. CAD) accounting.
If you run a professional management company, Buildium is excellent—but priced and sized for larger portfolios.
The “essentials” every 1–10-unit landlord needs
Unified dashboard: property → unit → tenant → files
Online rent + receipts with clear ledgers
Applications & screening (simple, consistent)
Digital leases & e-sign (with renewals and version history)
Maintenance tickets with photos, statuses, and vendor notes
Exports for year-end (so tax time isn’t painful)
RentMouse was designed to make these basics obvious and fast for small portfolios—without burying you in pro-only features you won’t use.
Quick comparison: property & tenant management
Task | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rent collection | Online pay + receipts, landlord-friendly setup | Free for owners; renters pay 2.75% on cards, ACH $0; solid payment status UI. | Online rent in mobile & web; unlimited units on all plans. | Online payments on paid tiers. | Pro-grade payments with broader accounting stack. |
Applications & screening | Streamlined, consistent criteria | Customizable apps + TransUnion screening. | Built-in apps & screening. | Apps + showings tools; recent listing integrations. | Deep, team-oriented workflows. |
Leases & e-sign | Canada-first workflows and renewals | Drafting in-tool; U.S. state resources hub. | E-sign supported. | E-sign on paid tiers. | Robust—aimed at PM firms. |
Maintenance | Tenant tickets w/ photos + status trail | Strong ticketing and comms. | Premium maintenance concierge available. | Full ticketing; frequent feature updates. | Mobile inspections & workflows. |
Canada fit | Built for Canadian landlords | Canada help centers exist; U.S. focus overall. | U.S.-centric; widely used by small landlords. | Multi-currency includes CAD (good for accounting). | U.S.-centric pricing & scale. |
Typical price | Simple, unit-based (small portfolio friendly) | $0 owner fee to collect rent; tenant card fees apply. | $12–$29.95/mo, unlimited units. | From $18/mo. | From ~$55+/mo; designed for larger portfolios. |
What this means for you:
If you manage a duplex or a handful of condos—especially in Canada—RentMouse gives you the right-sized toolkit and pricing, without forcing you into U.S. forms, U.S. fee structures, or bloated “manager-of-managers” software.
Why landlords switch to RentMouse
1) Canada-first peace of mind
Most big suites are U.S.-centric (leases, taxes, wording). RentMouse is built with Canadian landlords and provincial workflows in mind, so your exports and docs make more sense at year-end and renewal time.
2) Cleaner rent + receipts(without hoops)
You and your tenants get a straightforward portal: pay, see history, download receipts—done. (Contrast: some U.S. tools are free for owners but offload fees to tenants, which can create friction.)
3) Maintenance that closes the loop
Tickets with photos, status updates, and an audit trail mean fewer “Did you get my message?” follow-ups—and faster repairs. (The U.S. leaders do this well; RentMouse gives you the same clarity without the enterprise baggage.)
4) Plain-English setup
No labyrinth of toggles. Add a property, invite tenants, set rent rules, and you’re working. Bigger tools can be terrific—but often overkill for 1–10 units.
5) Pricing that scales sensibly
RentMouse unit-based approach is predictable for small portfolios. Competitors range from free owner tools (with tenant fees) to flat subscriptions (great for unlimited units) to pro tiers designed for management companies.
When another tool might be better
You want free U.S. rent collection and massive U.S. listing reach: try Apartments.com Rental Manager. Owners pay $0; tenants can pay ACH free or by card with a fee.
You’ll scale beyond 50–100 units soon and need deep PM features (owner statements, associations, teams): consider Buildium.
You want unlimited units for a flat fee and you’re comfortable with a U.S.-centric stack: RentRedi is cost-efficient.
You prefer a low entry price and broad features with CAD accounting currency available: TenantCloud.
Make the switch in an evening
Create your RentMouse account and add properties/units.
Invite tenants to the portal; enable online payments and receipts.
Import or draft your leases; set renewal reminders.
Turn on maintenance tickets and message templates.
From there, rent day and repairs start to run themselves—and your records are always where you expect them.
Ready to work like a pro with just a few doors? Start with RentMouse. It’s purpose-built for 1–10 units and Canada-friendly from day one. Your future self (and your tenants) will thank you.
