What is the best accounting software for landlords?
Updated
Quick answer
The best accounting setup for a landlord is whichever tool categorises income and expenses per property, in categories that map straight onto IRS Schedule E, without you re-typing anything in April. General accounting software can do it, but rental-specific tools already know what a security deposit, a proration and a capital improvement are, which is most of the work.
What makes rental accounting different
Three things trip up general accounting software, and they are exactly the three things rental tools are built around.
- A security deposit is not income. It is a liability you are holding, and it becomes income only when you keep it. Software that books it as revenue overstates your year.
- A mortgage payment is not one expense. Only the interest is deductible. Principal is not an expense at all.
- Repair versus improvement. A repair is deducted this year, an improvement is capitalised and depreciated. Getting this wrong is the most common rental tax error.
The tools, side by side
| Tool | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stessa | Essentials Free / Manage $12/mo (paid annually) / Pro $28/mo (paid annually) | All plans include unlimited properties. Schedule E report is on the paid tiers. |
| Landlord Studio | Free $0/mo / Pro $12.00/mo ($144 annually) / Premium $28.00/mo ($336 annually) | 14-day trial. Priced by number of property units. |
| REI Hub | Up to 3 units $9/mo (billed annually, or $15/mo monthly) | Tiers for up to 3, 10, 20 and unlimited units. First 14 days at no charge. Double-entry bookkeeping built for rentals rather than a general ledger bolted on. |
Read from each provider's own pricing page on 2026-08-27.
The all-in-one option
The tools above are accounting-first. The other route is a platform that collects the rent and does the books in the same place, so nothing has to be imported or reconciled at all. Prices as read on 2026-08-27: Avail $0/unit / $9/unit/mo, TurboTenant $0/mo / $12.42/mo / $16.58/mo, TenantCloud $25/mo / $35/mo / $60/mo / from $100/mo, RentRedi $29.95/mo / $20/mo / $12/mo, Innago $0. Rentari is $10 a month for the first unit and $2 per unit after.
Which is better depends on one question: is your rent already being collected somewhere you are happy with? If yes, an accounting-first tool that imports transactions is less disruptive. If you are choosing both at once, doing it in one place removes the import step permanently.
Set your categories to Schedule E on day one
Schedule E has a fixed set of expense lines. Name your categories after them in January and April becomes an export instead of a project. The lines are advertising, auto and travel, cleaning and maintenance, commissions, insurance, legal and professional fees, management fees, mortgage interest, other interest, repairs, supplies, taxes, utilities, depreciation, and other.
Related: how to track rental property expenses and the ROI and cash flow calculator.
Related questions
Can I just use a spreadsheet?
Do I need separate bank accounts per property?
Is rental income taxed differently from wages?
How Rentari helps
Rentari categorises every payment as it arrives, per property and per lease, into categories that map to Schedule E, so your year-end is an export rather than a rebuild. Deposits are held as liabilities, not booked as income.
This article is general information for landlords, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Rules vary by state and city; verify specifics with the official statute or a licensed professional. See our state law guides.