Which Are The Best Rental Listing Sites?

Susan Kelly

Jan 19, 2024

We examined over many websites to determine how simple it is for a landlord to create an appealing and informative rental listing, the number of applications and screening tools they provided, and the costs associated with using those websites. We have compiled a list of the top four rental listing websites that can swiftly fill your properties with eligible renters to assist you in reducing the vacancy losses that you incur.

The Top Four Websites for Listing Rental Properties in 2022

Best Overall: Manager of Rentals for Zillow
Best for Screening Prospective Tenants: Apartments.com is your best bet for attracting applicants who meet your qualifications.
The Best in Terms of Cost Comparisons: Rentometer
Avail

Zillow Rental Manager

Zillow Rental Manager stands out as a leading rental listing platform, primarily due to its extensive range of information and services, high site traffic, and substantial inventory. This platform caters to the needs of landlords from the marketing stage to the collection of rent payments, offering a comprehensive suite of tools designed to simplify property management.

Pros

Extensive Database: Zillow hosts an impressive database with over 135 million properties, including those for rent, for sale, and even properties not currently on the market. This extensive reach attracts a large audience, making it a prime choice for landlords looking to market their rentals.
Built-in Tenant Screening Tools: Zillow Rental Manager provides landlords with integrated tools for tenant screening. This includes credit checks, background checks, and rental application processing, which are essential for making informed tenant selections.
User-Friendly Listing Creation: Landlords can easily create detailed and appealing property listings. The platform allows for the inclusion of high-quality images, video tours, and detailed descriptions of amenities, which enhance the listing's attractiveness to potential renters.

Cons

Lack of Neighborhood Specific Listings: One notable drawback is the inability to categorize properties by specific neighborhoods. This can be a limitation for renters who are looking to move to specific areas, and for landlords who want to highlight the neighborhood as a key selling point of their rental.
Costs After Initial Listing: While Zillow Rental Manager offers the first listing for free, subsequent listings cost the landlord $9.99 per week per listing. This fee can add up, especially for landlords with multiple properties, making it a potentially costly option compared to other platforms that offer flat rates or longer free listing periods.

Avail

Avail is a rental property management platform that distinguishes itself with a comprehensive tenant screening process that extends beyond the standard criminal background and credit checks. This thorough approach to screening makes Avail particularly appealing for landlords who prioritize security and reliability in their tenant selection process.

Pros of Using Avail

Comprehensive Screening Reports: Avail offers more extensive tenant screening reports than many other listing sites. These reports include detailed checks on a tenant’s background, credit history, and more, providing landlords with a well-rounded view of potential tenants.
Tenant Pays Screening Costs: Typically, the cost of tenant screening reports is borne by the tenants, although landlords have the option to cover these costs if they choose. This feature can make the screening process more appealing to landlords since it reduces their upfront expenses.

Cons of Using Avail

No Mobile App: One significant drawback of Avail is the absence of a mobile app, which can limit the convenience for landlords and tenants who prefer managing their affairs on-the-go.
Tenant Fees on Payments: On the free landlord plan, tenants are charged fees for each payment they make, which might discourage timely payments or deter potential tenants. Each bank transfer costs the tenant $2.50, and a 3.5% processing fee is charged on payments made with a credit or debit card, regardless of the landlord's subscription plan.

Apartments.com

Because Apartments.com requires applicants to pay a fee to apply using its mobile app, the website is ideal for drawing in quality applications.

Pros

Many map overlays are available for tenants to pre-qualify their search.
The website includes condominiums, apartments, single-family homes, and townhouses.
The mobile app application costs $29.99 plus tax, and users are allowed to submit up to 10 applications in 30 days.

Cons

Users of the app have reported that the updating and sorting capabilities might sometimes be annoying.
The listing is distributed over a network of seven more websites by Apartments.com, allowing the landlord to get visibility on other websites such as ForRent.com, ApartmentFinder.com, Apartmenthomeliving.com, Apartamentos.com, and others.

By filling up the amenities list included in the listing profile, landlords have another opportunity to attract the attention of prospective renters on the site. Apartments.com also makes it easy to schedule online tours, submit applications, conduct tenant screenings online (including credit and background checks), sign leases online, and collect rent payments. Renters do not have to pay anything to use either the mobile app or the website to do their property research. Apartments.com's rental listing site requires users to pay a fee to apply, which is why we gave it our highest rating for attracting quality applications. As a result, landlords are receiving fewer applications and waste their time since the applicant has a financial interest in the application process. This is in contrast to listing sites where applicants may apply for free.

Rentometer

Rentometer is the website we believe to be the finest option for locating cost comparables due to its patented technology. This technology compares rent based on the input of many other landlords.