If you’re a landlord eager to streamline your property management needs, Landlord Studio and TenantCloud might be on your shortlist.
In this comprehensive software comparison, we’ve analyzed both companies in detail to help simplify your decision.
Stay tuned for a head-to-head breakdown of the following:
- User interface and ease of use
- Tenant and lease tracking
- Maintenance and repair management
- Communication tools
- Accounting
- Pricing structure
- Mobile app usability
- User reviews
And, when we wrap up our Landlord Studio vs. TenantCloud comparison, you’ll be left with a clear idea of which property management software best suits you.
Key Insights & Findings
Though we recommend due diligence when choosing property management software, we’ll summarize our findings for those who need a quick answer.
- Though founded in the same year, TenantCloud offers users a more robust set of features than Landlord Studio.
- Landlord Studio users report a significantly better user experience and customer service than TenantCloud customers.
- Landlord Studio offers a free basic version of their software; TenantCloud allows users to test drive their premium version with a 14-day trial.
- Landlord Studio’s maintenance management features are far less developed than TenantCloud’s.
- When deciding between Landlord Studio and TenantCloud, we recommend landlords consider a third option, which is superior to both.
Introduction to Landlord Studio
Founded in 2014 by Charles Chan and Logan Ransley, Landlord Studio is a popular property management software solution based in Auckland, New Zealand.
Their cloud-based software and mobile apps are designed to help landlords find tenants, screen rental candidates, collect rent, coordinate maintenance, manage accounting and tax reporting, and more.
Landlord Studio allows potential customers to sample a bare-bones version of their software for free, while access to their Pro version operates on a sliding scale, starting at $12 a month for landlords with up to three properties.
Introduction to TenantCloud
Launched in 2014, TenantCloud got its footing around the same time as Landlord Studio. With offices in the US, Ukraine, and the Philippines, TenantCloud now has over 100 employees and is available in more than 40 countries.
Much like Landlord Studio, TenantCloud offers users a suite of all-in-one property management features, including rent reporting, property marketing, online payments, premium lead acquisition, lease generation, maintenance bidding, and more.
TenantCloud’s premium plans start at $17 a month and ramp up in cost as features become more robust. With three subscription tiers available — each accompanied by a 14-day trial — landlords with any size portfolio can take TenantCloud for a spin.
In-Depth Comparison: Landlord Studio vs. TenantCloud
User Interface and Ease of Use
Landlords who allocate a chunk of their budget to property management software should expect a clean, straightforward, and bug-free user experience in return.
Landlord Studio users return an impressive 4.8 out of 5 stars on Capterra when reviewing the software’s ease of use. While most feedback indicates a smooth user experience, a few users have reported trouble connecting international bank accounts, an inability to import QuickBooks data, and confusion when tracking expenses.
TenantCloud customers return a less inspiring 4.0 out of 5 stars on Capterra, indicating a less intuitive and harder-to-use interface. While some users seem satisfied with TenantCloud’s user experience, many others indicate significant room for improvement, with one stating the software is “very clunky” and another remarking that he “can’t trust the system to just work.”
Tenant and Lease Tracking
Staying on top of expiring leases, managing tenants, and maximizing profits all go hand in hand. Finding software that can do all three will go a long way toward streamlining your operations and growing your portfolio.
Landlord Studio does not offer lease expiration reminders via its free tier, though the feature is available to Pro subscribers. Additionally, Landlord Studio does not have a lease generation feature or the ability to e-sign agreements built into the platform. However, landlords can store their lease agreements in Landlord Studio for easy access.
TenantCloud allows users to generate leases and other vital documents through their software’s embedded templates, plus tenants and landlords can e-sign the documents directly in Tenant Cloud. Like Landlord Studio, TenantCloud users can store important tenant documents like leases for future reference.
Maintenance and Repair Management
Leaky faucets, broken refrigerators, clogged garbage disposals — landlords have seen it all. The right property management software should help them face these issues head-on by handling tenant maintenance requests, coordinating with contractors, and executing repairs.
Landlord Studio’s maintenance and repair management features are under construction (no pun intended). While their software currently allows tenants to create maintenance requests and landlords to prioritize upcoming tasks, their developers are still building additional features.
At the time of publishing, Landlord Studio users still cannot add comments to maintenance requests, assign contractors to jobs, track job costs, or report expenditures.
TenantCloud has much more developed maintenance management features than Landlord Studio, which are included in all three subscription tiers. Through TenantCloud’s software, landlords can track tenant repair requests, link up with vendors to coordinate jobs, attach invoices to work orders, and log data for future reference.
Communication Tools
Landlords must keep close contact with tenants, coordinate with vendors, turn leads into renters, and execute essential tasks with their team members. Property management software should help them do all of the above seamlessly.
Landlord Studio helps landlords collect tenant contact info and automate emails, though it doesn’t allow direct communication within the software. And, as we just mentioned, they also haven’t developed features that allow landlords to communicate with vendors through their interface.
Where Landlord Studio lacks in integrated communication features, it makes up for in customer service, as Capterra reviewers return a 4.8 out of 5-star rating.
TenantCloud allows property managers to communicate directly with tenants, contractors, and teammates through their software and logs all conversations in the cloud. Landlords can also send mass messages to multiple units within a property via its Property Message Board feature.
Although TenantCloud offers more developed communication features than Landlord Studio, it falls short in customer service, returning 4.1 out of 5 stars on Capterra. One user reports that their ticket submission support yields generic responses that feel highly impersonal.
Accounting and Reporting
Professional property management is a numbers game, which is why organizing finances and generating tax reports with powerful accounting software is non-negotiable.
Landlord Studio offers a simple yet serviceable set of accounting features that allows users to accept digital rent payments, track expenses, integrate bank accounts, scan receipts, track mileage, integrate with Xero, and generate financial reports.
TenantCloud’s accounting features are similar to Landlord Studio’s but also allow landlords to apply late fees, request maintenance invoices, and split payments between roommates. Their software is compatible with QuickBooks, though some users wish they could sync their existing Xero accounts for a more connected workflow.
Pricing Comparison
How much money you invest in property management software directly affects your bottom line. Choosing the right solution should make sense for your needs and leave room in your monthly budget for other essential expenses.
Landlord Studio offers users two options: a free, barebones option with minimal features and a feature-rich “Pro” version with a sliding scale for pricing.
Here are a few essential pricing factors for potential Landlord Studio clients to keep in mind:
- The free version of their software only allows one user with a maximum of three units.
- Premium pricing starts at $12 per month for up to three units and jumps to a dollar per unit thereafter. For example:
- Four units = $13 per month
- Five units = $14 per month
- Six units = $15 per month
While we appreciate Landlord Studio’s straightforward cost structure, they don’t cap their prices. Landlords with growing portfolios would be better off choosing software that allows unlimited properties at a locked-in price.
TenantCloud offers users three different subscription plans: Starter, Growth, and Pro. Landlords with businesses or large portfolios are encouraged to contact the company to discuss special pricing.
Each plan allows unlimited properties and units, though premium features vary between membership levels. The base prices for each plan are as follows:
- Starter: $17 per month
- Growth: $32 per month
- Pro: $55 per month
Unlike Landlord Studio, TenantCloud offers customers set prices for unlimited properties, meaning monthly costs should only increase if property managers upgrade to a new plan, purchase add-ons, or agree to a new, higher price when they re-up a subscription.
Mobile App Functionality
Property managers are frequently on the move and don’t always have access to their computers to handle important tasks. The software they choose must offer a functional and reliable mobile user experience on tablets and smartphones.
Landlord Studio returns respectable ratings on the Apple App Store and Google Play, with users returning mostly positive feedback. One user, however, reported confusion when adding a property, and another said the app improperly calculated taxes.
TenantCloud’s mobile apps return mediocre reviews from both Apple and Android users. While some users seem satisfied, many others report an unpleasant user experience. One reviewer states that the app “glitches, freezes, lags, and otherwise malfunctions almost constantly.”
User Reviews: Landlord Studio vs. TenantCloud
It’s best to analyze customer feedback across several platforms for a well-rounded view of overall user satisfaction. To do so, we’ve compared reviews across Capterra, the Apple App Store, Google Play, and Trustpilot.
Landlord Studio
- Capterra: 4.9 out of 5 stars
- Apple App Store: 4.7 out of 5 stars
- Google Play: 4.2 out of 5 stars
- Trustpilot: Not yet rated
TenantCloud
- Capterra: 4.3 out of 5 stars
- Apple App Store: 3.9 out of 5 stars
- Google Play: 3.1 out of 5 stars
- Trustpilot: 4.2 out of 5 stars
Landlord Studio returns significantly more positive reviews than TenantCloud across most platforms, though their absence on Trustpilot likely indicates a much smaller online presence.
Making the Right Choice: Factors to Consider
When comparing Landlord Studio vs.Tenant Cloud, it’s crucial to analyze essential considerations.
Here are a few factors to keep in mind as you narrow your focus:
- The size of your portfolio
- The level of automation you require for accounting and reporting
- Functionality across tablets and smartphones
- Your monthly budget for property management software
- User feedback and brand reputation
While you mull over this crucial decision, remember that the best property management software for you may come from an entirely different company.
Enter your no-brainer solution, TurboTenant.
Why TurboTenant Stands Out
Landlord Studio and TenantCloud are each decent options, we recommend TurboTenant above all other property management software solutions.
For starters, TurboTenant offers users a powerful all-in-one suite of features:
- Rental advertising
- Tenant screening reports
- Digital tenant applications
- Rent-collection software
- Accounting and reporting
650,000+ users think highly of TurboTenant, with thousands of 5-star reviews across multiple platforms telling the same satisfied story:
Because TurboTenant welcomes landlords of all stripes, it offers a version with unlimited units, allowing users to test it out before upgrading to a feature-packed Premium plan, which is far more affordable than Landlord Studio and TenantCloud.
Sign up for a free TurboTenant account today to turbocharge your property management business.
