A vacant rental costs landlords money every day, but filling the unit is only the beginning. You still have to screen applicants, prepare a lease, collect rent, track expenses, and respond when something inevitably needs repair.
If you’re comparing Avail vs Zillow Rental Manager, the biggest difference is what happens after you find a tenant.
Avail brings ongoing rental management tasks together, from preparing leases and collecting rent to tracking maintenance and expenses. Zillow Rental Manager stands out for its rental listing exposure and tools for finding and screening applicants.
In this comparison, I’ll explain how their pricing and features translate into everyday benefits for landlords, so you can choose the platform that fits your needs.
Before I dive into the details, here is a quick breakdown of what each platform does best:
| Best for | |
|---|---|
| Avail | Best for DIY landlords who want one platform for listings, screening, leases, payments, maintenance, communication, and rental property accounting. |
| Zillow Rental Manager | Best for landlords who want to market a vacancy across Zillow, Trulia, and HotPads while accessing basic leasing and payment tools for free. |
Why you can trust The Close
As a licensed real estate agent, I understand how important accurate listings, careful screening, organized documents, and timely communication are throughout a real estate transaction. Those responsibilities become even more important when you are managing a rental property and maintaining an ongoing relationship with a tenant.
For this comparison, I reviewed each platform’s current pricing, product features, payment policies, screening tools, lease options, and support resources. At The Close, our editorial approach is centered on providing practical, unbiased guidance that helps real estate professionals and investors make confident business decisions.
Sophia Doyle
Staff Writer-The Close
Avail vs Zillow Rental Manager: A head-to-head comparison
| Feature | Avail | Zillow Rental Manager |
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| Paid option | Unlimited Plus costs $9 per unit monthly | $39.99 per premium listing for up to 90 days |
| Rental listing distribution | 19 listing partners, including Realtor.com, Redfin, Zumper, and Apartment List | Zillow, Trulia, and HotPads |
| Online applications | ✓ | ✓ |
| Credit, criminal, and eviction reports | ✓ | ✓ |
| Income verification | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom application questions | Available with Unlimited Plus plan | X |
| State-specific lease templates | ✓ | X |
| Upload and electronically sign your own lease | ✓ | ✓ |
| Online rent collection | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free ACH payments | Available with Unlimited Plus plan | ✓ |
| Maintenance tracking | Tickets, photographs, messaging, and cost tracking | Landlord-only tracking for tasks, photos, notes, and repair costs; no tenant-submitted requests |
| Income and expense tracking | Dedicated accounting dashboard | X |
| Tenant communication | Centralized lead and tenant messaging | Lead management and messaging |
| Dedicated mobile app | Mobile-friendly platform | ✓ |
Avail vs Zillow Rental Manager: Overview and when to use
Avail is an all-in-one rental management platform designed for DIY landlords. It supports the complete rental cycle, allowing landlords to advertise vacancies across 19 partner websites, manage leads, schedule showings, screen applicants, create leases, collect rent, communicate with tenants, track maintenance, and record income and expenses. Its free Unlimited plan supports unlimited units and includes most of these essential tools.
Avail Unlimited Plus costs $9 per unit monthly and adds FastPay, waived ACH fees, custom application questions, customizable and reusable lease templates, a branded property website, and priority support. Avail does not provide access to Zillow, Trulia, or HotPads, but its state-specific leases, maintenance workflows, tenant portal, centralized messaging, and accounting dashboard make it the more complete option for ongoing rental management.
 | |
|---|---|
| Pros | Cons |
| Free plan supports unlimited units | Free-plan tenants pay $2.50 per ACH transfer |
| Listings are syndicated to 19 rental websites | Card payments include a 3.5% processing fee |
| State-specific, lawyer-reviewed lease templates | Advanced features cost $9 per unit monthly |
| Tenant screening includes reference checks | Paid pricing becomes more expensive as a portfolio grows |
| Maintenance and expense tracking included | Does not provide Zillow’s concentrated rental audience |
| Centralized landlords and tenant messaging | Screening costs vary by location and selected reports |
| Paid plan includes customizable applications and leases | Some landlords may not need all the management tools |
When to use Avail
- You want one platform for the full rental cycle.
- You manage your own rental properties.
- You need state-specific, lawyer-reviewed lease templates.
- You want customizable applications or leases.
- You want to track maintenance requests and repair costs.
- You need rental income and expense tracking.
- You want a dedicated tenant portal.
- You need centralized communication with applicants and tenants.
- You manage multiple units and want consistent workflows.
- You are willing to pay per unit for advanced customization and faster payments.
Zillow Rental Manager helps landlords advertise vacancies, communicate with prospective tenants, schedule tours, accept applications, run screening reports, prepare leases, and collect payments. Its biggest advantage is access to the Zillow rental network, which includes Zillow, Trulia, and HotPads and reaches more than 30 million monthly visitors.
Standard listings are free, while a $39.99 Premium upgrade provides greater search visibility, pricing insights, performance recommendations, and priority support for up to 90 days.
Landlords can also manage leads, collect rent and other fees, upload leases for electronic signatures, and use Fast Payments to receive eligible payments in as little as two business days.
However, rental applications cannot include custom questions, and Zillow’s customizable lease builder is available only in certain states and select California markets. Landlords outside those locations can still upload and electronically sign their own leases.
 | |
|---|---|
| Pros | Cons |
| Free standard rental listings | Listings are limited to Zillow rental network |
| Listings appear on Zillow, Trulia, and HotPads | Applications cannot be customized |
| Access to more than 30 million monthly rental visitors | Lease builder is available only in select locations |
| Free tenant screening tools for landlords | Limited rental accounting functionality |
| Free ACH rent collection for landlords and tenants | No bulk discount for multiple Premium listings |
| Dedicated mobile app | More advanced property management features are limited |
| Optional Premium listing does not renew automatically | Premium placement costs $39.99 per listing |
When to use Zillow Rental Manager
- You want your vacancy advertised on the Zillow network.
- Reaching a large audience of renters is your main priority.
- You manage one or a small number of rental properties.
- You want free online applications and screening tools.
- You want to collect rent through free ACH transfers.
- You already have your own lease and need electronic signatures.
- You want a dedicated mobile app for managing leads and listings.
- You do not need advanced maintenance or accounting features.
Avail vs Zillow Rental Manager: Who wins each category?
Pricing and value
Avail gives landlords a useful starting point with its free Unlimited plan, which includes rental listings, applications, digital leases, rent collection, and maintenance tracking. Its Unlimited Plus plan costs $9 per unit per month and adds conveniences such as customizable applications and leases, faster eligible rent deposits, and waived ACH payment fees.
I like that landlords can start with the essentials and upgrade when those added conveniences would save them time. Just remember that the paid subscription grows with your unit count.
Zillow Rental Manager is appealing if your priority is keeping basic operating costs low. Standard listings are free, and tenants can pay rent through ACH without a payment-processing fee. An optional Premium listing upgrade costs $39.99 for up to 90 days.
For a landlord who mainly needs to advertise a vacancy and collect rent, that structure is straightforward. Avail offers more connected management tools, but Zillow has the edge here for landlords focused on basic costs.
🏆Winner: Zillow Rental Manager
Rental listing exposure
Avail makes advertising a rental easier by distributing your listing to multiple rental websites, including Realtor.com, Redfin, and Zumper. That saves you from rebuilding the same listing over and over. I also like the convenience of having the listing connected to the application process, so an interested renter has a clear next step.
Paid promotion is available if you want additional exposure.
Zillow Rental Manager places your listing on Zillow, Trulia, and HotPads. For landlords who specifically want to reach renters searching those websites, it provides a direct route. Its optional Premium upgrade adds visibility and information about listing performance.
My preference here comes down to the advertising network: Avail offers broad distribution, while Zillow is the stronger fit when reaching Zillow’s rental audience is your main goal.
🏆Winner: Zillow Rental Manager
Applications and tenant screening
Avail helps landlords look beyond a completed application by bringing screening and reference checks into the process. One feature I appreciate is its automated outreach to previous landlords, which can help you gather context about an applicant’s rental history. Paid-plan users can also customize application questions.
When comparing applicants, a consistent process makes it easier to identify what still needs clarification.
Zillow offers a convenient application process, especially for renters applying to several participating properties. Its $35 application fee covers 30 days of service, and the platform includes credit and background screening alongside income-verification tools. That convenience can reduce repeated paperwork for applicants. I give Avail the edge for landlords who want more control over the application and reference-checking process, rather than choosing a winner based on report volume alone.
🏆Winner: Avail
Lease creation and electronic signatures
Avail is useful when you need help drafting a lease. Its state-specific lease templates give landlords a starting point, and electronic signatures help move the process along without printing and scanning documents. The paid plan adds customization and lets you reuse leases.
From an agent’s perspective, having a repeatable process is valuable when coordinating move-in dates, deposits, and paperwork at the same time.
Zillow’s current product page emphasizes uploading your own lease and sending it for signatures. That works well if you already have a lease prepared and simply need a way to get it signed online. The practical difference is where you begin: Avail provides templates to help create the document, while Zillow’s upload-and-sign tools support a document you already have.
🏆Winner: Avail
Online rent collection
Avail makes it easier to keep track of who has paid and what is still outstanding. Tenants can set up automatic payments, while landlords can use reminders and track rent, deposits, and other charges in one place. Eligible payments through FastPay can arrive as soon as the next business day on the paid plan. What I find most useful is the connection between collecting rent and keeping the property’s financial records organized.
Zillow also handles online rent payments, including rent and other rental charges, and offers free ACH payments. Its newer Fast Payments option advertises deposits in as little as two business days, so it would be outdated to describe all Zillow payments as slow. For straightforward payment collection, it is a practical option. Avail gets my vote for landlords who want rent collection connected to a broader income-and-expense tracking system.
🏆Winner: Avail
Maintenance and rental accounting
Avail helps landlords keep repair requests and their costs from getting lost in separate messages and spreadsheets. Tenants can submit maintenance requests, and landlords can keep track of the work and related expenses. Rent payments and maintenance costs recorded through the platform feed into its accounting tracker, with the option to add other transactions manually.
For landlords juggling several responsibilities, that connection makes it easier to understand what a property is bringing in and costing them.
Zillow does offer a maintenance tracker, but it works differently. Landlords can record tasks, notes, photos, and repair expenses; tenants cannot submit requests through that tracker. This is useful for keeping a property’s maintenance history organized, but recording individual repair costs is not the same as having an ongoing rental income-and-expense accounting system. I would choose Avail here if the goal is to connect tenant requests, repairs, and financial records.
🏆Winner: Avail
Ease of use and mobile access
Avail’s appeal is having the rental process organized in one place, from finding an applicant to collecting rent after move-in. You can access it through a browser on your computer or mobile device, which is convenient when a tenant question comes in while you are away from your desk.
I would lean toward Avail if keeping applications, leases, payments, and property records together is your biggest priority.
Zillow offers a dedicated Rental Manager app, giving landlords another way to handle rental tasks while on the go. That is a practical advantage if you prefer opening an app to working through a mobile browser. Ease of use is personal, but I give Zillow the edge for mobile access.
Avail’s broader management tools may still be the better everyday fit for someone who wants more of the rental workflow in one system.
🏆Winner: Zillow Rental Manager
Overall winner: Avail
Avail is my overall pick for independent landlords who want help managing the rental beyond filling a vacancy. Its combination of applications, lease templates, rent collection, tenant maintenance requests, and accounting creates a more connected day-to-day process.
Having worked with landlords as a real estate agent, I know that keeping those responsibilities organized can matter just as much as finding the next tenant.
Zillow Rental Manager remains a strong choice for advertising on its rental network and handling basic leasing tasks. Your decision should come down to what happens after the listing goes live: If you mainly need exposure and straightforward payments, Zillow may be enough. If you want a system that supports more of the ongoing work, I would choose Avail.
Methodology
I compared Zillow Rental Manager and Avail and evaluated the features most likely to affect a landlord’s experience and rental property operations:
My criteria included the following:
- Rental listing exposure
- I compared the websites where listings appear, the size and relevance of the potential renter audience, free distribution, Premium placement, showing tools, and lead management capabilities.
- Applications and tenant screening
- I evaluated online applications, credit reports, criminal background searches, eviction history, income verification, reference checks, customization, portability, and who pays (landlord or tenant).
- Leasing tools
- I considered electronic signatures, document uploads, state-specific templates, local clauses and disclosures, customization options, attachments, and lease renewal tools.
- Online rent collection
- I reviewed ACH and card payment fees, processing speeds, recurring payments, reminders, receipts, late fees, deposits, property-specific accounts, and rent reporting.
- Property management features
- I compared maintenance requests, ticket tracking, photographs, tenant communication, repair costs, income tracking, expense tracking, and financial organization.
- Pricing and value
- I compared free-plan availability, subscription costs, listing upgrades, per-unit pricing, tenant fees, and which features require a paid plan.
- Ease of use and support
- I considered platform accessibility, mobile use, workflow complexity, help resources, and priority support options.
Read more about our methodology here.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Which platform is best for first-time landlords?
Avail is generally the best option for first-time landlords who need guidance and tools for the complete rental process. Its state-specific leases, maintenance tracking, tenant portal, payment system, and accounting dashboard provide a clearer structure for managing a property.
Zillow Rental Manager may be sufficient for a first-time landlord who already has a lease and mainly needs help finding a tenant, screening applicants, and collecting rent.
Can landlords use Zillow Rental Manager and Avail together?
Yes. A landlord could use Zillow Rental Manager to reach renters through Zillow, Trulia, and HotPads, then use Avail for screening, leases, rent collection, maintenance, and accounting.
Using both platforms may provide broader marketing and more complete management tools, but landlords will need to keep applicant information and communication organized between the two systems.
Does Avail syndicate listings to Zillow?
No, Avail does not currently syndicate rental listings to Zillow, Trulia, or HotPads. It distributes listings to 19 other rental websites, including Realtor.com, Redfin, Zumper, PadMapper, and Apartment List. Landlords who want their rental to appear on Zillow’s network will need to create a separate listing through Zillow Rental Manager.
Your take
Avail is my pick for DIY landlords who want to stay organized throughout the rental process. Bringing leases, rent collection, maintenance requests, and income and expense tracking into one platform makes it easier to keep up with the responsibilities that continue long after move-in.
As an agent who has worked with landlords, I appreciate tools that help owners spend less time chasing paperwork and more time managing their properties.
Avail’s free plan also gives landlords a practical starting point without committing to a monthly subscription. Zillow Rental Manager remains worth considering for its listing exposure, but Avail is the stronger fit if you want one platform to support more of your everyday rental management.
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