Best Landlord Bookkeeping Software for Small Landlords (2026): Stessa, Baselane, REI Hub, Landlord Studio & More
Stessa, Baselane, REI Hub, Landlord Studio and TurboTenant compared on price, bank feeds, Schedule E reports and depreciation tracking, plus when a spreadsheet is all you need.
Affiliate disclosure: Some links on this page may be affiliate links. If you sign up through one, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I also sell spreadsheets, which I mention below. I've tried to be straight about when software is the better choice. Full affiliate disclosure here.
Good books do three jobs for a landlord: they show what each property really earns, they make tax time a matter of hours instead of weekends, and they give you numbers a lender or partner will trust.
General accounting software can do this, but it isn't built around properties, units and Schedule E. Rental-specific tools are. Below is a fair overview of five popular options for landlords with 1–20 units, plus an honest look at when a spreadsheet is enough.
Pricing and features were checked against each company's official pricing page in October 2026. They change often; confirm before you sign up.
What to look for
- Property-level tracking: income and expenses tagged to each property (and ideally unit).
- Bank feeds: automatic import of transactions from your accounts.
- Schedule E reporting: totals mapped to the IRS form's lines. See Schedule E categories for landlords.
- Loan tracking: splitting mortgage payments into interest (deductible) and principal (not).
- Fixed assets and depreciation: tracking purchase basis and improvements.
- Receipt capture and document storage.
- Accountant access or export for your CPA.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Free option | Paid pricing (as listed) | Schedule E report | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stessa | Essentials (free) | Manage $12/mo annual ($15 monthly); Pro $28/mo annual ($35 monthly) | Manage and up | Unlimited properties on all plans |
| Baselane | Core (free) | Smart $20/mo on annual plan | Yes, in Core | Built around property-specific bank accounts |
| REI Hub | Free tier (manual) | From $9/mo annual ($15 monthly) for up to 3 units, up to $48/mo annual for unlimited | Yes | Real-estate-specific double-entry accounting |
| Landlord Studio | Go (free, 3 units) | Pro $15/mo; Pro Plus $30/mo; 3 units included, $1.20/extra unit | Pro and up | Xero integration on Pro |
| TurboTenant | Free plan | Paid tiers listed at $12.42/mo and $16.48/mo | See official site | Accounting tools on top tier; mainly a management platform |
Stessa
Best for: landlords who want free, property-focused tracking and dashboards, with the option to upgrade for tax reports.
From the official site:
- Essentials (free): unlimited properties, automatic bank feeds, basic financial reports, receipt scanning (5/month), mileage tracking, plus rent collection and screening.
- Manage ($12/mo annual, $15 monthly): adds a Schedule E report, legal forms and accelerated rent payments.
- Pro ($28/mo annual, $35 monthly): adds advanced reports, budgeting and pro-forma, project expense tracking, unlimited receipt scanning and a tax package that includes CapEx.
- Banking is offered through Thread Bank, Member FDIC. Stessa isn't a bank.
Consider: The free plan's reporting is basic. The Schedule E report requires Manage or above.
Visit Stessa's official site →
Baselane
Best for: landlords who want banking and bookkeeping combined, with an account per property.
From the official site:
- Core ($0/month): unlimited property-specific checking and savings accounts, property-level income and expense tracking, an accountant tax package and Schedule E reports, plus rent collection.
- Smart ($20/mo on an annual plan): AI auto-tagging into 120+ categories, rules, receipt matching, custom categories, balance sheets and cost segregation tools.
- QuickBooks and Xero sync is listed among features.
- Banking through Thread Bank, Member FDIC. Baselane isn't a bank.
Consider: Works best if you move your rental banking to Baselane. If you'd rather keep your bank, compare how well external-account syncing covers your needs.
Visit Baselane's official site →
REI Hub
Best for: landlords who want "real" accounting built specifically for rentals: loans, fixed assets, balance sheets and Schedule E.
From the official site:
- Pricing is by unit count: about $9/mo billed annually ($15 monthly) for up to 3 units, $15/mo annual ($25 monthly) up to 10, $27/mo annual ($45 monthly) up to 20, and $48/mo annual ($80 monthly) unlimited.
- A free tier covers revenue and expense tracking, real-estate categories, loan and fixed-asset tracking and Schedule E reports, but without automatic transaction import or booking rules.
- 14-day free trial, no credit card required, and no long-term contracts.
Consider: It's an accounting tool, not a management platform: no rent collection or screening. Many landlords pair it with a separate rent app.
Visit REI Hub's official site →
Landlord Studio
Best for: small landlords who want accounting plus rent collection and listings in a mobile-first app.
From the official site:
- Go (free): up to 3 units, manual income and expense tracking, receipt scanner, mileage tracker, basic reports, rent collection.
- Pro ($15/mo) and Pro Plus ($30/mo): each includes 3 units plus $1.20 per extra unit. Adds bank feeds with automated rules, AI-assisted bookkeeping, 20+ reports including Schedule E, CSV export and Xero integration.
- 14-day free trial of Pro, no credit card required.
Consider: Bank feeds and the advanced reports are paid features.
Visit Landlord Studio's official site →
TurboTenant
Best for: landlords already using TurboTenant for listings, screening and rent who want basic accounting in the same place.
From the official site:
- Free plan for listing, screening and rent collection. Paid tiers listed at $12.42/month and $16.48/month. The higher tier lists built-in accounting tools.
Consider: Accounting is an add-on to a management platform rather than the core product. If detailed books matter most, compare it with the dedicated tools above.
Visit TurboTenant's official site →
When a spreadsheet is enough (and when it isn't)
Honest take: with 1 to a handful of properties and a modest number of transactions a month, a well-built spreadsheet often does everything you need, with no subscription and no bank connection. You can see every formula, and it works the same next year.
Software earns its keep when:
- You have many transactions and want bank feeds to do the typing
- You want receipts matched automatically
- Several people need access
- You're growing toward the top of the 1–20 unit range
If a spreadsheet suits you, the Rental Bookkeeping Workbook ($27) tracks up to 20 properties coded to Schedule E lines, with a dashboard and mortgage interest tracker. The Rental Property Tax Prep Packet ($24) organizes your year-end package for your CPA, the Loan Amortization & Payoff Tracker ($15) splits interest from principal, and short-term hosts can use the Airbnb/STR Host Tracker ($19). One property? Start with the free Single-Property Tracker.
Read more: rental property expense tracking spreadsheet and landlord tax deductions checklist. Need rent collection too? See best rent collection apps for small landlords.
How to choose in five minutes
- Count your monthly transactions. Few → spreadsheet or free tier. Many → bank feeds.
- Decide on banking. Happy to open new accounts → Baselane or Stessa. Keep your bank → REI Hub or Landlord Studio.
- Check the Schedule E report is on the plan you'll actually pay for.
- Ask your CPA what export format they prefer.
- Try before you buy: most have free plans or trials.
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Save with a bundle
Pricing and features were checked against each company's official website in October 2026 and can change at any time; confirm current terms before signing up. This page is general information, not tax, accounting or financial advice. Some links may be affiliate links; see the affiliate disclosure. — Jon, Everyone's Landlord