1–20 unit landlords
Applications & lead pipeline on DIY landlord software — inquiry, showings, screening handoff
For a 1–20 unit DIY landlord, the lead pipeline is what fills a vacancy before a lease exists. Among the three DIY tools, TurboTenant wins the free CRM + free applications lane: Leads tab (auto from syndication + manual add), free pre-screener questionnaires, Invite to Apply, and Applications & Screening on the Free plan — but native Showing Scheduling is Essentials+, and custom pre-screener / application questions are Pro. RentRedi wins the structured paid pipeline: published Find → Prequalify (10-question survey, no prequal fee) → Show → Apply → Screen → Sign → Pay workflow, custom application builder with conditional questions, invite-to-apply, auto-screening option, and application chat — all on the flat subscription (not a free landlord tier). Showings are documented via Calendly link in prequal/application message templates, not a TT-style in-product availability calendar. Avail wins free Unlimited applications + partner-tour automation: request applications / screening, Messages for leads, Property Tour Automation (schedule or request tours from listing partners such as Realtor.com), Direct Applications on Realtor.com, and a renter profile that can reuse an application for ~30 days — while custom application questions require Unlimited Plus. Screening dollar tables live on the screening costs page; this page covers the handoff, not a second fee matrix.
What this page is (and is not)
- Is: a side-by-side of published inquiry / lead capture, showing / tour booking, online rental applications (docs + custom questions), and how each product hands off into credit/criminal/eviction screening; free vs paid gates; cutover notes for lead lists and completed apps.
- Is not: legal advice on application-fee caps, FCRA adverse-action letters, or fair-housing advertising rules; a full syndication map (see vacancy listings); a duplicate of the screening fee table; a claim that portal messaging equals certified delivery of a denial or notice.
- Uncertainty rule: TT plan names (Free / Essentials / Pro) and “Premium” marketing labels both appear in sources — we cite the help-center Free vs Essentials vs Pro matrix as of Sep 2026. RR pricing page states one feature set across billing terms (monthly / 6-month / annual). Avail support.avail.com articles are JS-heavy in fetch tools; we rely on avail.com pricing, product/education pages, and the Apr 2026 blog on Property Tour Automation / Direct Applications, and note where live menus may differ. Re-verify before you redesign your vacancy SOP.
Definitions (read this first)
- Inquiry / lead: A prospective renter who expressed interest (listing contact form, phone, walk-in, or portal message) but has not necessarily applied. TT calls these Leads; Avail talks about leads + Messages; RR talks about prospects / prequalifications in a leasing pipeline.
- Showing / tour: An in-person (or sometimes self-guided) unit viewing. May be booked from landlord availability, requested for approval, or scheduled through a third-party calendar (e.g. Calendly).
- Prequalification / pre-screener: A short questionnaire before a full application — pets, income self-report, move-in date, smoking, etc. Not the same as a TransUnion credit/criminal/eviction report.
- Rental application: The fuller online form (identity, history, employment, documents). May invite co-applicants. Usually the step that can trigger paid screening.
- Screening handoff: Where the completed application connects to credit / criminal / eviction (and optional income verification). Fee amounts, who pays by default, and state location pricing are detailed on tenant screening costs.
- Application fee vs screening fee: Some markets regulate “application fees” separately from third-party screening report costs. Vendor copy often bundles “application and screening” language — confirm what you advertise against local law; this page does not invent a separate admin fee if the vendor only publishes screening report prices.
Feature snapshot (verify on vendor pages)
| Capability | RentRedi | TurboTenant | Avail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inquiry / lead capture | Prospects enter via listings + invites to prequalify/apply. Product pages describe a leasing pipeline (prequal → applied → screening stages). Application-specific chat to keep deals moving | Leads tab consolidates interest from partner listing sites (incl. Craigslist per help), shared listing/pre-screener links, Invite to Apply, and manual Add New. Email notification with contact info; Active vs Archived (auto-archive at 30 days with no action). Private lead Evaluations (Negative / Positive / Definite) | Pricing/product: lead management tools and messaging center; Instantly reply to tenants & leads with Messages on free Unlimited. Blog: leads from Promoted Listings and syndication land in Avail dashboard. Direct Applications from Realtor.com feed renter profiles |
| Prequal / short questionnaire | 10-question prequalification before full application (product + blog: no fee for prequalifying; unlimited). Custom Prequalification templates in help. Workflow: accept prequal before showing | Pre-screening questionnaires on Free (help Free-plan / cost article lists them). Send Pre-Screener from Leads. Custom pre-screener questions: Pro (up to four per help Pro upsell copy) | Education covers tenant pre-screening questions; product page emphasizes full online application. Pricing lists customizable screening questions under Screening; custom application questions are Unlimited Plus (applications product page). Confirm which “custom” UI you get on free vs Plus live |
| Showing / tour scheduling | Published path: embed Calendly scheduling link in Prequalification / Application accept-message templates (“Click Here to Schedule Viewing”). Tip: same email as RR so events appear on dashboard. No TT-style native availability-slot product found in help we used | Native Showing Scheduling (Essentials+): set availability → 15-minute slots → Invite to Showing link (Leads / Showings / profile). Confirmations; reminders 24h and 2h; follow-up ~2h after; cancel flows; showing instructions (park/enter). Bookers need ≥4 hours lead time; booked slots drop off | Property Tour Automation (blog Apr 2026): renters book or request tours from listing partners (Realtor.com options: instant Schedule a tour vs Request a tour for manual approval). Pricing: “Schedule showings automatically from any platform or listing partner.” Support article title exists for adding showing availability on a listing — confirm live UI |
| Online rental application | Digital application + docs in one flow; custom application builder with conditional questions; templates (default RR, CA/AZ examples, etc.); mobile document scan (pay stubs/W-2/bank); Invite Prospects to Apply (Jul 2026 help); Pending Invites vs Pending review tabs; each adult needs own RR account/application | Collect rental applications online on Free. Invite to Apply from Leads. Customize applications (emotional support / service animal questions called out on product pages). Custom application questions: Pro (up to four per help). Docs upload as part of apply/screen path | Free Unlimited: request rental application and screening reports. Send/request by email/text (support article). Roommate-friendly co-applicant invites. Renter Profile: apply to multiple Avail listings for ~30 days with one payment. Automated landlord reference checks marketed. Custom questions: Unlimited Plus |
| Screening handoff | Applications feed leasing pipeline; optional auto-tenant screening when app submits (TransUnion credit/criminal/eviction; optional +$10 income/assets → $49.99 vs $39.99 standard on pricing FAQ). Landlord can cover fee. Screening status column on Applications. Details → screening costs | Applications & Screening on Free; by default renter pays screening ($55 Free / $45 Essentials+ per help cost article — confirm live). Landlord may cover. Pro: Income Verification / Snappt at reduced screening fee language. Details → screening page | Tenant-initiated TransUnion reports; landlord chooses reports and who pays (tenant most common). Bundle or à la carte; location/state pricing varies. Pair with application request. Details → screening page — not duplicated here |
| Messaging along the funnel | Application-specific chat; 24/7 chat support marketed for landlords/tenants | In-app messaging with leads; quick reply templates (manual — help: no automated replies that fire when a lead contacts you). Showing invite from Leads tab does not create activity-log entry — note manually if you need a record | Messages for tenants & leads on free Unlimited; one-click lead response templates marketed on applications product page |
| Free vs paid gates (pipeline) | Applications, prequal, custom builder, pipeline, chat sit on paid flat subscription (pricing: one feature set; terms change price only). Screening/report fees optional tenant-paid. Calendly itself may be free tier for 1:1 meetings — separate product | Free: listings, lead management, pre-screener (stock), applications & screening. Essentials: Showing Scheduling, lower screening fee, leases/e-sign pack, etc. Pro: custom pre-screener & application questions, Snappt income verification, team roles, waived ACH… | Unlimited (free): applications, screening requests, lead messaging, tour/showing automation called out on pricing Listings block. Unlimited Plus: custom application questions, branded property website, FastPay / waived ACH, lease customization — confirm live matrix |
| Export / switch portability | Export completed application PDFs / docs from application and Documents Hub before you leave. Pipeline stage history and chat threads are not a portable CRM dump in sources we found | Download applications/screening reports and lead contact lists manually (CSV export of Leads not prominently documented in sources we used — treat as UI export or copy). Showing history and evaluations stay in TT | Download application packages and lease-bound docs; renter-profile portability is Avail-centric. Partner-tour bookings do not migrate as calendar objects |
Sources (Sep 2026): TurboTenant help — “Is There a Cost…” (Free: Applications & Screening, lead management, pre-screening; Essentials: Showing Scheduling, $45 vs $55 screening; Pro: Custom Pre-Screener & Application Questions, Snappt; who pays screening FAQ); “How Do I Manage Leads…” (Leads tab sources, Add New, Invite to Apply / Showing, Evaluations, 30-day archive, no auto-replies); “Showing Scheduling” (availability, 15-min slots, 24h/2h reminders, 4-hour booking rule, Jun 2026). TurboTenant product — lead-management and showing-scheduling pages; Premium announcement still lists free lead management + applications. RentRedi help — Getting a Tenant Workflow (Find→Prequal→Show→Apply→Screen→Sign→Pay); Invite Prospects to Apply (Jul 2026); Create Custom Rental Application; Calendly + RentRedi showings (Aug 2026); Auto-Tenant Screening / screening status articles (search indexed). RentRedi product — /l/applications (10-q prequal, custom builder, mobile scan, chat, auto-screen); pricing (flat terms, same features; screening $39.99 / $49.99 with income). Avail — pricing (free apps/screening/Messages; Plus custom application questions; Listings: lead management + schedule showings automatically); online-rental-applications product (Direct Applications paths, renter profile ~30 days, Plus custom questions, TransUnion add-ons); blog “5 Game-Changing New Avail Tools…” (Apr 2026: Property Tour Automation schedule vs request, Direct Applications on Realtor.com). Cross-cutting: vacancy listings, screening costs, lease & e-sign. Not found / do not invent: native RR showing calendar identical to TT; TT free Showing Scheduling; Avail free custom application questions; portable whole-pipeline CRM ZIP exports on any of the three.
Free vs paid: who should upgrade for the pipeline
- TurboTenant: Stay Free if Leads + stock pre-screener + Invite to Apply + tenant-paid screening is enough and you will schedule showings by phone/text/Calendly outside TT. Upgrade to Essentials primarily for Showing Scheduling (and leases/e-sign if you also need those). Upgrade to Pro if you need custom pre-screener/application questions or Snappt income verification — not because basic applications suddenly appear.
- RentRedi: Pipeline tools are part of the paid flat product. Don’t invent a free RR landlord tier for applications. Decide on subscription value vs Calendly+spreadsheet DIY; screening remains mostly tenant-paid per pricing FAQ.
- Avail: Stay on Unlimited for applications, screening requests, Messages, and published tour automation. Buy Plus when you need custom application questions (or Plus payment/lease features) — not “just to collect an application.”
- None: Software speed does not waive fair-housing, application-fee caps, or FCRA adverse-action duties. Portal chat ≠ certified denial mail.
Worked example: SFH vacancy — inquiry → showing → app → screening → lease handoff
Single-family rental listed through your DIY tool’s syndication. Three serious inquiries arrive in 48 hours. You want a short prequal, one Saturday showing block, two full applications, screening on the stronger pair, then a lease invite. Paths below follow published help/product flows (illustrative — not a promise of lease-up speed).
| Step | RentRedi | TurboTenant | Avail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Capture inquiries | Prospects from listing; invite to prequalify (10-q). Review in Applications & Prequalifications / pipeline views | Leads appear in Leads tab from partner sites; Add New for phone leads. Optional Evaluation rating + Activity Log notes | Leads/inquiries in dashboard + Messages. Optional Direct Apply from Realtor.com listing |
| 2. Soft filter | Accept / reject prequalifications; only approved prospects get showing path | Send Pre-Screener (stock on Free; custom questions need Pro). Mark Contacted | Reply with templates; use tour Request mode if you want to approve before locking a time |
| 3. Book the showing | On accept message, link Calendly “Schedule Viewing”; meet only approved prospects | If Essentials+: set Saturday availability → Invite to Showing; reminders fire 24h/2h. If Free: text/email times yourself | Set showing availability / Property Tour Automation on listing partners; confirmations per Avail tour tooling |
| 4. Collect applications | Invite to Apply (custom template if saved); track Pending Invites → Pending review; docs via mobile scan | Invite to Apply from Leads; applicants complete online app + pay screening by default | Request application (email/text) or accept Direct Application; co-applicants via roommate-friendly flow; Plus if you need custom questions |
| 5. Screening handoff | Enable auto-screening or request from application; review Screening tab / status column. Fee table → screening costs | Screening report arrives with application path; landlord-pay option if you cover. Pro Snappt if enabled before invite | Choose TransUnion report bundle / who pays; review in Avail. Location pricing varies |
| 6. Lease handoff | Accept application → e-sign lease path (see lease & e-sign) | Approve applicant → lease/e-sign (often Essentials+ for unlimited state leases) | Approve → state-specific lease + digital signing on Unlimited |
| 7. Cutover folder if you switch mid-vacancy | Create pipeline-YYYY-MM-DD/: lead contact CSV/sheet, prequal answers export or screenshots, completed application PDFs, screening PDFs (within vendor retention windows), showing calendar ICS or notes. Pipeline stages and chat history generally do not migrate. |
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At one door, TurboTenant Free wins if you want zero subscription for CRM + apps and will DIY showings; buy Essentials when calendar booking matters. RentRedi wins if you want prequal-gated showings + custom forms + auto-screen on one paid flat plan and accept Calendly for tours. Avail wins if you want free applications plus partner-site tour booking / Direct Apply and only pay Plus for custom questions.
Cutover / switch handoff for leads & applications
- Export people, not just “status”: Name, email, phone, property of interest, date of inquiry, prequal answers, application PDF, screening PDF. Stage labels (Lead / Applied / Screened) rarely import 1:1.
- Watch screening retention: RR help notes TransUnion reports can expire (e.g. 30-day availability language in screening-status help) — download while available.
- Rebuild templates: Custom RR application templates, TT Pro custom questions, and Avail Plus custom questions do not port. Keep a master question list offline.
- Showing links die with the old tool: TT invite links, Avail tour slots, and Calendly embeds pointed at old templates need re-issue after cutover.
- Pair with related pages: Vacancy listings for syndication; screening costs for fees; lease & e-sign for the next step; switch checklist for timing.
Fit notes for 1–20 units
- Want free lead CRM + free online applications: TurboTenant Free (or Avail Unlimited).
- Want native in-app showing slots with automated reminders: TurboTenant Essentials+ (or Avail partner-tour automation on free — confirm your listing partners).
- Want prequal before you ever show the unit, on a paid all-in flat plan: RentRedi 10-q prequal workflow.
- Want conditional custom application builder without hunting Pro/Plus: RentRedi’s custom application builder (paid plan).
- Want custom questions on a free core plan: none cleanly — TT needs Pro; Avail needs Plus; RR is paid overall.
- Want Realtor.com direct apply + tour booking in one free stack: Avail’s marketed partner flows.
- Need portable screening report math / who pays: use the screening costs page — don’t pick a PMS from this page alone for fee strategy.
Honest uncertainty callouts
- TT marketing still says “Premium” in places while help documents Free / Essentials / Pro — always open the live Subscription matrix.
- Showing Scheduling is clearly Essentials in the Sep 2026 cost article; older “for free” marketing around fill-your-vacancy tooling should not be read as free showings.
- RR Calendly article is the published showing automation path we found — if RR ships a native calendar later, this page would need a refresh.
- Avail “customizable screening questions” (pricing Screening block) vs “custom questions on rental applications” (Plus) may be different UIs — confirm in account before you upgrade solely for one extra question.
- Lead auto-archive (TT 30 days) can hide people you still want — export contacts before a long vacancy.
- We do not invent AI autodialers, guaranteed lease-up SLAs, or “application fee” flat amounts where vendors only publish screening report prices.
Related
- Roommate & co-tenant changes — screening a replacement roommate on an occupied unit
- Prorated rent & move-in charges — first-month proration, move-in bundles, mid-month credits
- Pet fees, pet rent & pet deposits — pet questions on the application and assistance-animal cautions
- Renewals & lease extensions — notice windows, e-sign renewals vs new lease, rent bumps, free vs paid gates
- Where DIY tools list vacancies — syndication that feeds this pipeline
- Tenant screening costs — who pays, what’s in the bundle (fee table lives there)
- Lease & e-sign — what happens after you approve an applicant
- Inspection & condition reports — move-in baseline after lease
- Document vault & lease files — where application PDFs and IDs land
- Tenant notices & communication logs — messaging after they become tenants
- Switch checklist — export apps / screening notes before you migrate
- RentRedi vs TurboTenant vs Avail — full criteria table
- Best PMS for 1–5 units — shortlist before you standardize a vacancy SOP
- Rent roll & occupancy — vacancy timing pairs with lead volume
- Per-unit vs flat-rate break-even — subscription math
- Co-signers & guarantors: co-signer / guarantor applications and per-person decisions
- Subleases & lease assignments: screening a proposed subtenant or assignee
- Small Portfolio Desk home
Educational product research only — not legal, fair-housing, or FCRA advice. Application fees, screening products, plan names, and partner-tour tools change. Confirm current menus, fee payers, and adverse-action requirements in each vendor’s help center, your live account, and with counsel before you advertise a fee or deny an applicant.