Software comparison

LeaseRooster vs Buildium

Buildium does the accounting a management company needs when it holds other people's money: trust account reporting, 1099 e-filing, report packets batched out to owners. If the rentals are yours, most of that sits unused, and the cheapest plan still starts at $62 a month.

Pricing and fees

  • Free tier: LeaseRooster Up to 3 units, Buildium 14-day trial only
  • Lowest published monthly price: LeaseRooster $0, then $39 for up to 25 units, Buildium $62 (Essential)
  • E-signature fees: LeaseRooster 5 to 40 envelopes a month on paid plans, then $2.50 each, Buildium $5 per document on Essential
  • Onboarding: LeaseRooster Self-serve import, Buildium Required on Growth and Premium

Getting your data in and out

  • CSV or Excel import with a preview and undo: LeaseRooster yes, Buildium Done by their team
  • Full export of every record: LeaseRooster Growth plan and up, Buildium partial
  • 24-hour undo on imports: LeaseRooster yes, Buildium Not documented

Leasing and management

  • Customizable lease clauses: LeaseRooster yes, Buildium Reusable templates
  • CA rent control and AB 1482 support: LeaseRooster yes, Buildium Not documented
  • E-signature: LeaseRooster yes, Buildium yes
  • Online applications: LeaseRooster yes, Buildium yes
  • Tenant screening: LeaseRooster Through your own provider, Buildium $17 a report (TransUnion)
  • Rent collection with autopay: LeaseRooster yes, Buildium Online payments
  • Maintenance and work orders: LeaseRooster yes, Buildium yes
  • Vendor management: LeaseRooster yes, Buildium yes
  • Condition reports with photos: LeaseRooster yes, Buildium Inspections add-on on Essential
  • Document vault with search: LeaseRooster yes, Buildium partial

Accounting

  • Owner statements: LeaseRooster no, Buildium yes
  • Trust account reporting: LeaseRooster no, Buildium yes
  • Schedule E tax export: LeaseRooster yes, Buildium Not documented

Who is each tool best for?

  • LeaseRooster: Own and manage your rentals yourself, with no outside owners to report to
  • LeaseRooster: Want to start free on up to 3 units instead of at $62 a month
  • LeaseRooster: Would rather import your own spreadsheet, with a preview and a 24-hour undo for imports that add new records, than schedule an import call
  • LeaseRooster: Manage California rentals and want AB 1482 rent caps and deposit rules written into the lease
  • Buildium: Manage 200 or more units for other owners with staff, and need trust accounting and owner statements, which LeaseRooster does not have
  • Buildium: Run community associations as well as rentals
  • Buildium: Want their team to format your records and load them for you

Pricing and fit

Buildium's plans start at $62 a month for Essential, $192 for Growth, and $400 for Premium. E-signatures are billed per document below Premium, and screening is $17 a report. There is a 14-day trial but no free plan. LeaseRooster is free for up to 3 units, then $39, $79, or $149 a month depending on how many units you have.

See if LeaseRooster fits your setup

Start free with 3 units. No credit card required.