Overview
Executive Overview
Avail (formerly known as Rentalutions) is a comprehensive, cloud-based property management platform designed specifically for independent, "DIY" landlords and their tenants. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Chicago, the company was built to solve the inefficiencies faced by part-time landlords who manage small-to-mid-sized residential portfolios. In late 2020, Avail was acquired by Move, Inc., the operator of Realtor.com, which significantly expanded its market reach and integrated its tools into one of the world's largest real estate ecosystems.
The platform provides a full suite of tools that cover the entire rental lifecycle. This includes listing syndication to top rental sites, online tenant screening (credit, criminal, and eviction reports), state-specific digital lease agreements, online rent collection, and maintenance tracking. By centralizing these disparate tasks into a single dashboard, Avail helps landlords save time, remain compliant with local housing laws, and maintain professional relationships with their tenants.
Avail serves a massive but underserved segment of the real estate market: the independent landlord who owns between one and ten units. Historically, these individuals relied on spreadsheets, paper checks, and manual processes. Avail’s presence in the market has shifted this dynamic, providing institutional-grade technology to the "mom-and-pop" investor. Today, the company supports hundreds of thousands of landlords and tenants across the United States, positioning itself as a leader in the PropTech space for the independent rental market.
Company Differentiation
What distinguishes Avail as an organization is its commitment to "democratizing" professional property management tools. While many competitors focus on high-end luxury portfolios or institutional REITs, Avail’s company culture is built around supporting the "DIY" landlord—individuals who manage their own properties while often balancing full-time jobs.
Their business model is unique in its accessibility; by offering a robust free tier and monetizing through value-added services (like tenant screening fees and insurance), they lower the barrier to entry for small-scale real estate investors. Avail’s approach to customer success is deeply educational. They don’t just provide software; they provide a wealth of localized legal templates and guidance, reflecting a philosophy that empowered, informed landlords lead to better housing experiences for tenants. This focus on the "human" side of the rental relationship sets them apart from more clinical, purely transactional software providers. Their 2020 acquisition by Realtor.com (Move, Inc.) has further solidified their position, giving them the stability of a major industry player while maintaining the agile, user-centric culture of a specialized startup.
Company Demographics
Product Offerings
Avail offers two primary paths for users, distinguished by the level of automation and customization required:
- The "Unlimited" Plan (Entry Level): This is the core offering for landlords who want the basics for free. It covers the entire rental lifecycle but includes standard processing times and tenant-paid fees for ACH. Best for those with 1-2 units just starting their digital journey.
- The "Unlimited Plus" Plan (Professional Level): This is the premium offering for established landlords. Key differentiators include:
*
FastPay: Next-day rent deposits (crucial for mortgage alignment).
* Custom Leases: The ability to upload and "clone" custom lease agreements.
* Marketing Websites: A dedicated public-facing page to showcase all available listings.
* Fee Waivers: Landlords can choose to cover ACH fees for tenants to encourage adoption.
- Tenant-Side Services: Avail also offers 'CreditBoost' and Renter's Insurance as add-on services that tenants can opt into directly through their portal.
Product Differentiation
The primary technical advantage of Avail is its seamless, end-to-end automation of the rental lifecycle within a single interface. Unlike fragmented solutions that require separate tools for listing and accounting, Avail integrates these functions into a cohesive workflow.
Key product differentiators include:
* **Localized Lease Customization:** One of Avail’s strongest features is its library of state-specific, lawyer-reviewed lease templates. The platform automatically includes required local disclosures, a critical compliance feature that many general-purpose tools lack.
* **Integrated Syndication:** Avail allows landlords to publish listings across a vast network of high-traffic sites (including Zillow, Trulia, HotPads, and Realtor.com) with a single click, significantly reducing vacancy times.
* **Automated Rent Collection & "FastPay":** The platform offers sophisticated payment processing that includes automated late fees and the "FastPay" feature, which allows landlords to receive funds the next business day—addressing the cash-flow challenges common in small-scale property management.
* **Tenant-Side Portals:** Avail enhances the tenant experience by providing a dedicated portal for digital maintenance requests and CreditPlus, a feature that allows tenants to report on-time rent payments to credit bureaus, incentivizing timely payments.
* **Digital Transformation of Paper Processes:** From digital signatures to online rental applications with integrated background and credit checks, Avail eliminates the need for physical paperwork.
