Small landlords & PMs hub · By James Grokman, CEO, TapeAndFloat · Published October 25, 2026 · Updated October 25, 2026

Software for small landlords in 2027: a checklist

Most small landlords do not need a new platform in 2027. They need six things covered: books, rent collection, maintenance, leases, deposits and vendor paperwork. Check each one below, keep what already works, and fix the one that costs you the most first.

This page is not a ranked list of products, and nobody paid to be on it. It sorts rental office tools by the job they do so you can see which jobs are already covered and which are not. We make one of the tools in the last section; we say so where it comes up.

1. Books (keep what your bookkeeper uses)

Rent income, repairs, owner draws and taxes live in your accounting software or your bookkeeper's system. Switching at year end is rarely worth it. The question for 2027 is whether every expense carries a property or unit, so you can see what each one really earns.

2. Rent collection and late fees

One rent roll with what is due, what came in and what is late, checked on a set day each month. Late fees should follow the lease and your state's rules, and cash payments need a receipt. See our rent collection and late fees guide.

3. Maintenance requests and work orders

Every request gets written down with a date, a unit, who is handling it and when it was closed. Requests that live only in texts are the ones that turn into angry calls. See the maintenance and work order guide.

4. Lease renewals and expirations

Track each lease's end date and the notice days the lease itself sets, and decide on renewal well before the notice deadline. See tracking lease renewals and expirations.

5. Security deposits and move-outs

Record the unit's condition at move-in, keep invoices for every deduction and know your refund deadline. See tracking security deposits and move-out deductions and the unit turnover checklist.

6. Vendor paperwork: COIs, W-9s and invoices

No vendor works a unit without a current certificate of insurance on file, and no payment goes out without a W-9 and an invoice that matches the work order. See vendor COI and invoice tracking.

When a property management platform makes sense

Platforms such as AppFolio, Buildium and Yardi Breeze put tenant portals, online rent, accounting and maintenance in one system. They fit when you manage enough units that the per-unit or monthly price pays for itself and several people will use it every day. Some have unit minimums, so a landlord with a handful of doors may pay for far more than they use. Our comparison page has prices and fit taken from each vendor's own page.

Where an assistant fits (our product)

TapeAndFloat is a back-office assistant for small offices. It reads the tenant and vendor emails and texts you forward, keeps your own Google Sheet current, drafts reminders for you to approve, and flags what is slipping. It does not replace your accounting software, and nothing goes out without your OK. It is in a free pilot now.

A one-page 2027 checklist

Books: every expense has a property or unit.
Rent: one rent roll, checked on the same day every month.
Maintenance: every request written down, owned and closed with a date.
Leases: end dates and notice deadlines on one list, reviewed monthly.
Deposits: move-in records and deduction invoices kept for every unit.
Vendors: no work without a current COI, no payment without a W-9 and a matching invoice.
Pick the single weakest item and fix it in January before adding any new software.

Free 60-day pilot: forward your job emails to the assistant, keep working in your own Sheet, and we flag what is slipping. During the pilot we set it up one piece at a time and a real person reviews everything. No new app, no card. Request a pilot spot.

More guides

Frequently asked questions

What software does a small landlord need in 2027?

Usually accounting software plus a reliable way to track rent, maintenance, leases, deposits and vendor paperwork. Many small landlords cover these with a well-kept spreadsheet; a full platform pays off when the unit count and the number of people using it justify the price.

Should I switch to a property management platform?

Only if you manage enough units for the price to make sense and several people will use it every day. Otherwise fix the specific leak (late rent follow-up, lost maintenance requests, missed lease deadlines) first.

Is this a ranked list of the best property management software?

No. It sorts tools by the job they do. Nobody paid to be listed, and we name our own product only in the section about assistants.

Does TapeAndFloat replace my accounting software?

No. It works alongside your accounting software and your own Google Sheet.

Free tools

Maintenance request & work order tracker (Excel): sets due dates by urgency and flags open work orders past due, emergencies with no vendor and invoices over the limit.
Lease violation and notice log (Excel): a Log sheet (one row per issue: date observed, property / unit, tenant, issue type, lease clause, what happened in plain facts, evidence / photos link, notice sent, date sent, delivery method, copy saved link, tenant response, follow-up date, resolved date, who handled), a Units sheet with the current tenant and a signed lease link, and Settings with example follow-up and open-too-long days; flags no evidence link, notices sent with no copy saved or no date or delivery method, no follow-up date, follow-ups overdue, open too long, nobody handling and units not on your list. Record-keeping only: your lease and local/state law set what notice is required and how it must be delivered; general information, not legal advice.
Utility transfer checklist / log (Excel): a Transfers sheet (one row per unit, per utility, per move-in, move-out or vacant period: provider, account #, who holds the account after, transfer or stop requested, confirmed and proof, meter reading with date and photo link, final bill date and amount, bill-back amount, sent and paid dates), a Units sheet with which utilities the tenant and owner pay per the lease, and Settings with example reminder, final-bill and follow-up days; flags transfers not requested before a move, no confirmation, missing readings or photos, final bills not in, bill-backs not sent or not paid and units not on your list. Your lease and local/state law set who pays and what can be billed back; general information, not legal advice.
After-hours maintenance request triage log (Excel): a Requests sheet (one row per request: received date and time, property / unit, caller, call-back number, issue category, what they said, safety message given, urgency chosen by a person (Emergency now / Next business day / Routine), who decided, vendor called, called-back time, scheduled for, resolved date, photos link), a Units sheet and Settings with an example category list and example call-back targets set by your own policy; flags no urgency set, emergencies with no call-back logged, call-backs later than your target, next-business-day requests not scheduled by the next workday, no vendor, open too long and units not on your list. Gas smell, fire or smoke: tell the caller to get out and call 911 first. General information, not legal advice.
Property obligations calendar (Excel): an Obligations sheet (one row per property per obligation: insurance renewal, property tax, HOA dues, registration or permit, loan escrow check; payee, policy or account #, due date, amount, who pays, escrow confirmed, reminder days, date paid, proof of payment link, renewal quote requested), a Properties sheet and editable example reminder days; flags bills past due and not paid, due soon, no due date, no amount, no proof of payment, escrow not confirmed, policies expiring with no renewal quote and unknown properties. Your county tax office, HOA and insurer set the real dates; general information, not tax, legal or insurance advice.
Move-in / move-out inspection log (Excel): an Inspections sheet (one row per unit per inspection: due date, date done, who, tenant present and signed, photos link, photos dated, damage noted, estimated cost, invoice link, forwarding address, status, deposit deadline from your own setting) and a room-by-room Room Checklist with move-in and move-out condition side by side; flags inspections not done on time, move-outs with no move-in inspection on file, missing photos or signatures, damage with no cost, costs with no invoice and deposit deadlines coming up. General information, not legal advice.
W-9 & 1099 vendor payment tracker for landlords (Excel): a Payees sheet for plumbers, HVAC, cleaners, handymen, attorneys and other vendors (entity type, W-9 received date, mailing address; never the full tax ID) and a Payments sheet (date, vendor, amount, method, property / unit), with a total per vendor for the tax year and flags for paid with no W-9 on file, W-9 after the first payment, over the reporting threshold (editable; $2,000 for 2026 payments per irs.gov), corporations to confirm, attorneys, missing address, card/app payments and payments to someone not on the list. Whether your rental must file 1099s: ask your tax preparer. General information, not tax advice.
Rental inquiry & showing log (Excel): one row per prospect (date received, source, property and unit, move-in date asked, first reply, showing date, next step and date, status, last contact), with flags for no reply yet, showings passed with no status update, shown with no follow-up, overdue next steps and stale inquiries; thresholds on a Settings sheet.
Rent roll & late fee tracker (Excel): one row per unit per month; shows each balance, the earliest day a late fee can apply and the Texas late-fee limit by building size, and flags rent past due, fees over the limit, charged too early or without written-lease notice, cash with no receipt, missed promises to pay and balances with no reminder sent.
Lease expiration & renewal tracker (Excel): one row per lease; enter the end date and the notice days from the lease and it works back to the notice deadline, your decide-by date and a reminder, and flags leases to decide on now, notice deadlines passed with nothing sent, leases past their end date, unanswered offers and renewals accepted but not signed.
Owner statement template (Excel): properties and owners, income and expenses logged once, and one statement row per property per month with rent collected, other income, expenses, management fee (editable %), reserve held and net due to the owner; flags expenses missing a receipt, uncategorized expenses, unknown properties and negative balances.
Preventive maintenance calendar (Excel): one row per recurring task per property with interval in months, last done, next due and days left; flags overdue and due-soon tasks, rows with no interval or date, no one assigned and unknown properties; Task Ideas sheet with example intervals and the Texas smoke alarm note (Prop. Code 92.255, 92.258).
Security deposit & move-out deductions tracker (Excel): sets each refund deadline from the move-out date (Texas default 30 days, editable) and flags deposits past due, due within 7 days, missing a forwarding address or with deductions lacking an invoice.
What the assistant catches: the list of things it watches for in your inbox and Sheet.
Vendor paperwork tracker (Excel): flags missing W-9s and COIs and vendor COIs expiring within 30 days.
Compare: spreadsheet vs software: how a Sheet plus an assistant stacks up against contractor software.

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