Questions
we hear
most.
Straightforward answers for property managers, small landlords, and prospective tenants — covering the platform, the cost model, showings, screening, and more.
Getting started and understanding how the platform works.
The questions we hear most from property managers and landlords evaluating RentSmart.
Most users are live within 10 minutes for a first listing. You'll create your account, build your owner or company profile, set your screening criteria, and publish a listing. For property management firms onboarding multiple properties, we recommend booking a demo so we can walk through the setup together.
Small landlords can sign up, set criteria, and list a property entirely on their own — no sales call required. For property management firms, a demo isn't required either, but it's available if you'd like a walkthrough before going live with your first set of listings.
Yes. When you create your listing, you define the screening criteria you want applied — minimum credit score, income ratio, criminal history requirements, lease ledger requirements, and more. RentSmart validates prospective tenant profiles against those criteria. You set the rules; the platform applies them consistently.
RentSmart validates against your criteria — not its own. The final leasing decision is always yours.
No. RentSmart validates prospective tenant profiles against the screening criteria you set. The final leasing decision — approve or decline — is always made by you. RentSmart never approves or denies a prospective tenant on your behalf.
If you decline a prospective tenant, federal law generally requires you to provide an adverse action notice. RentSmart supports that process — creating a consistent, documented record of the criteria applied and the outcome communicated. You remain responsible for your leasing decisions and compliance obligations.
There is no hard limit on active listings. RentSmart is designed for operators managing multiple properties simultaneously. You can have multiple listings active under one account, each with its own criteria and showing configuration.
ManageCasa is live today. Additional property management software integrations are actively in development. For the most current status on a specific integration, book a demo and we'll walk through the current roadmap.
Both. Small landlords managing one to a few properties can sign up and go live in minutes without any sales process. Professional property managers handling 50–500+ homes get the same free platform access, with workflows built to handle recurring vacancy volume across a portfolio.
How the free model works — and why it stays free.
The most common questions we get from operators who are skeptical about the cost model.
Prospective tenants pay a one-time profile fee when they build a RentSmart profile. That fee funds the validation work inside the profile and supports the platform. Owners and managers don't pay because the tenant side covers the cost. This is the business model — not a promotional offer.
The free model for owners and managers is designed to be permanent, not a trial period.
The free model for owners and managers is the intended business model. The platform is funded by tenant profile fees, which makes free owner access sustainable long-term. There is no planned change to owner-side pricing.
No. There are no per-unit fees, no per-listing fees, and no per-screening fees for owners and managers. You can sign up, set criteria, activate listings, coordinate showings, and review validated tenant profiles at no cost.
Prospective tenants pay a one-time profile fee to build their reusable RentSmart profile. That profile can then be submitted to any participating listing — so they don't pay a new fee for each property they're interested in. The profile belongs to them and can also be downloaded or shared outside the platform.
No. RentSmart is funded by tenant profile fees — not by selling or monetizing owner, manager, or tenant data.
In-person and self-access showing workflows.
How RentSmart handles showing coordination — and what you need to know about hardware.
RentSmart supports two showing modes: in-person showings (where a team member meets the prospective tenant at the property) and self-access showings (where the prospective tenant enters the property independently using a time-limited access code). Both modes are coordinated through the platform.
In-person showings don't require any hardware. Self-access showings require CodeBox hardware installed at the property. If you don't have CodeBox installed, in-person showings are the available option. Contact us before setting up self-access workflows at a new property.
CodeBox is a lockbox hardware solution that allows time-limited, code-based access to a property. It's the hardware currently supported for self-access showings on RentSmart. For information on sourcing and installation, reach out through a demo request and we'll walk you through it.
Once a self-access showing is scheduled, a time-limited access code is automatically issued through the platform. The code is valid only during the scheduled showing window and expires automatically after the scheduled time. The prospective tenant uses the code to access the CodeBox lockbox at the property.
Yes. Additional lock and access hardware integrations are in development. CodeBox is the only supported integration today. We'll update the platform and notify users as new hardware options become available.
Yes. You can configure different showing workflows for different listings. Properties with CodeBox hardware installed can use self-access showings. Properties without hardware use in-person showing coordination. Both types can be active simultaneously across your portfolio.
What gets validated, how decisions work, and what RentSmart never does.
The most important page on the site for operators who want to understand the validation workflow and their compliance responsibilities.
A RentSmart profile includes: credit history and score, criminal background check, income and employment validation, bank statement analysis (three months), and lease ledger data — which shows the rent amount paid and whether payments were made on time, month by month. All information is validated before the profile reaches your review queue.
Lease ledger validation confirms the prospective tenant's prior rental payment history — specifically, the rent amount they were paying and whether they paid on time, month by month. Most screening tools only run a credit check, which gives you a score but not a validated rental payment record. Lease ledger data fills that gap.
Yes. RentSmart is built to flag document inconsistencies and potential fraud before your team reviews a profile. Common flags include income inconsistencies between pay stubs and bank deposits, document metadata anomalies, identity mismatches, and discrepancies between stated and validated rental history. Flagged issues are surfaced in the profile before you open it.
No. RentSmart validates profiles against your criteria and flags issues — but the final leasing decision is always made by you. RentSmart uses the word "validated" intentionally, not "approved." You decide whether to rent to someone. RentSmart supports the process.
RentSmart validates. You decide. Always.
When you decline a prospective tenant based on information in their profile, federal law generally requires that you provide them with an adverse action notice — a formal explanation citing the reason for the decision and the data sources used. RentSmart supports the adverse action notice workflow. You remain responsible for your leasing decisions and compliance obligations.
RentSmart is designed to support a consistent screening workflow by applying your defined criteria. You remain responsible for your own compliance with fair housing laws. RentSmart does not provide legal advice and does not make compliance decisions on your behalf. Consult your legal counsel for compliance requirements specific to your market and operations.
Yes. Data source availability for income validation, lease ledger, and other profile components may vary by region. Contact us or book a demo if you have questions about coverage in your specific market.
How the reusable profile works and what to expect.
For prospective tenants who have been directed to RentSmart or want to understand how the profile and profile fee work.
The profile fee covers the work required to gather and validate the information inside the RentSmart profile — credit history, income validation, employment confirmation, bank statement analysis, lease ledger data, and background check. The fee funds the platform that keeps owner and manager access free.
Yes. A RentSmart profile is reusable. Once built, it can be submitted to any participating listing inside the platform without paying again. It can also be downloaded as a PDF or shared via a secure link with any landlord — inside or outside the RentSmart platform.
The profile is private until the prospective tenant takes action. It is only shared with a landlord or manager when the tenant submits it to a listing or generates a share link. RentSmart does not share profiles with anyone without the tenant's action.
If a landlord declines to rent to you, they are required by law to provide an adverse action notice — a formal explanation that includes the reason for the decision and information about the data sources used. RentSmart supports that process. Your profile remains yours and can be submitted to other listings.
No. The landlord or property manager makes the final leasing decision — not RentSmart. RentSmart validates your profile information against the landlord's stated criteria and presents the result for their review. The decision to rent belongs to the landlord.
No. A validated RentSmart profile is not a lease approval and it is not a guarantee that any specific property will be offered to you. It is a validated profile that helps participating landlords and managers review your information more efficiently. The landlord still makes the final decision.
Still have a question? Let's talk.
Book a demo and we'll answer anything not covered here — and walk you through the platform at the same time.