Features and How-To
Property Management Software Setup Guide: Your First 30 Days
A week-by-week plan to set up property management software: structure, accounts, leases, balances, tenant invitations, automation and your first month-end close.
Features and How-To
What each feature does, how to set software up in the first 30 days and how to automate the routine work.
A platform is only as useful as the workflows you actually run in it. Most owners and small managers use a small part of the feature list, and the features they skip are often the ones that would have saved the most time.
These guides explain the core modules in plain language (accounting, leasing, payments, maintenance, communication and reporting), then show a realistic first-30-days plan, use cases for different property types and practical integration and automation ideas. A separate guide covers tenant screening and fair housing, because that is where software settings can create legal exposure if they are configured carelessly.
Read the beginner features guide first, then follow the first-30-days plan while you configure your account. The onboarding checklist in the Tools section mirrors that plan so you can track progress. Remember that software supports compliance but does not replace local landlord-tenant law or professional advice.
Guides in this topic
Features and How-To
Integrations and Automation Tips for Property Management Software
Which integrations to connect (accounting, banking, screening, e-signature, smart locks) and which routine tasks to automate safely, with testing steps and pitfalls to avoid.
Features and How-To
Property Management Software Key Features Explained for Beginners
A plain-language tour of the core modules in property management software: accounting, leasing, rent collection, maintenance, communication and reporting, and what to look for in each.
Features and How-To
Property Management Software Use Cases by Property Type
See which software features matter for single-family rentals, small multifamily, HOAs, commercial leases, student housing, short-term rentals and affordable housing programs.
Features and How-To
Tenant Screening and Fair Housing Settings in Property Management Software
How to configure applications, screening criteria and adverse action notices in property management software so decisions are consistent, documented and aligned with fair housing and FCRA rules.