Software for Private landlord — what matters?
Have you inherited or bought 1 to 10 flats, let them yourself and are tired of maintaining Excel spreadsheets? We show which features private landlords really need — and where the difference to professional property-management software lies.
Private landlord ≠ property management company
Classic property-management software such as Domus, Aareon or casavi is built for 100+ units: multi-user permissions, accounting with DATEV export, WEG management, banking, dunning with debt-collection integration. That costs €100–500/month — and is wildly over-dimensioned for a private landlord with 3 flats.
Software for private landlords is different: lean, quick to set up, no training required, cancellable monthly, mobile-first (smartphone operation matters).
The 7 most important features for private landlords
- 1. Nebenkostenabrechnung in <30 Min (statt 8 Std. Excel)
- 2. Capture receipts by photo (no manual typing)
- 3. Create tenancy agreements (legally compliant BGB template)
- 4. Match rent payments automatically (bank sync)
- 5. Automatische Mahnungen bei Zahlungsverzug
- 6. Create the tax export for your tax return
- 7. Mobile app for on the go (meter readings, photo receipts)
What you do NOT need as a private landlord
- Management of a homeowners' association (WEG) (unless you manage an external association)
- Full DATEV accounting (CSV export for the tax adviser is sufficient)
- Multi-user permissions (you're a single person)
- 24/7 phone support (online help + email is sufficient)
- On-premise hosting (the cloud is cheaper and more secure for one person)
Price range for private-landlord software 2026
- Excel (self-built): 0 €/mo — but 8-12 hrs of your own time per service-charge statement
- Entry-level tools (e.g. Hausverwalter, Rentprime Solo): 10–20 €/mo — up to 5 units
- Mid-range (e.g. Rentprime Pro, Vermietet.de, Etage): 25–50 €/mo — up to 25 units
- Pro tools (Rentprime Portfolio, casavi Solo): 50–100 €/mo — from 25 units
- Property-management software (Domus, Aareon): 200–800 €/mo — from 100 units
What should you look out for when choosing?
- UK GDPR + DPA 2018 + EU-Kern-Hosting (Kerndaten in der EU; KI-Funktionen über Anthropic/Google (USA), DPF-/SCC-abgesichert)
- German Operating Costs Ordinance (German operating-costs regulation) §2 — all 17 cost types included as standard
- German Heating Costs Ordinance (German heating regulation) §6a — monthly consumption information automated (mandatory since 2022)
- CO₂ cost allocation 10-level model calculated automatically
- 7-day trial, cancel anytime
- Cancellable monthly (no 12-month commitment)
- Export of your data as CSV/ZIP (no lock-in)
Common concerns — and how to resolve them
"I’m not good with computers": Modern landlord software is designed for use without IT skills. Anyone who can use online banking + WhatsApp can also use Rentprime.
"Why bother with all this for just 2 flats?": Even with 2 flats you spend ~16 hrs a year on Excel + receipts + reminders + tax return. Software does it in 4 hrs. At €15/month = €180/year for 12 hours saved: about €15/hr — cheaper than any tax adviser.
"What if the provider goes bust?": Make sure CSV data export is available at any time (all your data exportable into an Excel sheet). That way you are never tied to one provider.
Why Rentprime for private landlords
Rentprime was built for exactly this target group: 1-25 flats, one person, private landlords with no IT background. Solo plan from 15,90 €/Monat for up to 5 units — including service-charge statements, tenancy agreements, AI receipt recognition, dunning and tax export. 7-day free trial, cancellable monthly.