Frequently Asked Questions About Rentec Software

Here you will find a list of commonly asked questions about Rentec products.

Once I setup an account, can I reach somebody if I have any questions?
YES! Rentec Direct has the best support staff in the industry. We're not just saying that either as independent 3rd party reviews consistently rank us highest in customer support among all software solutions for property managers. Before or after you have an account, you can reach us toll-free at (800) 881-5139, or by email at [email protected], or during office hours we are available by live chat as well. Just look for the "Need Help" bubble in the lower right. Whatever your preference in communication, we're here to help.

Not only are we easily reachable, but Rentec Direct is the only major property management software that has a 100% US-based staff. All of our staff are located in Grants Pass, OR and are standing by to help. Our support staff are also all previous property managers and/or landlords, so not only does our support department understand the software, but they understand your business as well. You can't find this level of support anywhere else, we promise!
Why is this an online application and not a program that runs on my computer, such as Quickbooks® would?
An online application can be accessed from anywhere in the world at any time while a standalone application can only be accessed from the single computer it's installed on. By being an online property management software application, you, or any of your employees or business partners can at any time from their own location login to view the status of properties and tenants. Additionally, standalone property management applications only come up with updates periodically, usually less than once per year.

With an online application, when our developers enhance something it is available instantly to everyone without having to buy a new version of the software. Also, one major issue with standalone applications is that they store the data locally. This means if your computer crashes, you lose all your data which can be absolutely vital to your business. With an online application the data is automatically backed up and worst case if your workstation crashed, you could get a new computer or use a different computer and still login to the Rentec site and all your data remains intact.
Question: Is my data safe on your servers? Can I back it up?
Yes, and statistically your data is far safer being housed on our secure servers than it would be on any workstation. Rentec Direct runs on high reliability servers, while applications that run on your local workstation are much more susceptible to data loss and intrusion by hackers. There are many reasons for this.
  • The servers and data centers we utilize to host Rentec Direct and maintain your data have been certified to the strictest industry standards to be safe and reliable. Certifications include ISO 27001 (data security), ISO 27017 (cloud application security controls), and ISO 27018 (protection of data in the cloud).
  • In addition, our servers are routinely and randomly scanned and certified by a third party security vendors to ensure they are safe from both hackers and viruses.
  • Our servers are frequently backed up. On top of the many layers of redundancy we incorporate to ensure 100% uptime, we also backup frequently both on-site as well as off-site to ensure maximum reliability in the event of a catastrophic failure.
  • We use high-reliability enterprise grade hardware and software. Enterprise grade hardware and software provide a higher level of reliability than typical workstation class hardware. This keeps our systems online and running error free. We have historically maintained greater than 99.9999% uptime reliability; that's less than 31.5 seconds per year of downtime, an industry best.
  • Our servers use advanced bank-grade encryption to protect your property management data. In most cases, our encryption exceeds banking specifications.
  • We utilize two-factor authentication to verify the identity of every connection. This means that even if somebody guessed your password, they still won't be able to gain access. Rentec Direct is the only property management software solution providing this layer of security.

In contrast, when you run an application on your workstation you run the following risks. You do not have the following risks when using Rentec Direct.

  • Malicious software such as viruses and other malware are written for workstations. Thousands of computers every minute are infected with viruses without their owners ever knowing about it causing all their local data to be accessible to a nefarious 3rd party.
  • Workstation backups are often incomplete, or do not exist at all. A small user error, or a hardware failure can cause a complete loss of data if it is not backed up elsewhere. Hard drives crash all the time taking all their owner's precious data with them.
  • Workstation class hardware is inferior to enterprise grade hardware. PCs and Mac's die all the time causing loss of data and interruption of work. Rentec is online, therefore if your PC ever crashes, your back online and working with your data as quickly as you can scoot over to a different PC.
  • Typical workstations do not encrypt the data stored on them, so the data is easily visible to hackers who may connect in remotely or physically to your machine.

With Rentec Direct, you can also backup your data anytime. All your tenant, property, and bank account ledgers can be downloaded with a single click of your mouse.

What is the difference between Rentec PRO and Rentec PM?
Rentec Pro is designed for professional landlords or building managers and includes a Tenant Portal so tenants can login to view their account, pay their rent, or report maintenance issues. Rentec PM has all the features of Rentec Pro, but also includes support for property managers to do trust accounting and track owner accounting. Rentec PM also includes an owner portal so owners can login to view their accounts. To see a complete listing of features, please click here or to view a side by side comparison of features, click here.
Are online tenant payments free?
Yes they are! Rentec Pro and Rentec PM software enables your tenants to pay rent online. All payments made by electronic check (ACH) are included with your Rentec Pro or PM subscription. Please see the Online Payments FAQ for questions and answers related specifically to online payments.
How much does Rentec cost?
Rentec Direct starts at $45 per month and includes free online tenant payments and discounted tenant screening. To see what your exact price would be, enter your unit count on our pricing page.
Does Rentec Direct have an app?
Yes, Rentec Direct does have apps for both Apple and Android devices. Rentec Tenant Connect is an app for your tenants to log in and view their ledger, make maintenance requests, and pay their rent online. Rentec Owner Connect is designed for clients using Rentec PM and managing properties on behalf of property owners. The property owner can log in and view their property performance, and even make owner contributions right from the app. To enable a tenant or owner access to the app, simply edit them in the software and enable their Portal. They will receive an email that includes links to the apps.
What software do property managers use?
Property managers use Rentec PM as it contains the necessary tools to manage tenants, properties, and owners. Rentec PM includes the tools needed for the extra level of accounting detail required for managing trust accounts, including capabilities for 3-way reconciliation.
What software do landlords use?
DIY landlords use Rentec Pro to manage their properties. Rentec Pro provides a DIY landlord all the tools needed to manage your properties and tenants as well as complete reports needed to file taxes and provide 1099-MISC forms.

If you have a question that is not answered here, please call us at (800) 881-5139 or email [email protected] with your question and we will get back to you promptly.