The property rental industry is undergoing a seismic shift. What was once an arena dominated by large property management firms and corporate landlords is now increasingly filled with independent owners—everyday people managing one or a handful of properties. These landlords often enter the market seeking long-term financial security, sometimes viewing their rental units as their only retirement plan. Yet the path is daunting. Between evolving regulations, rising tenant expectations, and the constant pressure of managing vacancies, small landlords frequently find themselves underprepared and overwhelmed. Into this challenging landscape steps TurboTenant, a platform designed to give independent landlords the tools and confidence they need to succeed. By combining intuitive technology with a deep understanding of landlord and tenant pain points, TurboTenant has grown rapidly—now welcoming more than 600 new landlords to its platform every day with a total of 850,000 to date. For Seamus Nally, who joined the company in 2018 and became CEO in 2021, this mission is deeply personal. “Our landlords aren’t real estate titans,” he explains. “They’re blue-collar and white-collar individuals who saw real estate as a path to financial success. For many, real estate is the most expensive investment they’ve ever made. We want to make sure they’re not just winging it.”

The Growing Need for Smarter Landlord Tools
Independent landlords represent a significant slice of the rental market — roughly 42% in the U.S. Yet their challenges are unique. Unlike large apartment operators, they don’t have in-house legal teams or professional property managers to navigate complex housing regulations. Every legislative change, from fair housing compliance to local rental caps, has the potential to create costly pitfalls. TurboTenant bridges this gap by employing a legal team to update its lease templates, ensuring they remain compliant with state and local laws. For less than the cost of a single hour with an attorney—landlords gain access to agreements that are both legally sound and easy to use. “It also alleviates the need for a property manager,” says Nally. “And more than that, it gives landlords peace of mind. They feel confident that they have a process in place, that they’ve got it.” This confidence, he stresses, is as valuable as the financial and time savings. For many landlords, TurboTenant is the difference between seeing their property as a stressful side gig and viewing it as a legitimate, well-run business.

At its core, TurboTenant is designed around the landlord’s journey, from marketing a vacancy to collecting rent and managing tenant relationships. The platform provides a centralized hub that streamlines what used to be a fragmented and inefficient process. The journey begins with marketing. Landlords can post listings that syndicate across Realtor.com, Apartments.com, Redfin and other major rental sites, all while managing leads in a single dashboard. This feature resonates strongly with users. “The most consistent praise we hear is about marketing and syndication,” notes Nally. “When you’ve got a vacancy, there’s this mini panic — every day it’s empty, you’re losing money. We eliminate that stress.”

From there, TurboTenant simplifies screening with rental history checks, credit reports, and eviction records — only where legally permissible — to ensure landlords can make informed decisions. The process continues with city- and state-specific lease builders that guide landlords’ step by step, much like TurboTax helps with filing taxes. The final stage, residency, handles the ongoing relationship. Tenants can pay rent, submit maintenance requests, and communicate with landlords through the app. For landlords, automation becomes a critical ally. Rent reminders go out automatically, reducing awkward conversations and fostering a more professional landlord-tenant dynamic. “The system allowed me to treat my tenants like customers,” Nally reflects. “It created a respectful, professional relationship, while still ensuring the business side was handled.”

Automating the Mundane, Elevating the Professional
For landlords managing one to 50 units, time is scarce, and stress is high. TurboTenant’s automation tools aim to remove the mundane burdens of management. Lease creation, rent collection, late-fee enforcement, and even tax preparation is handled within the system. The company recently added integrated accounting features, enabling landlords to track expenses with ease. Nally gives a personal example: “One of my tenants submitted a maintenance request for a broken toilet handle. I ran to Home Depot, made the purchase, and fixed it. With TurboTenant, I can snap a picture of the receipt, it’s categorized automatically, and at the end of the year, I just export my Schedule E for taxes.” For many independent landlords, this level of organization was previously unattainable without hiring a property manager or bookkeeper.

A common challenge for landlords is sorting through dozens of leads to find the right tenant. TurboTenant helps convert an average of 28 leads per listing into qualified applicants through structured showings, comprehensive applications, and background checks. By centralizing communication, the platform reduces the common problem of renters feeling “ghosted” — a frustration Nally acknowledges plagues the industry. This emphasis on quality not only protects landlords’ investments but also enhances tenant experiences. “Fixing landlord challenges trickles down,” Nally explains. “When communication is clear and payments are easy, renters benefit just as much.”

Perhaps TurboTenant’s most disruptive innovation is its freemium model. Landlords can sign up and begin using the platform without paying a cent. Revenue primarily comes from tenant application fees, which go to TurboTenant instead of landlords, reducing incentives for landlords to collect unnecessary applications. “The way we see it, if we can’t prove the value, you shouldn’t have to pay,” says Nally. This model has fueled remarkable growth. “I remember when 10 signups in a day were exciting. Now we average over 600 daily. That scale allows us to hear more from landlords, understand their pain points, and keep building better solutions.”

AI-Powered Innovation
The next frontier for TurboTenant is artificial intelligence. The company is exploring ways to automate both lead management and maintenance triage. For prospective tenants, AI could handle inquiries, schedule showings, and ensure no lead feels ignored. For maintenance, the system could guide tenants through troubleshooting steps — suggesting a breaker reset for a faulty outlet or shutting off a water main to prevent damage. With more than 270,000 maintenance requests already processed through TurboTenant, the platform has a rich dataset to train AI systems that can improve efficiency and prevent costly problems. “It resolves issues faster for tenants and gives landlords the information they need to act immediately,” says Nally.

Speaking to TurboTenant’s long-term vision, Nally is clear: the goal is to bring technology to the many landlords still managing without it. “We’re on the frontier of adoption,” he says. “There are still so many landlords not using any software. We’re excited to reach them and show them that solutions like this exist.” The vision is simple yet powerful — to empower independent landlords across the country with professional-grade tools that once seemed reserved for corporate operators. TurboTenant isn’t just streamlining processes; it’s reshaping how landlords see themselves and their businesses. As Nally puts it, “Our landlords want to feel like they’ve got it. We exist to make sure they do.”