Buildium Reviews

An Innovative Platform that Gets Things Done

Founded by two property managers who realized they spent too much time on tracking things in spreadsheets, Buildium started with the idea of simplifying property management. Over 16 years later, this is one of the top property management software systems that supports the needs of the modern manager. 

Thousands of Buildium property management reviews certify that the platform is user-friendly and flexible, with strong accounting features and management capabilities. The software continuously innovates and improves responding promptly to customer requirements. 

Like most solutions in this category, Buildium is cloud-based so you don’t need any hardware or software installation and you can access it anywhere and anytime via desktop using a browser or through the Buildium app. 

Read on to uncover the ins and outs of Buildium.

A Feature-Rich Software Solution

Buildium is a feature-rich platform that continuously listens to customers and improves. Below, we’ve reviewed the features that set this platform apart from rivals. To be more objective, we supplemented our research with Buildium user reviews.

Leasing 

Buildium offers one-click syndication with listing websites like Zillow, Trulia, Yahoo, Lovely, and Apartment List, enabling a unified view of listed/unlisted units. This functionality helps you keep track of upcoming vacancies, and gives you absolute control over every aspect of the rental process. 

The software’s free rental application translates into less paperwork and more efficiency. Prospective tenants can apply directly from your website, while you can customize the applications and track their status from the dashboard. They can be further set to update automatically but you can also edit data manually. One Buildium review, however, suggested that the platform could benefit from a search by application number and we agree this would be a nice functionality. 

Buildium offers screening too, providing access to the criminal, credit, and eviction history of prospective tenants. We also appreciate the option for e-leasing which further streamlines the processes. 

Choosing Buildium gives you access to a fully-integrated website for free. You can list available units, accept rental applications, and add portal logins to ease the communication. Many Buildium reviews on the web deemed this feature fast and handy. That said, with the website aiming to be functionally effective rather than aesthetically pleasing, you might be better off with a custom site with superior CSS if you wish to incorporate many visuals. Alternatively, you can consider going with another solution. For example, TenantCloud reviews say that the marketing website of this software is amazing, so you might want to give it a try. 

Buildium Accounting

Buildium is one of the top software systems in terms of accounting. It allows you to document all transactions and add notes. Users particularly love the option for keeping track of tenant transactions. 

The software also provides automated calculations, streamlines the conversion of work orders into bills, handles online payments and tax filing, and allows setting recurring payments. Reconciliations are flawless. You can pull your transactions from the bank accounts and reconcile the individual with the bank transactions to balance the books. 

On the flip side, some Buildium customer reviews indicate that this feature is unsatisfactory and doesn't integrate well. This shouldn’t be a problem for mid-size businesses but can interfere with the work of larger organizations that manage more units. 

Another downside is that Buildium’s accounting can be tricky for users with no experience in the field. While looking for alternatives, we found some Rentec Direct reviews suggesting that the accounting feature of this software is more beginner-friendly. That said, the robustness of Buildium’s accounting is worth investing a few hours to learn the ropes.

Business Operations

Buildium will make your life easier by streamlining day-to-day operations. Here’s an outline of the most useful related features: 

Buildium Tenant Portal  

The tenant portal (or Resident Center) is a highly appreciated feature that provides the owner with accurate information about the properties’ status, making the work more understandable. Residents can pay rent online and all transaction history is stored and available with one click. 

Tenants can also submit maintenance requests and track their status. Additionally, through the portal’s announcement board, residents receive updates and notices, emails, and texts, keeping the communication streamlined. All communication between the vendor and the resident is documented. 

The portal is available via desktop or mobile app, though one Buildium app review claimed that the app version is a bit less intuitive compared to competitors’ apps. Another potential downside is the lack of possibility to edit tenant info within the unit screen. 

Owner Portal

The portal gives owners access to statements, transactions, and financial reports. Also, you can upload leases, receipts, and other documents. 

Buildium reviews, however, suggest that the owner portal is a less popular feature of the platform with many users finding it confusing. This doesn’t mean you should give up Buildium property management software altogether—you just have to give it time to get a hang of this feature.

Document Storage

The document storage allows you to upload documents (be it leases, receipts, or floor plans) in unlimited quantities. Their size needs to be smaller though, and you might need to split them into parts to upload them. 

More than one Buildium review indicated that users often have issues with this. Documentation-wise, there might be better options but Buildium’s incredible features make up for the potential size-related issues.

Maintenance Requests

Buildium takes care of maintenance requests. Tenants can log those and vendors get to track the maintenance progress from the first request to completion. One downside is that the vendors see all work orders, not just their own, which can get a bit messy. 

Inspections

Users love the Happy Inspector integration. Buildium software reviews indicate that this feature is more than useful. You can easily build customized templates and inspect the units annually, quarterly, or whenever a tenant moves in/moves out. The inspection reports are stored with all the images and notes previously added. 

Renters Insurance

The built-in system for handling renters insurance allows vendors to offer insurance and track it online. Some users, however, report that managing insurance for damage becomes limited.

An Intuitive and Easy to Use Platform  

Buildium is a web-based software that can be used across multiple platforms. Apps for Android and iOS are also available. Buildium property management software reviews unanimously say that the program is easy to launch and scale up. Its interface is intuitive and has a logical ecosystem that brings about maximum productivity. 

Buildium eases the onboarding process too, ensuring a smooth transition while minimizing the risks. Not only do they take care of data migration but they also provide you with a custom training plan to focus on what you need the most to start seeing value from your investment as soon as possible. What users might not like is that this service comes at an additional fee.

Buildium Customer Service

Buildium offers technical support via support ticket for all customers. The team is friendly and knowledgeable, ready to solve any problem in a timely manner. If you submit a support ticket, you can expect an answer within 24 hours. 

Live support is only provided with the Growth and Premium plans. This particular service is perfect for the times when you need immediate assistance. 

The vendor offers fast and reliable priority support on-demand too. While this particular option is part of the company’s Premium plan, it can be purchased with the Growth plan too. 

Buildium Pricing: A Variety of Plans with Multiple Add Ons 

Buildium offers three pricing plans: 

Essential starts at $50/month and includes the basic features for automating daily business operations. Beyond the standard features, this plan offers e-leases at an additional price of $5 per lease. Essential further provides basic tenant screening and applicant paid basic screening.

Growth comes in at $160/month and caters to growing organizations offering additional features, performance insights, and Buildium support. This plan ups the Essential with unlimited e-leasing, performance analytics and insights, and premium tenant screening. Growth users get access to live phone support. Priority support is available for purchase while onboarding comes at additional fees.

Premium has a starting price of $460 per month and it’s a great option for large businesses or ones that want to scale. You will get a dedicated consultant for new client leads, access to open API, premium support, and insights-to-action. Additionally, you get access to the Buildium Rewards program which scores you a 15% Buildium discount.

All plans include a free Buildium website, standard reports, and ticket support. The starting prices refer to one unit. Every unit added will result in a price increase. Additionally, the subscription can be customized with different services (1099 e-filing, Showings Coordinator, Retail Cash Payments, etc.) which may require additional payment. 

Comparing the Buildium cost against the competition, we can say that the software is fairly expensive, especially for small businesses. The good news is that Buildium offers a free 14-day trial which you can use to see whether it’s the right choice for you. Signing up is easy and it only takes a minute. Another way to test the software before you commit financially to it is the Buildium demo. 

While the vendor doesn’t offer promo discount codes, Buildium Rewards lets you save an additional 15% on your annual subscription. The discount is based on the residents’ usage of services that you as a vendor provide through Buildium. If 30% of the active leases make payments of over $100 using a credit card and purchase an insurance policy through the Resident Center, you’ll get 15% off your annual subscription. The 30% usage must be kept for 6 or 12 months of the subscription.

The Verdict

Buildium is an all-in-one property management software that streamlines a variety of tasks from onboarding to accounting to rent collection. Considering the Buildium reviews we analyzed and our own research, this platform is able to support the needs of property managers, allowing them to take complete control of their business without having to deal with repetitive tasks. However, it can be quite pricey which is why we would not recommend it for small organizations.