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What is Rently

Rently is a prop-tech company that offers self-guided touring, smart-home devices, access control and leasing automation solutions, primarily for the rental housing industry. (Rently)
Its stated mission: streamline leasing, improve rental operations, boost occupancy and resident experience. (Rently)

Originally founded around 2011, Rently introduced its patented self-showing technology (letting prospective renters view units without a leasing agent present) and then expanded into hardware and full lifecycle management. (Rently)

Key Offerings

Here are major product and service lines Rently provides:

Self-Guided Tours

Prospective renters can tour homes or units on their own schedule, unlocked via smart access or verification, without needing a leasing agent physically present. (Rently)
This means properties can be shown outside typical business hours and staff time is freed up. (Rently)

Smart Home & Access Control Technology

Rently offers IoT devices: smart locks, thermostats, door/window sensors, security cameras, access panels for communities. (Rently)
These are meant to provide value both for property managers (asset protection, remote control) and for residents (convenience, security). (Rently)

Leasing Automation & Lifecycle Platform

Beyond touring and hardware, Rently emphasizes its “Resident Lifecycle Management (RLM)” platform. From vacancy advertisement, lead management, self-tour scheduling, lease signing, move-in/move-out, smart home integration — all under one roof. (Rently)
For example, they claim “one login to control every aspect of the renter journey.” (Rently)

Marketing & Advertising Tools

They also provide vacancy advertising (listings), lead nurturing tools (automated SMS, scheduling) so that properties using Rently can promote themselves and capture prospects more effectively. (Rently)

Why It Matters / Value Proposition

From Rently’s materials and independent reviews, here are some of the main benefits:

Increased leasing velocity: Self-guided tours shorten the time from interest to lease, because fewer scheduling bottlenecks. (smartrent.com)
Expanded showing hours: Since tours can happen outside of normal business hours, properties get more exposure. (Rently)
Operational efficiency: Less staff time spent doing manual showings, key hand-offs, etc. Smart/home hardware can reduce maintenance or utility costs. (Rently)
Resident-experience enhancement: The modern renter expects smart-home features, convenient access, flexibility; Rently positions their hardware suite to meet these expectations. (Rently)
End-to-end integration: Instead of piecing together disparate systems (lock, listing site, access control), Rently markets offering the full stack in one platform. (Rently)

History & Company Details

Headquarters: Los Angeles, California. (Better Business Bureau)
Founded around 2011, by founders Merrick Lackner (CEO) and Clark Li (CTO). (Rently)
Over a decade in operation, they claim more than 20 million self-tours completed and broad deployment across the US. (Rently)
Accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) with A+ rating. (Better Business Bureau)

Critiques / Considerations

No company is perfect; here are some of the areas where Rently may face issues or limitations:

According to one review by SmartRent, although Rently’s self-touring and smart-home features are strong, the company does not function as a full property-management system (PMS). For example, work order management, inventory tracking, vehicular gate access integration may be limited. (smartrent.com)
Customer complaints: On the BBB profile there are ~149 complaints in the last 3 years. (Better Business Bureau) Some of the complaints relate to service issues (account access locked, technical issues), tour scheduling problems, or unauthorized access concerns.
Because one of their features is “self-guided tours,” where the renter visits alone, there is potential for security or misuse concerns. Some complaints reflect interactions with law enforcement because of access misunderstandings. (Better Business Bureau)
Pricing transparency seems limited for larger or multifamily portfolios; the review notes that pricing varies significantly and full details require consultation. (smartrent.com)

Use Cases & Ideal Customers

Rently’s solution is especially well-suited for:

Single-family rental portfolios: Owners/companies with multiple homes who want to reduce staff overhead and enable remote showings.
Multifamily properties/student housing/build-to-rent: Properties that benefit from smart home features and remote access. Rently mentions these industries explicitly. (Rently)
Properties that prioritize modern renter amenities: If you want to market your units as “smart / connected,” then offering smart locks, thermostats, sensors helps differentiate.
Properties seeking more showings beyond standard business hours: If your prospects often cannot make weekday tours, self-guided tours via Rently help.

It might be less ideal if: you need a full-function property management system (work orders, heavy inventory, parking/gate systems) and want deeply integrated operations for an enterprise multifamily portfolio. Then you might need to pair Rently with other software or choose a platform that handles everything. (smartrent.com)

In Practice – What to Expect

Say you manage a rental property and you decide to roll out Rently. Here’s a rough idea:

Install the smart-home and access control hardware (smart locks on units, sensors, maybe smart thermostats) across your vacant units or units being marketed. The hardware integrates with Rently’s platform. (Rently)
Enable self-guided tours: Prospects apply online (verification), get a time slot or instant access code, unlock the unit themselves. No agent present. This expands scheduling and reduces staff showings.
Use Rently’s platform to list vacancies, advertise, manage leads, send automated SMS follow-up, schedule tours. Then monitor conversion from showing to lease. (Rently)
After lease-signing, resident moves in. Smart home devices give remote control (thermostat, smart lighting, sensors), managers can monitor usage, damage prevention, security alerts. Units equipped with sensors might alert to leaks, open doors, unauthorized access. (Rently)
At move-out, access codes can be revoked automatically, preparing the unit for next tenant. Maintenance personnel can get temporary access codes, common areas controlled via access panel. (Rently)

If implemented well, you might see reduced vacancy time, higher showings, less staff time devoted to manual tours, and an improved resident experience.

Future & Market Context

The rental housing market is competitive and evolving. Renters increasingly expect convenience, flexibility, smart-home features. Property companies are under pressure to reduce operational costs, improve conversion. Rently fits into that trend.

PropTech (property technology) is growing rapidly. Companies like Rently that combine hardware (smart locks, sensors) and software (leasing automation) are positioned to succeed. However, as noted, the space is competitive and some companies offer broader platforms (work orders, full PMS) or deeper integrations. Rently’s review highlighted competitors like SmartRent, ButterflyMX, Brivo. (smartrent.com)

Rently claims many patents in its self-touring and smart home access domain. (Rently)

Key Takeaways

Rently offers a unified approach to rental-housing technology: self-guided tours + smart home hardware + leasing automation.
It can significantly help property managers increase showings and leases, particularly by enabling tours outside traditional hours.
The smart home hardware adds value for both residents and managers (security, convenience, cost savings).
It’s not a full substitute for a full property-management system if that’s your need — you may need integrations or additional software.
Implementation and support matter: hardware installation, lead verification, security protocols, user experience (for renters) all need to work well.
As with any vendor, check pricing, contract terms, hardware compatibility, support responsiveness, and how it fits your portfolio size.
For renters, Rently‐enabled properties can offer more flexibility in scheduling tours and a more modern experience.
For property owners/managers evaluating Rently: weigh your current pain points (tour bottlenecks, staffing, maintenance costs, resident churn) and assess whether the investment gives a strong ROI in your market.

FAQ

Q: Can renters use Rently directly to find apartments?
Yes. Rently offers a “For Renters” interface where tenants search for Rently-enabled homes, schedule self-tours, become “Verified Renter” and tour on their own. (Rently)

Q: Does Rently work for both single-family and multifamily properties?
Yes. Their marketing explicitly lists single-family homes, multifamily, student housing, build-to-rent. (Rently)

Q: What hardware is involved?
Examples include: Smart Bolt Elite smart lock, Access Panel Pro (for common areas), license-plate recognition camera for parking, sensors for leaks/doors/windows, smart thermostats and outlets. (Rently)

Q: Are there risks or things to watch out for?
Yes. As with any self-touring system: verifying identity of tour-users, securing access codes, ensuring proper hardware installation, handling technical glitches. Also ensure your staff is trained and systems integrated. Review complaint histories (e.g., on BBB) and ensure vendor support is solid. (Better Business Bureau)

Q: What about cost / ROI?
Costs depend on scale, hardware selected, number of units. One customer case cited by Rently claimed positive ROI in about 1.2 years. (Rently) It’s advisable to model your specific unit counts, vacancy reductions, staff savings to decide.

Q: How does Rently compare to other vendors?
According to one review: Rently is strong in self-guiding tours and entry into smart home tech, cost-effective for smaller portfolios. But for full enterprise property management (maintenance, gate access, integrations) other vendors may be more comprehensive. (smartrent.com)

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