Easily tailor the terms for application process fees, ensuring flexibility and compliance with Rentec Direct’s new customization option for landlords, property managers, and real estate investors.
For landlords, property managers, and real estate investors, staying up-to-date with ever-changing state and local laws is important, especially when it comes to collecting fees before a new tenant moves in. Across the United States, regulations concerning these “pre-tenancy” payments vary widely, even from city to city. Where one state allows as an “Application Fee,” another might only permit a “Screening Fee,” and these distinctions are more than just semantics; they carry different legal meanings. Mislabeled charges can lead to significant fines, compliance issues, and costly legal battles.
But there’s good news: Rentec Direct’s new enhancement offers an easy solution that enables you to easily tailor the term used for fees applied during the application process, adapting to your local jurisdiction requirements. This feature directly addresses the critical need for precise terminology by making it simple to name the term used in your Rentec Direct account.
This customization capability allows you to:
Stay Compliant: Easily adjust to state or city-specific terminology requirements, reducing the risk of legal disputes.
Streamline Operations: Make sure everything’s consistent across your online applications, accounting ledgers, and financial reports.
Enhance Professionalism: Maintain accuracy and transparency in your application process, building trust with prospective tenants.
Introducing New Term Customization Option for Application Fee
Rentec Direct’s new feature provides the flexibility to customize the term that applies throughout your software, enabling you to brand your company while maintaining compliance.
Once you’ve changed the default “Application Fee”, the new term will be reflected in key areas:
In the online rental application: Present clear and legally compliant terminology to applicants.
In the accounting ledgers: Ensure accurate financial tracking under the correct legal designation.
In financial reports: Generate reports that align with local legal and accounting standards.
Pro Tip: To further enhance transparency and documentation, include a breakdown of all fees in the “Instruction” section of your online application to create transparency and documentation of disclosed charges.
Rentec Direct’s Suite of Customizable Terms
The new “Application Fee” customization is part of Rentec Direct’s broader suite of customizable terms for commonly used phrases within the software. This allows for greater personalization and compliance across your entire property management workflow.
Currently customizable terms include:
NEW Application Fee
Default Rent
Driver’s License
Late Fee
License
Rent
Tenant
Zip
Once customized, the term you’ve selected will be consistently displayed in reports, ledgers, and communications, as well as throughout your software.
Effortless Setup: Customize Your Terms in Under 60 Seconds
By following these simple steps, you can ensure your Rentec Direct account is fully aligned with state-specific terminology, enhancing your compliance and streamlining your application process. In less than 60 seconds, you can customize the term used for fees received during the application or pre-screening process across your software, applications, and financial reports.
Here’s how to set up your custom term:
In your Rentec Direct account:
Click on Settings
Under Tools, click on Customize Terms
Next to Application Fee, enter the term to be applied to funds received during the application process.
Click Save Changes
Final Thoughts
Rentec Direct is continuously working to empower you in today’s ever-changing regulatory landscape! Features like this new customization option, which offer both flexibility and precision, are incredibly valuable for helping landlords, property managers, and real estate investors operate confidently, compliantly, and efficiently in their states.
Suggest a Feature
Our goal is always to make your tasks as a landlord, property manager, or investor simpler, quicker, and more efficient. One of the ways we accomplish this is by reviewing valuable feedback and input from our awesome clients. If there’s anything you would like to see added to enhance your Rentec Direct experience, please send your ideas and suggestions to [email protected].
About Rentec Direct
Rentec Direct delivers industry-leading property management software and tenant screening solutions to real estate professionals. Key features include online rent payments, a mobile app and tenant portal, vacancy listing syndication, and accounting tools. Founded in 2007, Rentec Direct is the third-largest software provider in its sector and is consistently the highest-rated by investors, landlords, and property managers. Recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies for nine consecutive years, Rentec Direct was also named Real Estate Company of the Year in the 2025 American Business Awards and listed among the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Top 100 Small Businesses. rentecdirect.com
