Apartments.com absorbed Cozy's landlord tools and became a major rent collection platform. But between landlord dashboard fees, tenant card processing charges, and the platform's primary agenda of selling listing upgrades — it's worth knowing exactly what you're paying.
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After Cozy's shutdown in December 2022, Apartments.com became the default option for thousands of displaced landlords. The platform offers rent collection, applications, and lease storage — but the fee structure is more complex than Cozy was.
| Feature / Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Basic landlord access | Free (limited features) |
| Full landlord dashboard | $4/month |
| ACH payment (bank transfer) | Free to landlord (tenant may pay fee) |
| Card payment processing | 2.99% charged to tenant |
| Background check (applicant pays) | Varies by report type |
| Premium listing visibility | $29–$99/month |
| Lease templates (basic) | Included |
The 2.99% card fee adds up fast.
On a $1,400 rent payment, that's $41.86 in card fees — every month. For a 5-unit landlord with all tenants paying by card: $209/month in card processing alone. VerticalRent charges $2 flat, regardless of payment method.
Assuming 5 units, average rent of $1,400/month. Let's do the math.
Apartments.com (if tenants use card, $1,400 avg rent)
Card fees paid by tenants, but landlord still eats the friction
Monthly
$209/mo in card fees alone
Annual
$2,508/yr in card fees + $48/yr dashboard
Apartments.com (ACH only, no card)
Works only if all tenants use ACH
Monthly
~$10/mo + $4 dashboard
Annual
$168/yr
VerticalRent (Starter + $2 flat × 5 units)
Includes AI screening, lease gen, tax summary
Monthly
$12 plan + $10 collection = $22/mo
Annual
$264/yr total
VerticalRent's $264/year includes AI tenant screening, AI lease generation, and AI tax summary that Apartments.com doesn't offer at any price tier. The pricing comparison understates VerticalRent's value because it doesn't account for the AI capabilities you're getting.
$2 Flat
Per rent payment. ACH or card. No percentage. Ever.
vs. Apartments.com's 2.99% card fee or $4/month dashboard
| Feature | VerticalRent | Apartments.com |
|---|---|---|
| Rent collection fee | $2 flat per payment | 2.99% card / $4/mo dashboard |
| Free for 1-unit landlords | Yes — full features | Limited / $4/mo for full access |
| AI tenant risk score | 0–100 + plain-English summary | Not available |
| AI lease generation | Full lease in seconds | Not available |
| AI maintenance triage | Auto-categorize & prioritize | Not available |
| AI tax summary | Schedule E categorization | Not available |
| Listing syndication | Focused on management | Excellent — top-5 rental site |
| Income/expense ledger | Full ledger + AI categorization | Not available |
| FCRA adverse action notices | Auto-generated | Not available |
| Applicant-pays screening | Always free for landlords | Applicant pays |
Based on publicly available information as of 2026. Features may vary by plan.
Apartments.com is a listing company. VerticalRent is a landlord management platform. That difference shows up in every feature — especially AI.
AI Risk Score
0–100 tenant score + reasoning
AI Lease Gen
Full customized lease in seconds
AI Maintenance
Auto-triage & categorize requests
AI Tax Summary
Schedule E ready in minutes
AI Listings
Convert more applicants, faster
AI Expense Cat.
Every expense auto-labeled
Apartments.com is a legitimate platform for landlords who want listing distribution. If your primary concern is getting a vacant unit filled fast, Apartments.com's reach into the renter market is genuinely valuable.
But if your primary concern is managing your tenants after you've found them — collecting rent affordably, screening rigorously, generating leases quickly, and handling maintenance intelligently — Apartments.com isn't built for that. VerticalRent is.
The $2 flat rent collection fee alone saves a 5-unit landlord with card-paying tenants hundreds of dollars per year. Add AI features Apartments.com doesn't have at any price, and the math isn't close.
Apartments.com charges $4/month for the full landlord dashboard. Tenants pay 2.99% for card payments.
Basic access is free, but full rent collection features require a paid subscription of approximately $4/month.
VerticalRent charges $2 flat per payment — no percentage, no monthly dashboard fee. Plus AI features Apartments.com doesn't offer.
Yes. CoStar shut down Cozy on December 31, 2022 and migrated all users to Apartments.com's landlord platform.
Apartments.com is stronger on listing distribution. VerticalRent is stronger on price, AI features, and management tools. If you care more about finding tenants, Apartments.com. If you care more about managing them, VerticalRent.
Switch your rent collection to VerticalRent and stop paying a percentage of your tenants' rent to a listing platform.
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