An in-depth look at Buildium property management software: current pricing tiers, core features, RealPage ownership, pros, cons and frequently asked questions.
Buildium launched in 2004 in Boston with a straightforward goal: give small and mid-sized property managers and independent landlords the same kind of centralized, cloud-based operations software that had previously only been affordable for large multifamily operators. Over roughly fifteen years as an independent company, Buildium built out core accounting, leasing, maintenance, and communication tools tailored specifically to the workflows of managing residential rental portfolios and community associations, and grew to serve a customer base reported at more than 17,000 property management companies across dozens of countries at the time of its acquisition.
In November 2019, RealPage -- a considerably larger, publicly-traded-turned-private-equity-owned real estate technology company -- announced it would acquire Buildium in a deal reported at approximately $580 million, with the transaction closing in December 2019. Rather than merging Buildium into RealPage's existing enterprise-focused platform, RealPage has continued to operate Buildium as a distinct product aimed at its original small-to-mid-market audience, giving Buildium access to RealPage's broader resources while preserving the product's identity and customer base.
Buildium's accounting module is built specifically for real estate rather than adapted from general small-business accounting software, supporting a property-level general ledger, owner draw and distribution tracking, trust accounting for management companies handling client funds, and bank reconciliation. On the leasing side, Buildium supports online rental listings syndicated to major listing sites, digital rental applications, integrated tenant screening (credit, criminal, and eviction history checks), and eSignature lease execution, reducing the paperwork overhead of turning over a unit.
Maintenance and communication tools round out the platform: tenants and owners get self-service portals to submit maintenance requests, pay rent or view owner statements online, and communicate with property managers, while maintenance coordinators can track work orders and coordinate with vendors from the same system. More recently, Buildium has added AI-assisted features across communications, reporting, and business analytics, part of a broader push -- shared with most SaaS categories -- to layer generative AI on top of established workflow tools.
Buildium's pricing has moved away from a pure per-unit model toward three named flat-rate tiers -- Essential, Growth, and Premium -- priced from roughly $62 to $400 per month, each with an annual billing discount. Rather than the base subscription rising smoothly with every additional unit, each tier instead has a maximum supported unit count, with the Essential tier capped at 150 units before a customer must upgrade tiers or move to a custom Enterprise plan for portfolios exceeding 5,000 units.
The base subscription price is only part of the real cost, though: Buildium layers on per-transaction fees for tenant screening, eSignatures, incoming EFT payments, credit card processing, and 1099 e-filing, several of which are cheaper or included outright on higher tiers. As a result, a property manager's actual monthly Buildium bill depends substantially on transaction volume and which paid add-ons are used, which is why third-party buying guides commonly flag the advertised base price as only a starting point for total cost of ownership.
Buildium has been owned by RealPage, Inc. since RealPage's acquisition was announced in November 2019 and closed in December 2019, for a deal reported at approximately $580 million.
Buildium's core plans start at $62/month for Essential, $192/month for Growth, and $400/month for Premium, with the Essential tier capped at 150 units. Portfolios above 5,000 units require a custom Enterprise quote.
Buildium has moved from a per-unit pricing model to flat monthly tiers with unit caps per tier, meaning the base subscription does not rise unit-by-unit within a tier, though additional per-transaction fees still scale with activity.
The Essential plan includes basic accounting, maintenance, and leasing features along with standard and bulk reporting and AI-assisted communications, but with lower usage caps and higher per-transaction fees than Growth or Premium.
Yes, Buildium includes integrated tenant screening covering credit, criminal, and eviction history, billed per screening with the fee varying by plan tier.
Yes, Buildium supports community association management workflows alongside residential rental property management.
Open API access is included on the Premium plan, allowing integration with other business systems; it is not included on the lower Essential and Growth tiers.
Buildium has continued to operate as a distinct product and brand focused on small and mid-sized property managers, rather than being merged into RealPage's separate enterprise-focused platform.