⭐ Cozy vs Avail — Landlord Platform Review
Honest Comparison for Independent Landlords — Features, Pricing, Tenant Screening, and Which Platform Wins
🏠 Updated • Independent Landlord Guide
📑 Table of Contents
📋 What Happened to Cozy?
Cozy.co was a popular free property management platform for independent landlords that was acquired by Apartments.com (CoStar Group) in 2018. After several years of transition, many Cozy features were either discontinued or migrated to Apartments.com’s landlord tools. The standalone Cozy brand effectively ceased to operate as it once did, leaving many landlords who relied on it searching for alternatives in . 🏠
Watch Overview
Landlords who fondly remember Cozy for its simplicity and zero-cost model will find the modern landscape different. Apartments.com now offers some of the functionality Cozy provided, but under a different product structure. Meanwhile, Avail — which was also acquired by Apartments.com — has emerged as one of the most direct spiritual successors to Cozy for the DIY landlord market. Understanding what each platform offers now helps you make the right choice for managing your rentals. 📋
📌 Current Status as of
Cozy: Acquired by Apartments.com/CoStar. Features integrated into the Apartments.com landlord platform. The original Cozy brand is effectively retired.
Avail: Also owned by Apartments.com, but operates as an independent product targeted specifically at independent landlords with 1–10 units. Active, maintained product.
🏠 Avail Overview
Avail is a property management platform designed specifically for DIY landlords with small portfolios — typically 1–10 units. It is owned by Apartments.com but operates as a separate product. Avail covers most of the core landlord workflow from listing to lease to maintenance. Key features include online rental listings, tenant applications, tenant screening (through a third-party partnership), state-specific lease templates, online rent collection, maintenance tracking, and accounting tools.
⚖️ Feature Comparison
| Feature | Avail (Free Tier) | Avail (Unlimited+) | Apartments.com Landlord |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rental Listings | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Online Rent Collection | ✅ ACH (slow) | ✅ Expedited available | ✅ Yes |
| Tenant Applications | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Tenant Screening | ⚠️ Basic (applicant pays) | ⚠️ Basic (applicant pays) | ⚠️ Basic |
| State Lease Templates | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Limited |
| Maintenance Tracking | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Basic |
| eSignature | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Accounting Tools | ⚠️ Basic | ✅ Full | ⚠️ Basic |
| Cost | Free | ~$9/unit/mo | Free to post |
💰 Pricing Comparison
🆓 Avail Free Tier
- No monthly fee for basic features
- Rent collection via ACH (slower transfer)
- Basic reporting
- Listing syndication to network sites
- Good for 1–3 units with budget focus
💼 Avail Unlimited+
- ~$9/unit/month (pricing may change)
- Expedited ACH payments
- Waived tenant screening fees
- Custom applications and leases
- Clone and autofill leases
🔍 Tenant Screening Comparison
This is where both platforms have a meaningful limitation compared to dedicated screening services. Avail and Apartments.com offer screening as an add-on feature, but the reports are typically basic packages that may not include a full national criminal database, may lack detailed credit file data, or may not include comprehensive eviction history from all states. 🔍
⚠️ The Key Screening Limitation
Property management platform screening is convenient but typically delivers less comprehensive data than a dedicated FCRA screening service. For landlord protection, a full report with credit, nationwide criminal, eviction history, and identity verification from a dedicated screening provider is the gold standard — not a “bundled” screening add-on from a software platform.
🏆 Verdict — Which Should You Use?
⚠️ The Screening Gap — Why Landlord Software Is Not Enough
Both platforms route screening through third-party providers and may not offer the full report depth that landlords need for proper risk management. A $25–$45 tenant screening report from a dedicated service delivers comprehensive credit, criminal, eviction, and identity data in a single FCRA-compliant package — giving you the data you need to make a confident decision and fulfill your adverse action obligations. 📊
🔍 Complete Screening Beyond What Platforms Offer
Use Avail or Apartments.com for property management. Use TenantScreeningBackgroundCheck.com for comprehensive, FCRA-compliant screening reports that cover everything platforms miss.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
The original standalone Cozy platform as it was known has been effectively retired. Functionality was absorbed into Apartments.com’s landlord tools. Avail (also under Apartments.com) is the closest current product to what Cozy once offered for independent landlords.
Avail offers a free tier with core functionality. The paid Unlimited+ tier adds expedited payments, waived screening fees, and enhanced customization. Screening reports have a separate per-report cost unless you’re on a paid plan that includes waived screening fees.
Platform screening is convenient for light screening but often lacks the depth of a dedicated screening service. For full FCRA-compliant protection — especially credit, nationwide criminal, and comprehensive eviction records — a dedicated screening provider gives you more complete data.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Platform features and pricing change frequently. This guide reflects information available as of . Verify current pricing and features directly with each platform before making decisions.
Last Updated: | © TenantScreeningBackgroundCheck.com
