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GM of San Diego

What Proptech tools are saving homeowners time and money in 2024?

The Future of Property Management: 5 PropTech Innovations Changing The Game

Property technology (or ‘PropTech’) has done a lot to streamline communication, but when it comes to reducing workload or changing the outdated model of property management — innovation has lagged behind. Day-to-day, managing a rental property is still a demanding job.

In 2024, this is changing. Innovation is shifting beyond record-keeping platforms to further reduce the workload for busy rental home owners. PropTech is also expanding homeowner options beyond traditional property management companies. 

From never missing a rental payment to getting a competitive edge in the rental market, here are 5 top PropTech innovations that all landlords should know about in 2024. 

5 PropTech trends for landlords to try in 2024

PropTech has changed that, with online real estate companies putting new data and research at our fingertips. Platforms such as Zillow, Redfin and Zumper publish rental data every month, making it easier than ever to look at trends in your local market. 

There are also innovators that are taking that a step further. Sophisticated algorithms and machine learning can make pricing more accurate than ever. In 2024 this offers a competitive edge, going beyond the square-footage calculation and uncovering what people are paying for. 

Belong for example, uses a clever combination of technology and human smarts to create accurate rental pricing for our homeowners. This includes looking at real-time demand for rentals, ensuring you’re getting the best price and adapting quickly to shifts in the market. 

The pandemic pushed along mass adoption of financial technology, which simplified one of the biggest headaches of renting out a home: rent collection. 

But the biggest game-changing innovation to rent collection isn’t accepting online payments. It’s guaranteed rent. 

Belong pays their homeowners at the same time every month, regardless of when rent is paid by residents. This offers unique flexibility to residents, allowing them to use the Belong app to pay on a schedule that suits them, without impacting your cash flow. 

Belong’s payment innovations also offer homeowners the flexibility to manage their cash-flow and rental home expenses by splitting them over 12 months. Deducting an installment from rent each month, homeowners can use the Belong app to spread costs like insurance, maintenance, and those unexpected repairs that inevitably pop up. 

For landlords taking a DIY approach, apps can make rent collection safer, more flexible and traceable if you choose the right one. Popular apps like PayPal, Venmo and Zelle are simple and user-friendly, but aren’t designed for rent collection. This leaves homeowners open to disputes and rent payment fraud. Self-managing landlords can look at property management software such as RentPayment, Innago, Rentalfy, AppFolio, or LeaseRunner. 

Read More: How Flexible Payment Options Are Unlocking Positive Cash Flow for Landlords in 2024

Home automation was once too expensive for tenant-occupied homes, with little incentive for owners to invest in them for rental properties. But as tech becomes more accessible and affordable, this is changing. 

Smart home tech and devices can provide great time and cost saving benefits to owners of rental homes, such as:

Security devices that improve resident safety and reduce insurance premiums

Smart key locks that allow remote access for home tours, inspections and maintenance work to reduce your travel to the home

Smoke detectors that check carbon monoxide levels, allowing you to evacuate residents if levels are dangerous

Water sensors that alert of leaks to avoid flooding and excessive damage to your home

Doorbells with video and/or motion sensor cameras that notify you of unauthorized access to the property when it's vacant



HVAC monitoring to alert of filter changes and maintenance alerts, reducing the long-term costs of repairs

Newer smart appliances can also improve sustainability and reduce the daily running costs of your home — an appealing perk to your residents. If supply increases, this could give you a competitive edge over rentals full of older appliances that are costly to run. 

Read More: What Smart Home Tech Do Renters Want Most

Inspections are a great way to stay connected with residents and uncover any fixable issues before they become expensive repairs. Only problem is they can be hard to manage if you’re time poor or live in another state. 

That’s a whole lot easier in 2024, thanks to rental inspection platforms. From tech-forward companies that manage inspections and reporting to software that allows your tenants to complete their own, innovators in this space include Inspectify, Happy Co and zInspector. 

For Belong homeowners, we start our renting process with a comprehensive inspection that focuses on creating livable, move-in ready homes. This reduces vacancies by attracting (and keeping!) long-term residents. 

Read More: How Belong Inspections Reduce Vacancy and Prepare Your Home For New Residents

5. Extended contact hours with AI and chatbots

Being available around the clock is a tough reality for property managers. Life happens out of hours, so it’s also when renters discover a burst pipe or broken water heater. 

For residents, getting hold of someone urgently is easier said than done. Most property management companies rely on voicemail service for logging emergencies after hours. Tech innovations changing this include AI and chatbots, with some property managers opting to use technology to answer basic questions and log requests out of hours. 

Helpful…though we’re a long way off AI saving the day if residents need to speak to someone urgently! This is why Belong offers something that feels revolutionary but shouldn’t be: actual help, when you need it. Our support teams are available 24/7 to both homeowners and residents through the Belong app. 

Discover the tech-forward alternative to old-school property management

Belong is helping homeowners reach their financial goals with a better renting experience. Innovations like guaranteed rent add to a host of industry-disrupting services that Belong already offers, including:

Fast access to maintenance and services, provided by vetted partners in our 10,000+ strong network

Transparency over fees with no sneaky extras like setup costs or lease renewal charges

Protection for homeowners against evictions with up to $15,000 of coverage to shield you from costly legal fees



Access to dedicated landlords insurance to protect your asset (as well as coverage for your residents)

Integration with the most popular rental platforms to get your home loved faster



Visit our homeowner's page to see why people are ditching old school property management in Seattle, Austin, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Charlotte, Orlando, Jacksonville, Miami and many more.

Disclaimer: We don’t enjoy using the word ‘landlord’. We prefer to refer to members in our network as homeowners and residents, since we’re on a mission to upend and redefine the traditional landlord-tenant relationship. That said, this article is for homeowners taking the rental leap for the first time or are looking for answers with more common industry terms, which is why we have included them. This article is an overview of tech trends and is not an endorsement of any of the companies mentioned. 

PropTech streamlined communications, but what are the tools saving time and money for individual landlords? We dig out 5 innovations you can use in 2024.

Discover a Tech-Forward Alternative to Property Management

Remote work is still thriving, so what impact is this having on the rental market in 2024? Here are 3 trends in remote work and how landlords can cater to them.

How 2024’s Remote Work Trends Are Impacting Rental Demand

Proximity to workplaces has long driven rental demand, with hot job markets linked to lower vacancy and higher rents. This never changed — but the way we work did. When remote work became a necessity during the pandemic, people found themselves untethered from crowded cities. They headed further afield, chasing more space, family-friendly amenities and lower cost lifestyles. 

But a lot has shifted in a short few years, so let’s look at the impact that remote work is having on rental demand in 2024. Has remote work peaked as employers call staff back to the office? Are renters returning to cities or still rocking the suburbs?

Here are three of 2024’s remote work trends and their impact on rental demand across the US. 

1. Hybrid work is trending over remote-only


There’s been so much talk about employers pushing staff to return to offices in 2024 that it has its own acronym now — RTO. The Return To Office trend is seeing a decline in remote work from the pandemic highs of 2020-2021. Fewer than 26% of US households still have someone working remotely at least one day a week, down from 37% in early 2021. 

What’s emerging now is a hybrid work model. Many workers still enjoy the flexibility of working from home, but have a routine or required office hours for in-person collaboration. 



What this means for the rental market in 2024:

Remote work may have dipped, but it’s here to stay. With flexibility a mainstay, more renters will place a premium on the comfort of their rental homes. Homes that are comfortable enough to both live in and work in will be in demand. As commuting returns, even part-time, proximity to offices and transport will also be as important as they were pre-pandemic. 

As a homeowner, you can help your home to attract long-term, hybrid-working residents by:

Providing flexible spaces for living and working

Optimizing natural light in the home with the right blinds, light fixtures, and paintwork

Paying attention to comfort factors like heating and cooling in the home

Making sustainability upgrades to lower the running costs of the home

Allowing pets, as many hybrid workers have canine “coworkers”

Promoting transport options and local amenities in your rental listing

In a recent article on how remote work has shaped the economy, U.S. News notes a ‘chicken and egg’ scenario. People are relocating to remote-work friendly places where housing costs are more affordable. But these are also places where jobs are growing the fastest in 2024. Cities mentioned include:

It used to be that people always moved where the work was, but it seems work is also moving to where the people are. Look at areas like North Carolina in particular, which is seeing major growth in the finance, education, and technology sectors (Apple even moved in).  


Population growth in mid-size cities is great news for individual rental owners, who can’t always compete with corporate landlords or the entry cost of major metropolitan areas like Los Angeles, San Francisco or Seattle. Mid-size cities in states (sometimes called “18-hour cities”) offer a similar quality of public services and job opportunities, attracting strong rental demand. 

If you own a rental home in a state like Texas, Florida, North Carolina or South Carolina, it would be wise to get your place move-in ready for long-term renters looking for a place to settle comfortably to live and work. Belong can help. Focused on individual homeowners and reliable, long-term residents, we can help you attract the best people (and price) for your rental home. Learn more about becoming a Belong homeowner and securing guaranteed rent. 

3. The ‘California exodus’ is overstated

There have been mixed reports on the ‘California exodus’. Some studies report that people are leaving the state in droves. Many pointed to the dramatic drop in rents in the Bay Area that hit in 2020. But none of these tell the whole story. 

For starters, San Francisco rents are still some of the highest in the nation. The Bay Area in particular is seeing rental growth, according to Zumper’s April rent report. There was even a report from CBS News that suggested that while many people have left California, there’s also plenty coming in from Texas, rather than just flowing out. 

Remote work also encourages people to ditch their roommates — creating a higher number of households. This is what saw rents rebound previously, with more households being created even when the population changes.  

It means owners of rental homes in California, particularly San Francisco’s Bay Area, don’t need to panic. Reported drops in asking rents of November-December 2023 are consistent with seasonal dips that were always experienced pre-pandemic. 

Homeowners looking to lock in the best rental price to achieve their financial goals should look to:

List their rental in spring and summer months, when rental prices peak

Follow the livability tips mentioned above to attract remote/hybrid workers in smaller households

Secure guaranteed rent to ensure consistent cash-flow 



Get your home remote-work ready with Belong

If you’re looking for a long-term solution and stability in your rental experience, Belong has you covered. We’re making rental finances predictable by offering stable, guaranteed rent. We’re providing flexible payment options to keep your cash flow steady. And we’re doing it while providing a better way of living for the millions of Americans who rent. 


See why thousands of US homeowners are ditching outdated Property Management in San Francisco,San Diego, Seattle, Charlotte, Jacksonville, Orlando and many more.

Get Predictable, Guaranteed Rent in 2024

How do I rent out a property as a landlord, but live far away? Do I need a property manager or can I manage myself? We answer FAQs on owning interstate rentals

Long-Distance Landlord: How To Manage a Rental Home From Afar

Whether you had to move for work or picked up a steal of a property in another city, it’s not uncommon to live far away from a home you rent out. Even more so in 2024. With many homeowners holding onto interest rates too good to give up, renting out a home is often a better option when opportunity knocks in another city. 

This is why we get asked so often, “How do I rent out a property when I live far away?” 

Particularly if you’re considering the DIY self-management route, there’s a lot to consider before taking on the challenge from another state. It’s not impossible, but here are six questions to consider first. 

6 questions to consider before self-managing a rental home out-of-state

1. How often can I travel to my rental home? 


When preparing your home for the rental market, you will need to get it move-in ready. You’ll need to arrange a deep clean, attend to repairs and have professional photographs and video taken for your online listing. These are not remote tasks. Someone will need to be at the home to let in contractors, cleaners, and a real estate photographer.

If you travel to your rental home, be sure to keep accurate records of everything from your trip. You may be eligible to claim some costs such as airfares, hire car and petrol, even hotel accommodation as a tax expense for managing your rental home. 

If travel is too far or just not a viable option, is there someone you trust close by that you could enlist for help? This is where having a property manager or modern alternative like Belong can make the process much smoother, taking care of all preparations and listings on your behalf. If you do hire someone to manage the process, you can claim these fees at tax time too. 

Discover Belong: The best alternative to Property Management in Seattle, Redmond, Oakland, and many more cities across California, Texas, Utah, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, and Washington State.     


When you live far away from your rental home, how you collect rent is another consideration. Checks and cash are out of the question! Thankfully, paying rent online is commonplace these days — not to mention safer. 

But before you choose an online platform, be aware that using popular peer-to-peer online payment apps like PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, and Cash App can leave you open to disputes and rent payment fraud. While simple and user-friendly, they are not designed for landlords or rent collection. 

There’s also the issue of late payments. Do you have the time and resources to follow up and stay on top of unpaid rent bills from out of state? Aside from the time, effort and stress, the reality is that mortgage and expenses don’t stop adding up when the rent goes unpaid.

This is why guaranteed rent is Belong’s most popular product. It’s proven and beloved by over 2,000 Belong homeowners, who receive their rental income like clockwork (no matter when the residents pay).

Read More: How Guaranteed Rent is Changing Property Management Forever

3. Who will manage home tours and inspections?


Property management is not a set-and-forget kind of job. Aside from the initial tours to lease the home, inspections can help to monitor wear and tear or damage. It’s also an opportunity to connect with your residents to make sure they’re happy and are sticking to the conditions of the lease agreement.

You could opt for video inspections if you have established a good relationship with your tenant. But if this is a new lease or you ask residents to show you around virtually, you could miss important clues to damage or repair needs on the property. 

This is another reason why many long-distance rental owners prefer to hire someone to manage the home for them. If you still want to DIY, you’ll need to enlist some local help for the role of on-site inspections. This could be a trusted friend, an employee, or a service such as Inspectify, who can arrange an inspection report on-site. 

4. How easily can I access good local contractors? 


If there’s a maintenance or repair issue in your rental home, how soon can you respond from afar? It’s an important question for out-of-state landlords, because how you resolve issues is a reflection of your professionalism and can avoid minor issues from turning into costly headaches. 

If you’re fielding maintenance requests from out of state, you will need to have fast access to good local contractors close to your rental home. This is easier said than done, with the US experiencing a major labor shortage in most trades that homeowners need. With so much work to go around, contractors are often drawn to large jobs that pay the most. This can leave rental homeowners waiting months for repairs and maintenance. 

If you don’t have good local knowledge or access to contractors, Belong can help. Our expert team will handle all resident communication and have an extensive vendor network of over 10,000 contractors for fast maintenance and repairs.

Read More: Why Ignoring Rental Home Maintenance Could Cost You More Than Repairs

5. Are local laws different from my home state?


Tenant-landlord legislation varies between states and counties. If you live in Austin, but rent out a home in Seattle, you’ll need to be up to speed with the laws that govern both the state of Washington and the local cities of Seattle. Not doing your homework could land you in hot water if you get it wrong. 

For example, the City of Seattle has unique eviction laws that prevent families from being displaced during a school year. They also have a first-in-time ordinance that you must rent your home to the first qualified applicant. 

This is just one of many varied examples. If you own a rental home in San Diego, you may be responsible for noise complaints against your residents, even while you sleep hundreds of miles away. 

Your options? Get comfortable with local laws or hire a professional to avoid navigating a confusing legal system alone and from afar. 


Have you done the math on renting out your home? If you’re looking to achieve passive income through real estate, the numbers and time commitments need to make sense. 

Consider the time you have available, travel costs, and the expense of on-site help when needed. Once you’ve considered the personal costs vs outsourcing costs, you can decide if you’ll really be saving enough by going it alone. 

If you choose to partner with Belong to look after your out-of-state rental home, you won’t have to lift a finger. Enjoy guaranteed rent and innovative financial solutions to keep you cash flow positive, the security of home insurance and expert maintenance, plus 24/7 support for you and your residents. 

What’s the difference between property management services and what Belong does? Get the down-low on property management vs Belong PRO in this article. 

Manage a long-distance rental on your own terms


Belong is simplifying the rental experience across the US and helping homeowners reach their financial goals on their own terms. See why thousands of US homeowners are ditching outdated Property Management in San Francisco, San Diego, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Dallas, Tampa, Orlando, Salt Lake City and many more.

Disclaimer: We don’t enjoy using the word ‘landlord’. We prefer to refer to members in our network as homeowners and residents, not landlords and tenants, since we’re on a mission to upend and redefine the traditional landlord-tenant relationship. That said, this article is for homeowners taking the leap for the first time who are looking for answers with more common industry terms like ‘landlords’ and ‘tenants’, so in some instances we have had to stick to the old moniker for owners of rental homes. This article is not intended as financial advice.

Found out how to screen for tenants lawfully with this simple overview of Fair Housing Laws.

Understanding Fair Housing Laws When Renting Out Your Home

Reviewing rental applications means putting people’s history and conduct under the microscope. But Fair Housing Laws put homeowners and their property management under scrutiny too. 

Tenant screening can be tricky business. You want the right person for your home, but using personal preferences could be illegal under The Fair Housing Act (FHA). 

Intentional or not, discrimination could lead to hefty penalties — as much as $24,000 or more. To stay fair and inclusive, this quick guide will answer homeowner questions on how to keep in line with the FHA. 

How do Fair Housing Laws impact landlords?

Homeowners need to follow federal and state laws when renting. This means ensuring there is no different treatment to any applicant based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, national origin, or familial status (pregnancy or under 18s). These groups are ‘protected classes’. 

Each state also has their own rulings and many expand on these protections. For example, some include status as a senior, first responder or service member.

11 jurisdictions in the US also include eviction laws. In Seattle, you are not permitted to evict an educator or family during the school year. 

Other examples of discrimination for rental homes under Fair Housing Laws include:

Banning kids from shared facilities in an apartment block

Marketing your home as “in a safe Christian neighborhood” to attract someone on the basis of your preferred faith

Using different income standards or application fees for a person based on their ethnicity or race

Evicting a resident or their guest or harassing them to leave because you don’t agree with their beliefs

Setting restrictive occupancy limits, such as two-people in a two bedroom apartment to prevent families



The Fair Housing Improvement Act of 2023 is also in the Senate to expand protected classes. Stay current with 2024 rulings and find detailed examples of housing discrimination from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

What are the penalties for landlords under the Fair Housing Act in 2024? 

If a rental applicant believes you have discriminated against them, you could face:

Fines from a government agency enforcing housing laws

The penalties can be severe. As of 2023, Fair Housing Act Civil Penalties can be up to $24,793 for a first offense. A second can be up to $61,982. This can climb as high as $123,965 for repeat violations.The court may also issue an injunction to prevent future violations. 

Can property managers be liable for discrimination against tenants? 

Yes, if it’s found that your real estate agent or property management company caused the FHA violation, they will face disciplinary action. This may include losing their license and professional accreditation. 

Discover Belong: See why thousands of US homeowners are ditching outdated Property Management in San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Tampa, Charlotte, Jacksonville, Orlando and many more.

How can I avoid discrimination when renting out my home?

The best way to avoid discrimination is to have fair and consistent practices in place. This is easier if you have a trusted partner that has the knowledge and resources to screen and vet applicants equally. 

If you are self-managing a rental home, use these five tips to avoid discrimination and bias. 

1. Get to know your local laws and any recent changes

While the FHA is a federal law, there are many local policies and ordinances that apply to rental housing. For example, in 2022 Alameda County was the first to pass a law banning landlords from conducting criminal background checks on applicants. 

In Seattle, the First-in-Time ordinance requires landlords to offer a rental agreement to the first qualified applicant who provides a complete application. 

In 2024, Fort Worth is considering ordinances prohibiting property owners and managers from refusing to accept housing vouchers, based on ‘source of income discrimination’, which also applies in New York and California.  

2. Stick to facts when advertising your home 

When marketing your rental home, avoid enticing your preferred applicant. Saying your home is “suited for couples only” would discriminate against a mother with a young child. Suggesting someone of Jewish faith would feel “uncomfortable” in your neighborhood is another way of trying to discriminate by discouraging applicants based on religion. This goes for open homes too. 

Play it safe by sticking with the facts that apply to everyone i.e. two bedrooms, one bath, proximity to shops and transport. 

3. Develop a consistent screening process and criteria

When vetting applicants, apply the same process to everyone. Develop a standard and avoid questioning race, sexual orientation or religious preferences. 

If you run a criminal background check, you must check everyone, not only people that “look suspicious”. Not checking someone with your preferred religious background could also discriminate against other applicants.

4. Develop consistent rental policies for adults and families

Consistency is important in lease agreements too. Any rules set should apply to everyone i.e. not banning families from shared spaces for having “too many kids”. 

Occupancy rules can also be discriminatory to families if too low. If you had a two-bedroom home it would be reasonable to restrict the occupancy to 4-6 people. Restricting to two people would be discriminatory, because it would prevent families from applying to rent your home.  

5. Make reasonable accommodations for accessibility

If you own a multi-unit dwelling, there are accessibility requirements outlined in the FHA.

For owners of single-family homes, you need to consider ‘reasonable modifications’. If someone with a hearing impairment asked to install a visual-alert doorbell, this would be a reasonable modification. Or if you have a “no pets” policy in place but a person with a disability requires use of an recognised assistance animal, they should be able to apply for an exemption. 

You can find more examples of reasonable accommodations and modifications here. 

Renting out your home doesn’t have to be a headache, or put you at risk of legal repercussions. Belong has built the modern alternative to property management that puts people first, enabled by best-in-class technology and services. 

The mission of Belong is to create authentic belonging experiences, empowering residents to become homeowners and homeowners to become financially free. 

Fair Housing Laws protect renters from discrimination. This simple overview will help landlords get up to speed on how to screen for tenants lawfully.

Melanie Kershaw

Mel Kershaw is a Content Lead at Belong. With an extensive background working with technology companies including Eventbrite and Yelp, she’s always looking for ways to create educational and informative articles that simplifies tech and solves problems for her audience.

Afton Brazzoni

Sparsh Mehta

Brett Jaffe

Jill Jaracz

Lucas Hanft

Afton Brazzoni

Sparsh Mehta

Brett Jaffe

Jill Jaracz

Lucas Hanft