Stessa Review
Free rental property bookkeeping + reporting — the default starter accounting tool for landlords.
UPDATED MAY 2026 · FROM $0/MO
Stessa is free (ad-supported with Roofstock cross-sells) and gets you to acceptable rental bookkeeping in under an hour. Link bank + mortgage accounts, categorize transactions, generate Schedule E exports at tax time. It's not a substitute for a real accounting setup once you're over 10 doors or running an LLC structure, but for 1-9 doors it's the right starting point.
Free, ad-supported.
- Free tier is genuinely usable, not a crippled trial
- Schedule E export saves hours at tax time
- Multi-property tracking with portfolio-level view
- Mobile receipt scanning is fast
- Roofstock cross-sells in the UI can feel pushy
- Not a real accounting tool for LLC / multi-entity setups
- Limited customization on chart of accounts
- Tenant communication features are weak vs dedicated PM software
Solo landlords with 1-15 doors held in personal names or single-LLC structures. Especially valuable for those who self-prepare taxes — the Schedule E auto-generation is the killer feature.
Investors with multi-LLC structures, syndication GPs, or anyone whose CPA wants QuickBooks-formatted data.
Stessa is the right first accounting tool for rental investors. The free tier covers what most landlords actually need. The paid tiers add useful features (better reporting, more customization) but the upgrade is only worth it once you're past 10 doors. Outgrow it eventually — but it's where every new rental investor should start.
Features
- Bank + mortgage account linking
- Auto-categorized transactions
- Tenant + lease tracking
- Schedule E reports (rental tax)
- Capital expense tracking + depreciation schedules
- Cash flow + IRR + ROI dashboards
- Receipt scanning (mobile)
Stessa vs alternatives.
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