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What you use now, and what changes.
Most self-managed associations run on a spreadsheet and a payment app. Most small landlords run on a lease PDF and a bank login. Both work until they don't. Here is an honest look at the alternatives, including the ones that aren't us.
| Spreadsheet + payment app | Management company | Enterprise HOA software | CommunitEze | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where the money goes | Often a person's balance, then forwarded | Usually the manager's trust account, reported monthly | The association's account | The association's or landlord's own account; we never hold it |
| Who can see the books | Whoever has the file | The manager; the board gets reports | The board, with training | Every director, live, on a laptop; owners see their own |
| Who decides late fees, assessments, rules | The board, if anyone writes it down | The board (a manager can't) | The board | The board; the app refuses to let it be delegated |
| Records at handover | A laptop and goodwill | Whatever the contract says you get back | Exportable, usually | The association's, always; the treasurer hands over a login |
| Neighbors' privacy | Everyone with the file sees everything | Good | Good | Enforced in the database: a board never sees a tenant's rent, a neighbor never sees a balance |
| Landlords inside the association | Not handled | Not handled | Rarely | Built in: rent, lease and tenant portal, walled from the board |
| Cost for 40 units | Free, plus a volunteer's weekends | Typically a per-unit monthly fee, often with a minimum | Typically per-unit, with setup and a sales process | $79 a month, no setup, no call |
| Cost for one rental | Free | A percentage of rent | Not offered | Free, forever |
Management company and enterprise software costs vary by market and contract; we describe the common shape rather than quote a competitor's price. Ask them directly, and ask specifically where the money sits.
When each one is the right answer.
Stay on the spreadsheet if
You have a dozen units, one volunteer who loves it, and no turnover in sight. Write down the rules anyway, and get the money into an association account.
Hire a manager if
The board needs a professional for projects, vendors and enforcement, not just for collecting dues. Keep the bank account and the ledger in the association's name. Our guide on deciding.
Choose enterprise software if
You are a management company running hundreds of associations with accounting staff, and you need general-ledger depth more than you need boards and residents to like the app.
Choose CommunitEze if
You are a self-managed board, a small landlord, or a management company that wants boards to keep control — and you want dues and rent to land in the right account with records that survive the next handover.