Product Overview of Cozy (Now Migrated to Apartments.com Rental Manager)
Cozy, which was a free, cloud-hosted property management platform, has been discontinued and its services have been migrated to the Apartments.com Rental Manager as of 2021. Here’s an overview of what Cozy offered and the key features that have been integrated into the new platform.
What Cozy Did
Cozy was designed to streamline the rental property management process for landlords and property managers, particularly those managing small to medium-sized portfolios. It provided a comprehensive suite of tools to handle various aspects of property management, from rent collection and tenant screening to maintenance requests and financial tracking.
Key Features and Functionality
Financial Management
- Rent Collection: Cozy allowed for online rent collection through recurring payments, which were directly deposited into the landlord’s bank account. It also included features for late fee calculations and payment history tracking.
- Expense Tracking: The platform included an expense tracker to help landlords maximize tax deductions and keep records of property expenses.
Tenant Management
- Tenant Screening: Cozy provided tools for tenant screening, including online rental applications, background checks, and credit reports. It allowed landlords to review applications side-by-side to select the best candidates.
- Lease Agreements: The platform enabled the creation and customization of lease forms based on property location, with the option for digital signatures.
Maintenance and Communication
- Maintenance Requests: Cozy managed tenant communications, including maintenance requests. It allowed tenants to submit requests with images or videos, and landlords could track and document the resolution of these issues. Features included search functionality, image upload, and the ability to hide comments from tenants.
- Tenant Communication: The platform facilitated communication between landlords and tenants, including mass communication to all roommates and in-app notifications.
Property Listings and Marketing
- Property Listings: Cozy helped landlords market their rentals by creating custom listings and syndicating them across various platforms. It also provided tools to calculate fair market rent prices.
Additional Features
- Document Storage: Cozy offered document storage for keeping records of transactions, lease agreements, and other important documents.
- Mobile Access: The platform was accessible via mobile devices, allowing landlords and tenants to manage the rental process on the go.
Transition to Apartments.com Rental Manager
After Cozy was acquired by CoStar, the company behind Apartments.com, all Cozy accounts were migrated to the Apartments.com Rental Manager in mid-2021. This transition introduced new features such as localized leases to ensure compliance with local laws and enhanced e-signature capabilities.
In summary, while Cozy is no longer available as a standalone platform, its features and functionalities have been integrated into the Apartments.com Rental Manager, providing a robust and free property management solution for landlords and property managers.