Free Alternatives to Posting Rentals on Zillow

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When it comes to listing your rentals and finding tenants, you want to maximize your applicant pool as much as possible—without breaking your bank.

Since Zillow started charging for listings, you might be researching free or cheaper alternative options to posting rentals on Zillow. Fortunately, in the great worldwide web, there are plenty of options and platforms at your disposal to help get the most eyes on your vacancy so that you can quickly fill and empty units!

In this article, we’ll answer some frequently asked questions about Zillow’s posting services, and also offer a few free listing services options you can use to post your rental.

When did Zillow start charging for rental listings?

Zillow began charging for listings in January 2021. The home and rental listing site announced that would no longer provide free syndication listings for 3-party platforms, which many landlords use to manage their properties and tenants.

How much are Zillow renting fees?  

There are two pricing options for posting rentals on Zillow: weekly or a flat rate 90-day fee. Both options require you to create an account on their platform.

Weekly Rate

If you list more than one rental, Zillow costs $9.99 per week (or $4.99 in AK, AR, IA, KS, MS, MT, ND, NE, SD, or WV) that your property is actively listed for rent. 

90-Day Flat Rate

Certain markets in CA, WA, and WI have the option to pay a flat fee of $29.99 to list a property for up to 90 days.

The flat fee rate varies by state and select markets. 

How to post a rental on Zillow?

Property owners are required to create an account on the Zillow Rental Manager platform to post rentals on Zillow and are charged for listings either weekly or for a 90-day flat rate.

This can be frustrating, as many landlords use property management software and do not want to sign up for Zillow’s services just to use their listing feature.

However, to post rentals on Zillow, you will need to create a separate account on their platform (if you have not already done so). Additionally, you will receive one free listing and then have to pay either a weekly or 90-day flat rate fee.

Alternatives to posting rentals on Zillow

If you’re looking to reduce costs associated with marketing a vacancy, you might want to research fee alternatives to posting rentals on Zillow.

There are many online listing platforms that landlords can use to post their vacant rentals without incurring additional fees. RentRedi, for example, partners with Realtor.com to provide our customers with free listing syndication, so that landlords can quickly post and remove listings as they secure tenants for their units.

Additionally, there are other online platforms landlords can use to post their listings that aren’t necessarily syndicated listing sites but can help secure a wide range of potential tenants.

Some of the best options out there for free online listing services that aren’t traditional syndication sites are Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.

Finding renters online

Importantly, no matter where you post a rental—whether it’s to Realtor.com, Zillow, or Craigslist—the key is to quickly find a tenant for your unit so that you do not have a  standing vacancy eating into your cash flow.

Finding renters online is easier than ever before—and can be done via a variety of platforms. If you’re looking to conserve cash flow & reduce expenses, options like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist can be great resources for finding tenants. 

Additionally, if you use a property management software for landlords like RentRedi, you can syndicate easily to Realtor.com and Doorstops. RentRedi also provides landlords with a beautiful, free listings page that you can copy & paste into Facebook Marketplace or a Craigslist post to provide an attractive marketing page to potential applicants.

This page showcases your rental & also lets you list all any and all amenities that would incentivize renters to apply to your listing! You can also text, email, or post this link on your website.

As a bonus, tenants can also prequalify directly to your unit from this RentRedi page so you can easily get started prescreening and find the best renter for your property!