How is A-du different from Avail?

Avail is a clean, affordable DIY toolkit for hands-on landlords: strong state-specific leases, applications, screening, and payments with no rent transaction fees. It is general-purpose and begins at the listing. A-du is built specifically for Accessory Dwelling Units and adds the entire pre-rental side Avail does not have: pre-approved plans, permit-fee calculators, GIS lot lookup, and licensed contractor bidding, plus required identity verification for both sides.

Avail is nearly free. Is A-du?

A-du is free to list: the landlord keeps 100% of the listed rent and the tenant pays the service fee, and screening is paid per report. Avail has a free plan plus a Plus tier around $9/unit/mo and does not charge transaction fees on rent. Both are inexpensive; the difference is that A-du also covers building and permitting an ADU, which Avail does not.

Does Avail help build or permit an ADU?

No. Avail focuses on DIY leasing and payments for existing rentals. It has no ADU design catalog, permit-fee tools, GIS lot lookup, or contractor bidding. Those pre-rental steps are exactly what A-du is built for, in addition to leasing and rent collection.

Which should I choose?

If you are a hands-on landlord with a standard rental anywhere in the US and want simple, low-cost leasing tools, Avail is an excellent fit. If your rental is an ADU (or you are building one) in a market A-du serves, A-du covers the build and permitting steps Avail cannot and adds identity verification and an ADU-tuned workflow.

A-du vs Avail

A-du and Avail are both landlord platforms, but A-du is specialized for Accessory Dwelling Units across their whole lifecycle, while Avail is a general-purpose DIY leasing and payments toolkit for hands-on landlords.

Avail is strongest as a low-cost leasing toolkit; A-du is strongest at everything specific to creating and renting an ADU.

The short version

Avail is a favorite among DIY landlords for good reason: clean state-specific lease templates, straightforward applications and screening, and rent payments with no transaction fees, at a very low price. If you own a standard rental and want simple tools, it is hard to fault.

A-du is built for one specific kind of rental, the Accessory Dwelling Unit, and for the steps Avail never touches. Before the unit exists, A-du offers pre-approved ADU plans, permit-fee calculators, GIS lot lookup, and license-verified contractor bids. After it is built, A-du adds required identity verification for both sides, FCRA-compliant screening, e-signed leases, and rent collection where the landlord keeps 100% of the listed rent.

Feature comparison

A-du vs Avail for ADU owners (2026)
Feature	A-du	Avail
Primary purposeWhat the product is actually built to do.	End-to-end ADU platform: build, rent, and manage	DIY leasing & payments for hands-on landlords
Best fit	ADU owners & small landlordsIn served markets (LA County, NYC)	DIY landlordsAny standard rental, nationwide
Pricing model	Free to listLandlord keeps 100% of rent; tenant pays the service fee	Free + paid tierPlus plan around $9/unit/mo; no rent transaction fees
ADU design & pre-approved plansHelp before the unit exists.	YesPlan marketplace incl. LADBS Standard Plan	No
Permitting tools	YesLA County + NYC permit-fee calculators, GIS lot lookup	No
License-verified contractor bids	Yes	No
State-specific leasesWhere Avail is strong.	YesGenerated lease + supplemental docs, market-aware terms	YesWell-regarded state-specific lease templates
Identity verification	RequiredStripe Identity KYC for both sides	LimitedNot a required gate
Local ADU specialization	DeepADU rules, permit data & renter audience	General-purpose
Bottom line	An ADU-specific platform that covers design and permitting before the listing, then leasing and rent collection, with built-in identity verification.	A clean, affordable DIY toolkit for hands-on landlords: great leases and payments, but general-purpose and starting at the listing.

How to think about it

Both are inexpensive and easy to start. The deciding factor is the rental itself. For a standard house or apartment you are renting yourself, Avail is a great, low-friction toolkit. For an ADU, especially one you are still planning or building, A-du adds the design, permitting, and contractor sourcing Avail lacks, plus identity verification and a workflow tuned to local ADU rules.

Next steps: Explore ADU plans & contractors, see the rent-collection fees, or read the full software roundup.

Related: vs TurboTenant · vs Buildium · vs AppFolio · Best PM software.

Frequently asked questions

How is A-du different from Avail?: Avail is a clean, affordable DIY toolkit for hands-on landlords: strong state-specific leases, applications, screening, and payments with no rent transaction fees. It is general-purpose and begins at the listing. A-du is built specifically for Accessory Dwelling Units and adds the entire pre-rental side Avail does not have: pre-approved plans, permit-fee calculators, GIS lot lookup, and licensed contractor bidding, plus required identity verification for both sides.
Avail is nearly free. Is A-du?: A-du is free to list: the landlord keeps 100% of the listed rent and the tenant pays the service fee, and screening is paid per report. Avail has a free plan plus a Plus tier around $9/unit/mo and does not charge transaction fees on rent. Both are inexpensive; the difference is that A-du also covers building and permitting an ADU, which Avail does not.
Does Avail help build or permit an ADU?: No. Avail focuses on DIY leasing and payments for existing rentals. It has no ADU design catalog, permit-fee tools, GIS lot lookup, or contractor bidding. Those pre-rental steps are exactly what A-du is built for, in addition to leasing and rent collection.
Which should I choose?: If you are a hands-on landlord with a standard rental anywhere in the US and want simple, low-cost leasing tools, Avail is an excellent fit. If your rental is an ADU (or you are building one) in a market A-du serves, A-du covers the build and permitting steps Avail cannot and adds identity verification and an ADU-tuned workflow.

Comparison reflects publicly available product information as of 2026 and A-du features at time of writing. Competitor pricing and capabilities change; confirm current details with each provider.