How is A-du different from TurboTenant?

TurboTenant is a general landlord toolkit that begins at the listing: marketing, applications, screening, leases, and rent collection for any rental nationwide. A-du does the leasing parts too, but is built specifically for Accessory Dwelling Units and adds the pre-rental side: ADU plans, permit-fee calculators, GIS lot lookup, and a directory of contractors and trades you hire directly. A-du also adds a property-manager marketplace.

TurboTenant is free for landlords. Is A-du?

Listing is free. The first 15 published listings pay 0% landlord service fee, locked permanently; after that, landlords pay a 3% platform service fee on rent collected through A-du, taken from the payout, never on deposits. Paying rent through A-du is optional for tenants: bank transfers through A-du are free, and credit cards, when offered, carry a 2.99% surcharge on the rent only. Tenants can always pay the landlord by check or money order at no charge. The landlord pays $40 per screening report, and applicants pay nothing. Compare total cost on the features you will actually use, since TurboTenant also charges for some add-ons.

Should I switch from TurboTenant to A-du?

If you own a standard rental anywhere in the US and only need leasing tools, TurboTenant is a solid choice. If you own or are building an ADU in a market A-du serves, A-du adds the plan and permit tools TurboTenant does not have, and keeps your screening, lease, and rent collection in one ADU-specific system.

Does A-du handle FCRA adverse action?

Yes. When a screening result leads to a denial, A-du runs the full FCRA adverse-action workflow, including pre-adverse and final notices on a timed schedule. The screening result is shown as pass/fail rather than exposing a raw score to the landlord.

A-du vs TurboTenant

A-du and TurboTenant are both landlord platforms, but A-du is specialized for Accessory Dwelling Units from plan to rental, while TurboTenant is a general-purpose leasing and management toolkit for any rental.

The biggest difference is where each one starts: TurboTenant begins at the listing; A-du begins with pre-approved plans and permit tools.

The short version

TurboTenant is genuinely good at the leasing workflow (marketing, applications, screening, leases, and rent collection), and it is landlord-friendly on price. If you own a typical rental and that is all you need, it is a strong option.

A-du overlaps with TurboTenant on those leasing steps, but it is built for one thing TurboTenant is not: the ADU itself. Before there is anything to list, A-du helps you find pre-approved ADU plans, estimate permit fees, look up your lot, and find contractors and trades you hire directly. After the unit is built, the leasing tools are tuned to ADU rules and an ADU-specific renter audience, and you can hand off operations through the manager marketplace.

Feature comparison

A-du vs TurboTenant for ADU owners (2026)
Feature	A-du	TurboTenant
Primary purposeWhat the product is actually built to do.	ADU marketplace: plans, permit tools, rentals, and management	General landlord leasing & management toolkit
ADU plan marketplace & pre-approved plansHelp before the unit exists.	YesPlan marketplace incl. LADBS Standard Plan and municipal pre-approved designs	No
Permitting tools	YesLA County + NYC permit-fee calculators, GIS lot lookup, permitting requests	No
Contractor and trades directoryYou hire and pay each one directly.	YesListed by category; check licenses with the state board	No
Identity verification	Required for rentersStripe Identity before booking; landlords verify through Stripe Connect to take rent through A-du	LimitedNot a required gate
Tenant screening	FCRA-compliantPass/fail result, adverse-action workflow, landlord pays, applicants pay nothing	YesApplicant-paid reports; landlord does own adverse-action handling
Lease & e-signature	YesGenerated lease + supplemental docs, e-signed and stored	YesState-specific lease templates and e-sign
Rent collection	YesTenant: free by bank transfer, 2.99% credit card surcharge when offered, check or money order free. Landlord: 0% for the first 15 listings, then 3% of rent collected	YesACH/card; fee structure varies by plan
Local ADU specializationRules, market, and discovery tuned to ADUs.	DeepLA County / NYC rules, permit data, ADU-focused renter audience	GeneralNationwide, not ADU- or jurisdiction-specific
Property-manager marketplace	YesLocal property managers for hands-off ADU operation	No
Bottom line	An ADU-specific marketplace that starts with pre-approved plans and permit tools and continues through leasing and rent collection.	A capable, landlord-friendly leasing toolkit for any rental, but it begins at the listing, with no ADU build or permitting side.

How to think about it

Think about when you need help, not just which features overlap. TurboTenant meets you the day you have a vacancy. A-du meets you a year earlier, the day you decide to build, and is still there for screening, leasing, and rent collection once the unit is finished and finaled.

Next steps: Explore ADU plans, see the rent-collection fees, or read the guide to renting out your ADU.

Related: Best PM software · vs Avail · vs Buildium · vs Zillow · Best ADU tools in LA.

Frequently asked questions

How is A-du different from TurboTenant?: TurboTenant is a general landlord toolkit that begins at the listing: marketing, applications, screening, leases, and rent collection for any rental nationwide. A-du does the leasing parts too, but is built specifically for Accessory Dwelling Units and adds the pre-rental side: ADU plans, permit-fee calculators, GIS lot lookup, and a directory of contractors and trades you hire directly. A-du also adds a property-manager marketplace.
TurboTenant is free for landlords. Is A-du?: Listing is free. The first 15 published listings pay 0% landlord service fee, locked permanently; after that, landlords pay a 3% platform service fee on rent collected through A-du, taken from the payout, never on deposits. Paying rent through A-du is optional for tenants: bank transfers through A-du are free, and credit cards, when offered, carry a 2.99% surcharge on the rent only. Tenants can always pay the landlord by check or money order at no charge. The landlord pays $40 per screening report, and applicants pay nothing. Compare total cost on the features you will actually use, since TurboTenant also charges for some add-ons.
Should I switch from TurboTenant to A-du?: If you own a standard rental anywhere in the US and only need leasing tools, TurboTenant is a solid choice. If you own or are building an ADU in a market A-du serves, A-du adds the plan and permit tools TurboTenant does not have, and keeps your screening, lease, and rent collection in one ADU-specific system.
Does A-du handle FCRA adverse action?: Yes. When a screening result leads to a denial, A-du runs the full FCRA adverse-action workflow, including pre-adverse and final notices on a timed schedule. The screening result is shown as pass/fail rather than exposing a raw score to the landlord.

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