How A-du works: design, permit, build, list, screen, lease, and collect rent for an ADU

How A-du Works

A-du takes an Accessory Dwelling Unit from plans to rent check in one place: design and permit it, build with verified pros, then list, screen, lease, and collect rent. Here is the whole journey, step by step.

A-du is an end-to-end platform for Accessory Dwelling Units that helps you design, permit, and build a unit, then list it, screen tenants, sign a lease, and collect rent in one place.

Other tools begin at the listing. A-du begins a year earlier, when you first decide to build, and stays with you after the keys change hands.

The A-du journey, step by step

Every step below lives on one platform, so your plans, permit estimates, contractor bids, listing, screening, lease, and rent payments all connect instead of scattering across half a dozen tools.

  1. 1

    Design and choose a plan

    Start in the build marketplace, where you can browse vendor-created and municipality pre-approved ADU designs, including LADBS Standard Plan units that cut plan-check time. New to ADUs? Start with what an ADU is.

  2. 2

    Estimate permit fees and check your lot

    Use the free LA County permit-fee calculator or the NYC permit-fee calculator to budget before you commit, with GIS lot lookup to confirm what your parcel allows.

  3. 3

    Build with license-verified pros

    Collect structured bids from architects, engineers, and contractors whose licenses A-du actually verifies (CSLB and state boards), so you compare real, qualified offers instead of scattered emails.

  4. 4

    List the finished ADU

    Once your unit is permitted and finaled, create a listing on the ADU rental marketplace, in front of renters looking specifically for ADUs. A-du even suggests a market rent for the unit you describe.

  5. 5

    Verify identity and screen tenants

    Both landlords and tenants complete Stripe Identity verification, and applicants are screened with an FCRA-compliant background and credit check that returns a clear pass/fail. A tenant’s screening becomes a portable profile they can reuse for 30 days under California AB 2493.

  6. 6

    Sign the lease

    Generate a lease with any supplemental documents, with terms aware of your market’s rules, and sign it electronically. Everything is stored in one place.

  7. 7

    Collect rent

    Collect rent online where the landlord receives 100% of the listed rent and the tenant pays a simple service fee, lower for bank transfer (ACH) and higher for card.

  8. 8

    Manage it, or hand it off

    Handle maintenance requests and renewals yourself, or hand the unit to a vetted local manager through the manager marketplace and find help through the services marketplace.

Simple, transparent pricing

A-du does not take a cut of your rent. The landlord receives 100% of the listed rent, and the tenant pays a service fee on each payment, lowest for bank transfer (ACH). Tenant screening is paid per report, and ADU design purchases and permitting services are priced only when you use them. There is no platform subscription and no setup fee to list a unit.

Why owners choose A-du

  • It starts before the listing. Plans, permit-fee tools, GIS lot lookup, and license-verified contractor bids that general tools do not offer.
  • Trust is built in. Required identity verification for both sides cuts out the scams common on open listing sites.
  • Screening is fair and compliant. FCRA pass/fail, a full adverse-action workflow, and reusable portable profiles.
  • Local depth, and built by an architect. A-du knows the ADU rules of the markets it serves and verifies the professional licenses it displays.

Ready to start? Explore ADU plans & contractors, browse ADU rentals, or review pricing. Comparing A-du with another tool? See the full comparison hub.

Frequently asked questions

What does A-du cost?
Listing and managing a rental on A-du is free to the landlord. You receive 100% of the listed rent, and the tenant pays a service fee on each payment, lower for bank transfer (ACH) and higher for card. Tenant screening is paid per report, and ADU design purchases and permitting services are priced separately when you use them. See the pricing page for current rates.
Do I have to build an ADU to use A-du?
No. If you already own a finished ADU, you can jump straight to listing, screening, leasing, and rent collection. The design, permitting, and contractor-bidding steps are there for owners who are still creating their unit.
Where is A-du available?
Los Angeles County is A-du’s home market with the full feature set live, including the build marketplace and permit tools. The rental side is also live in New York City, where ADUs were recently legalized; the full build marketplace is expanding there.
How is A-du different from general property management software?
Most property management tools begin at the listing and treat every rental the same. A-du is built specifically for Accessory Dwelling Units and covers the steps before the listing, design, permitting, and contractor bidding, in addition to screening, leasing, and rent collection. See the full software roundup and head-to-head comparisons for details.