Rent. Apartments and Homes

Rent. Review: A Free Search App Whose Big Buildings Come From Zillow

Free to Search, $45 to $55 to Apply Through TurboTenant

Browsing costs renters nothing: the March 2025 terms say potential renters may search at no charge, and Google Play lists no in-app purchases. Independent landlords who post through Redfin's free Rental Tools, built for owners of up to 10 properties with four or fewer units each, collect applications via TurboTenant. Its fee is $55, or $45 when the landlord pays for an Essentials or Pro plan, charged on submission and never refunded. Zillow sells a reusable application for $35 covering 30 days of unlimited participating rentals, and Apartments.com charges $32 plus tax for 10. The terms still name RentSpree as the screening provider, so check whose form opens before paying. US prices, subject to change.

Renter Card and the Call Button: How Your Details Reach Landlords

Google Play's listing promotes a Renter Card you can send to properties. The privacy policy describes a matching account feature: you may store self-reported employment, income and credit score, delete them at any time and choose which properties or landlords see them; Data safety marks credit score as optional. An Email or Schedule Tour request hands your name, email and phone number to that property, which keeps its own copy. Under the terms, listings carry unique numbers run by a third-party call servicer, and your voice, identity and call content may be recorded, monitored and stored, with a notice at the start of the call. Saved-search alerts arrive by push and email, though September 2026 reviewers say they ignore bed and bath filters.

Two Listing Sources, a Report Link and the No-Wire Rule

Listings arrive through two pipelines. Every building with 25 or more units comes from Zillow, while single-family homes and smaller buildings are posted by their owners through Redfin Rental Tools. Rent Group's safety guide says the company is not a broker and takes no part in leases or money transfers, so anyone promising payment protection, escrow or a satisfaction guarantee in its name is a warning sign. The guide also tells renters never to pay through Western Union, MoneyGram or an online escrow service and never to rent sight unseen. Each listing carries a Report a listing link, and a fraud line, (877) 999-4472, takes reports by phone.

No Data Shared, Says Google Play; the California Notice Disagrees

Google Play's Data safety form says the app shares nothing with other companies and lists seven collected data categories, including optional precise location, phone number and credit score. Apple's label says identifiers and usage data may be used to track you across other companies' apps and websites. Rent Group's California notice goes further: its disclosures to social media, analytics and advertising partners may have included identifiers, site-usage information and inferences about you, in ways that can count as a sale or sharing under state law. Opt-outs go through a Do Not Sell or Share page; in 2024 Californians filed 189 such requests and 115 were granted, the rest denied for failed verification.