Cozy.co Doom is near?

[Jeffrey St.Laurent]

Long time cozy.co member/user. As you likely know apartments.com has acquired cozy.co. As of today there has been no impact to current customers but I fear that won't continue to be the case for any current member. Cozy.co says accounts will be migrated by mid year 2021.

I just helped a family member setup a new landlord account to use cozy.co. New landlord accounts can only create directly on apartments.com and no longer on cozy.co. 

The new site on apartments.com is very limiting and clunky - it's a total 180 spin form cozy.co which works great. You have to enter data for every unit even occupied units that you have no plans to rent anytime soon. They want to know availability date for occupied units, rent, bedrooms, baths and sq feet. 

The most concerning change from cozy.co is they are forcing you to screen every single tenant if you allow applications (of course to make more money). If you live in a State like I do you can’t have tenants pay application fees - its not allowed and has already been a court case about using sites like zillow to charge tenants. 

You’re basically forced with two different options going forward with apartments.com:

1. Forced into accepting screening for every applicant. (Again illegal in some States to charge application fees)

2. Or, can no longer accept digital applications via this service which complicates operations and makes it that much harder to go from the application to automatic rent collection. Previously it would be just "one more step" now its a bunch of hoops if you can't accept digital applications due to the cost of screening.

Previously you could send the application to people and have them skip the screening steps until you reach the point where its time to screen. I personally do all the reference checks, employment checks etc before screening to reduce cost. After reviewing and finalizing their application you could then request they complete the screening step. Landlord were able to screen the tenants they are moving forward with based on a application that meets the requirements and only incur one application fee versus potentially dozens.

The new site is not impressive. I suggest if you use cozy.co you voice your concerns to apartments.com about the poor interface and inability to request screen tenants as I suspect all existing members will be forced to use this poorly executed site. Even the apartment listings are horrible and basically useless for small landlords. All the apartment complexes/luxury apartments are displayed first "Premium" before small multi families making it that much harder for a tenant to find and see your apartment on apartments.com.

I am deeply concerned about the future of cozy.co after going through the experience of using apartments.com for rental listing, applications and screening. I fear that what was once a great and well recommended system is doomed. Sorry to be so gloomy but I unfortunately have seen this happen plenty of times to other great systems/services and hope if others voice concerns it won't be too late to get this new site in better order. The writing is on the wall - the planned migration of existing accounts has been communicated. Don't believe me than go make a new account on apartments.com and see how horrible it is for yourself.