All Forum Posts by: Scott Klingman

Original Poster here.  I used Tellus for about a year, with my first and second properties.  Tenant screening was free for all parties, payments posted next day, and the app worked pretty well.  I have since added properties 3 and 4, and had to fill multiple vacancies.  Tellus just doesn't cut it anymore.  The "simplicity" of the app results in having to contact support multiple times throughout the process,  from posting the listing, to lease establishment.  If you only have one property and don't mind managing everything from your phone, it's probably an ok option.

Personally, I have completely phased out of Tellus, as I think there are better options out there, especially if you can pay a few bucks a month. I now use a combination of TurboTenant (listing, pre-screening, applications, screening), and Avail (digital leasing, payments, maintenance requests).

@Luke Grieshop I've used two local banks that offer portfolio products with no seasoning: Fairfield Federal (25 yr fixed, 30yr amortized ARMs) and First Federal Savings (15 year amortized ARMs). They both lend in Franklin county, but I'm not sure if they work with out of state investors.

Can anyone comment on how long ACH transfers actually take? (from tenant account to landlord account).  They say "up to 4 business days" but I'm curious what others are actually experiencing.

@Greg Soon For non California addresses, you have to message support, and ask them to add the address.  At that point they ask for proof of ownership, such as a copy of the deed. Fairly quick process, but not quite seamless.

Quick update on the screening capabilities.  So Tellus does screening through another service called Naborly, which itself offers this service for free (not just through Tellus).  After potential tenants fill out an application through a provided link, the application and credit/background report is uploaded to your Tellus account.  I was impressed with the quality of the report, and the standard application questions. After looking at Naborly's features though, it seems using Naborly itself (not through Tellus), probably provides a better overall experience.  However, for a hands off and integrated approach, processing through Tellus works fine.

@Thomas Hayworth thanks for the review!  Since my original post, I have used the support chat feature several times, and am impressed with the ease of use and quick response times.  I've got leads coming in for my listing now, and hope to evaluate the screening capabilities very soon.

Is anyone using Tellus?  It appears to be similar to Cozy, but offers free background and credit checks (no cost to landlord or tenant), and also has a decent android application (cozy does not).  I've seen it mentioned here a few times, but haven't seen an in depth review from anyone actually using it.  I just listed my first rental property on there, and am waiting for it to push the listing out to the 16 different sites they claim to link to (zillow, hotpads, facebook, craigslist etc.)  If all goes well, I plan to utilize the tenant screening, rent collection (no fee), and other services they offer.  Sounds too good to be true, so again, looking for real feedback.  Thanks!