Apartment List Announces Partnership with Flex to Become the First Rental Platform to Bring Flexible Rent Payments Into the Search Experience

Renters can now see the option to use Flex directly on unit listings before they even apply

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apartment List, the AI-powered rental platform, today announced a partnership with Flex, the leading flexible rent payment provider, that embeds the Flex offering into every unit listing on Apartment List. It's the first time Flex has been integrated at the search stage of the renter journey. This partnership furthers both Apartment List and Flex’s shared mission to revolutionize the rental experience for everyday renters and improve their financial health and wellness.

"Every renter deserves a little more room to breathe, and too often the system gives them none,” said Matthew Woods, CEO of Apartment List. “Flex lets someone pay on a schedule that better matches their paycheck instead of forcing their budget around the first of the month. That's what unlocking the possibility for renters looks like in practice, and it's why we offer the solution to renters at the start of their apartment search."

Rent is most renters' single largest monthly expense, due on the first regardless of when a paycheck lands. According to a recent Flex survey of its customers, nearly 1 in 3 renters said they didn't consistently have enough income available when rent came due — and nearly 3 in 4 experienced an unexpected budget strain in the past month alone.

Flex lets renters split their rent into smaller payments that better align with their own pay schedule, while the property manager still receives the full rent payment on time. With integrations across major property management companies and systems, Flex is available wherever people rent. Apartment List is the first platform to surface that flexibility before renters sign a lease, making payment flexibility part of the housing decision, not just something they discover after moving in.

"With every integration we've built, we’ve focused on making rent easier to manage once someone's already signed a lease," said Shragie Lichtenstein, Co-Founder and CEO of Flex. "Apartment List is the first partner to bring that flexibility into the search itself, which means renters can factor it into the decision, not just live with it afterward. That's a meaningful shift for financial wellness at scale – the earlier renters have this option, the more it can actually influence which property they choose to call home."

A recent study shows that offering renters flexible payment solutions makes a positive impact:

• On-time rent payments were higher. The share of rents paid on time was approximately 3 percentage points higher than at comparable properties that did not offer Flex, according to the study's estimates.
• Short-term late rent was lower. The share of rents up to 30 days late was about 2.5 percentage points lower, consistent with the idea that flexible timing helps residents manage temporary cash-flow gaps before they become larger problems.
• Residents stay at properties longer. The study also reports that properties offering Flex showed longer median resident tenure and lower vacancy, along with lower turnover, collection, and concession costs.

The partnership extends Apartment List's mission to unlock possibility for every renter, including those managing a tight budget or an irregular pay cycle who may not have otherwise considered a given home.

Learn more at https://www.apartmentlist.com/renter-hub/service/flex

About Apartment List

At Apartment List, we match renters with homes they'll love. Our AI-powered platform takes the stress out of leasing – helping renters find the right fit faster, and helping multifamily partners attract, nurture, and retain residents across the renter journey. With more than 7 million rental units on the platform, Apartment List has helped millions of renters find their next home since its founding in 2011. Learn more at www.apartmentlist.com.

About Flex

Flexible Finance, Inc. ("Flex") is a New York-based financial technology company that helps people split large essential bills into smaller, more manageable payments. With over 2.7 million customers to date, Flex has processed more than $33 billion in monthly on-time payments and has earned an average 4.8-star rating across more than 340,000 reviews. Flex provides financial technology services and does not operate as a bank. All loans, lines of credit, banking services, loan disbursements, and payment transmissions are provided by Lead Bank or Column N.A., Members FDIC. Learn more at getflex.com.