Most metropolis dwelling professionals in their 20 or 30s haven’t made it there without a bad apartment rental story. Whether it was a sketchy management company, a problem-filled apartment, or an ancient landlord, we’ve heard it all. Austin-based Rebtong is launching in October to eliminate those issues.

 

Rebecca Tongsinoon owned a downtown Austin property she rented out for extra income and was frustrated with the process. There were too many applicants, which isn’t the worst problem, but then, how do you choose? The renters that always stood out to her provided photos, social media handles and other information you wouldn’t get on the average paper application. She didn’t understand why there wasn’t a trusted marketplace like Airbnb to view applicants with this kind of information.

 

So she created one. 

“We see this world where [renting] can be as simple as Airbnb,” Tongsinoon said. “Airbnb made short term rentals where it isn’t something scary...we don’t see why you can’t have the same trusted marketplace for renting a home."

 

So, the best way to describe Rebtong is, like Airbnb. Signing up for the service is simple and you can begin searching for places to rent right on the marketplace. You can view recommendations and reviews from previous renters and landlords, and you can even enter some basic income information to see what price range you might be eligible to rent in. When you’re ready, fill out an application online and even chat with the owner to ask any questions you might have about the property. No more realtors or application fees. 

 

Tongsinoon comes from a product and engineering background and is working with a UX designer and other outsourced dev talent to complete the product. And while the digital aspect of the product is extremely important, Tongsinoon believes the reviews and recommendations the community will create is most important. 

 

“I see a lot of the emerging startups in this vertical trying to digitize [the rental industry] and I think that’s important, but I also think it’s important to build a community and a trusted marketplace, and being digital just naturally comes with it,” Tongsinoon said. “It’s all about knowing who the renter is as more than just a credit score, who that landlord is, who has been a good landlord or tenant in the past. It’s about bringing reviews and recommendations into it and the community will begin to police itself.”

 

Rebtong is currently looking for an initial investment of $200,000 in angel funding and is also considering accelerator programs. Once the product is fully developed by the end of 2015, she’s hoping to focus on growth in 2016. 

 

“A lot of people think going out to the Bay area and that’s the mecca for these startups,” Tongsinoon said. “I moved to Austin in 1999 and I’m here to stay. We want to contribute to the Austin startup community.”