Disclosure: Elite Recovery Group wrote this guide, and we're on the list. Every other agency is described only from what it publishes about itself and its software partners' directories, and we don't link to any of them. Rankings are by best fit, not a score. Check every agency yourself using the steps in the second half of this guide.
The Best Collection Agencies at a Glance
Each agency fits a different kind of portfolio. Pricing is shown only where the agency publishes it.
| Agency | Best for | Published pricing | Software or portal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elite Recovery Group | Multifamily and portfolio balances | Contingency | Live dashboard |
| Assurant Recovery Solutions | Large multifamily on Yardi | Contingency, rate not published | Yardi |
| RD Fuller | First-party collection before placement | Reduced first-party contingency, rate not published | Entrata, Yardi, RealPage, Rent Manager (per RD Fuller) |
| Transworld Systems | One vendor for many debt types | Not published | Yardi |
| CACi | Buildium users | Not published | Buildium |
| Ideal Collection Services | Lease-only specialist | No collection, no fee; rate not published | Yardi |
The Best Collection Agencies for Property Managers in Texas
What each one does, who it suits, and what to confirm before you sign.
1. Elite Recovery Group: Best for multifamily and portfolio former-resident balances
Based in Mesa, Arizona, and active in Texas, Elite Recovery Group works move-out balances, unpaid rent and eviction costs for property managers and multifamily operators in Arizona, Texas, Utah and Oregon. Every account runs under the FDCPA and Regulation F, pricing is contingency-only, and clients see recovery rate and account status on a live dashboard. We publish our results: 25 to 30% gross recovery on multifamily and post-move-out placements, an 8-day average to first payment, right-party contact with 42% of residents within 30 days, and 95% of accounts resolved without a formal dispute.
Not the best fit for: commercial tenants, which need a commercial collection agency.
Check before placing: its $10,000 third-party collector bond on the Texas Secretary of State's free search. Ours is on file; ask us for the details, along with the sample notice and report described in the vetting section below.
2. Assurant Recovery Solutions: Best for large multifamily portfolios on Yardi
Assurant Recovery Solutions, formerly RentCollect Global, is the multifamily debt-recovery arm of Assurant, the Fortune 500 insurance company. It says property managers across the US have used its operation for more than 25 years. It's listed in Yardi's official Collections API partner directory, so Voyager users can send resident, lease and balance data directly. It works on contingency but doesn't publish its rate, and its current pages don't say which credit bureaus it reports to.
Check before placing: its $10,000 third-party collector bond on the Texas Secretary of State's free search, the contingency rate in writing, and which bureaus it reports to.
3. RD Fuller: Best for first-party collection before you place accounts
RD Fuller is a software-based receivables platform built for multifamily. Its centralized first-party service works balances before they're written off, with a portal where former residents can pay or set up payment plans, and it offers first-party collection at what it calls a reduced contingency fee. It says it integrates with Entrata, Yardi, RealPage and Rent Manager, and it advertises a national litigation strategy for multifamily. It doesn't publish rates.
Check before placing: which accounts it handles as first party (in your name) versus third party, and the rate for each, in writing.
4. Transworld Systems: Best for one national vendor across many debt types
Transworld Systems (TSI) is one of the largest accounts receivable management companies in the US, serving financial services, healthcare, government, telecom, utilities and property management. Its services include first- and third-party collections, legal recovery and recovery software, and it's listed in Yardi's Collections API partner directory. It suits large owners who want a single vendor across many kinds of receivables. It doesn't specialize in rental debt or publish pricing.
Check before placing: its $10,000 third-party collector bond on the Texas Secretary of State's free search, and that your rental accounts go to a team that knows Texas landlord-tenant rules.
5. CACi: Best for Buildium users
CACi (Consumer Adjustment Company, Inc.) has been collecting since 1967 and is based in St. Ann, Missouri. It's one of the collection partners in Buildium's Marketplace, so Buildium users can connect it from the dashboard. It's a general collection agency rather than a rental specialist, with client reporting and a consumer payment portal. It publishes its NMLS ID (977542) and RMAI certification, which makes license checks easy. It doesn't publish pricing.
Check before placing: its $10,000 third-party collector bond on the Texas Secretary of State's free search, and its rate for rental accounts.
6. Ideal Collection Services: Best for a lease-only specialist
Ideal Collection Services, based in Tampa, Florida, says it has specialized in leases and lease-related charges for more than 30 years, and that its entire focus is the multifamily housing industry. It works on a no collection, no fee basis, is a member of ACA International and is listed in Yardi's Collections API partner directory. It doesn't publish its rate.
Check before placing: its $10,000 third-party collector bond on the Texas Secretary of State's free search, the contingency rate in writing, and whether it reports to credit bureaus.
Options That Aren't Collection Agencies
Sometimes an agency isn't the right tool at all.
- Credit reporting you handle yourself: some reporting platforms let a landlord report a former tenant's debt to the credit bureaus for a flat fee per debt. They aren't collection agencies, so you handle calls and payments yourself.
- Placing from your software: AppFolio's Collections Flow, Buildium's Marketplace, Yardi's Collections API and RealPage OneSite's collections interface all send accounts to partner agencies. The partner sets the price and still needs vetting. Our software guide covers each one.
- Large or disputed balances: the State Bar of Texas Lawyer Referral & Information Service (800-252-9690) offers a 30-minute consultation for $20 (Texas Judicial Branch).
- Small balances where you know the address: Texas justice court hears claims up to $20,000, with a $54 base filing fee (Texas State Law Library).
How to Vet Any Collection Agency in Texas
Use these checks on every agency above, including us.
Check the Texas Bond Before Anything Else
Texas doesn't license collection agencies. It requires a bond, and you can verify it in two minutes.
Under Finance Code Section 392.101, a third-party debt collector must file a $10,000 surety bond with the Texas Secretary of State before collecting in Texas (Texas SOS FAQ). The Secretary of State's free bond search shows whether a filing is active, pending cancellation or cancelled.
Search the agency's exact legal entity name, not just the name on its website, and ask for any other names it does business under. A filing that's pending cancellation is a reason to pause before placing accounts. The bond rule applies to third-party collectors. A property owner or manager sending its own demand letters for its own receivables doesn't need one, so the check only matters once you hand accounts to an agency.
The Secretary of State files the bonds but doesn't supervise how agencies behave day to day. A clean bond record is the entry ticket, not proof of good practice. The next tests cover that.
The Agency Should Know What Texas Lets It Collect
A good Texas agency screens your file before the first letter and tells you what it won't collect.
Most collection risk on rent debt comes from collecting something the lease or the statute doesn't support. Texas has several rules that decide what's collectible, and an agency that knows them will ask about each one when it reviews your file. One that takes every balance as given is leaving the risk with you, because the claim is still yours.
| Rule | What it says | What the agency should ask you |
|---|---|---|
| Fees and interest (Fin. Code 392.303) | No fee, charge or interest unless the lease or law expressly allows it | Which lease clause supports each add-on |
| Late fees (Prop. Code 92.019) | Must be in a written lease and reasonable; presumed reasonable up to 12% of rent (four or fewer units) or 10% (more than four), charged only after rent is two full days late | The property's unit count and the late-fee terms |
| Security deposit (Prop. Code Ch. 92) | Refund or itemized deductions within 30 days after the tenant surrenders the unit | The itemization and the date it was sent |
| Limitations (CPRC 16.004) | Four years for debt and written contracts; recurring rent may accrue month by month | Charge dates, not just the move-out date |
| Time-barred debt (Fin. Code 392.307) | Debt buyers can't sue on time-barred consumer debt, and payment doesn't revive it | Whether any balance is near or past four years |
The deposit row matters more than most managers expect. A late or missing itemization is one of the easiest ways for a former resident to dispute the whole balance. Our security deposit guide covers what a defensible move-out file looks like, and this checklist lists what to send with each placement.
Federal Compliance Should Be on Paper, Not Just Promised
Every agency says it's FDCPA compliant. Ask it to show you how.
Texas agencies follow the federal FDCPA and Regulation F on top of Chapter 392. Those rules are specific enough to test. Ask for these four things before you sign:
- A sample validation notice. Regulation F requires the debt's itemization, current balance and dispute rights in the first communication or within five days of it (12 CFR 1006.34). Check that the itemization date and balance match your ledger.
- Its call-frequency rule. A collector is presumed compliant if it places no more than seven calls about a debt in seven days and doesn't call again within seven days after a conversation (CFPB). Ask whether the dialer enforces it automatically.
- Its email and text opt-out. Every electronic message needs a clear, simple way to opt out (12 CFR 1006.6). See our guide to text and email rules.
- Its record retention. CFPB exam procedures expect compliance records kept for three years after the last collection activity and call recordings for three years from the call.
An agency that hesitates to share these is telling you something. Your residents will see these documents, and so will any regulator who looks at a complaint.
Credit Reporting: Ask How It's Done
Credit reporting helps recovery, but only when the agency handles disputes and corrections properly.
Agencies that report rental debt send it to the bureaus in Metro 2, the industry's standard data format (CDIA). Using the format doesn't make the reporting accurate. The agency is a furnisher under the FCRA and must have written accuracy policies, investigate disputes and correct bad data (12 CFR Part 1022). Before reporting a debt, it must also contact the resident and wait a reasonable period, generally 14 days, for a notice of undeliverability (CFPB).
Ask which bureaus it reports to, the minimum balance and identity data it needs, how it marks a disputed account, and how fast it updates or deletes an account you recall or settle. Inaccurate reporting on a former resident lands back on your property's name.
How Much Does a Collection Agency Charge in Texas?
Rental debt is usually worked on contingency. The fee only matters next to the recovery rate.
The National Apartment Association says multifamily collection agencies generally charge nothing up front and keep about 20% to 40% of what they collect. It puts national recovery on rental debt at 15% to 20% of placed balances, and below 10% in some affordable-housing submarkets (NAA). Our fee guide covers what moves the rate.
The useful number is net recovery: what you keep per dollar placed after the agency's fee. At a 20% gross recovery and a 35% fee, you net 13 cents on every dollar placed. A cheaper agency that recovers less can leave you with less.
| Gross recovery | Agency fee | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| 15% | 25% | $11,250 |
| 20% | 35% | $13,000 |
| 25% | 35% | $16,250 |
| 30% | 40% | $18,000 |
Get the whole fee schedule in writing: the standard rate, any higher rate for older accounts or litigation, court costs, setup or subscription charges, credit-reporting or integration fees, and recall fees. Then run the math on your own balances.
Speed and File Quality Matter More Than the Pitch
The two things that most change recovery are under your control, so an agency should push you on both.
NAA reports that an account becomes about 16% less likely to be collected for every 30 days it sits unworked, and that agencies can recover up to three times more when a placement includes full Social Security number, date of birth and driver's license data (NAA). An agency that accepts thin files without asking for more, or doesn't push you to place quickly, is leaving money on the table. Our guide on when to send unpaid rent to collections covers the timing.
Judge results the same way. A blended recovery rate across years of placements hides a lot. Ask for results by placement month, and give a new agency six to twelve months before you compare it with your old one, since NAA notes results take that long to settle.
A Texas Judgment Needs an Asset Plan
Texas generally protects current wages, so the agency should explain how it would recover on a judgment.
In Texas, current wages are generally exempt from garnishment for ordinary consumer debt. Recovery on a judgment usually runs through turnover of nonexempt property (CPRC Ch. 31), bank-account garnishment (Ch. 63) or an abstract of judgment lien on real property (Prop. Code 52.001). An agency that promises wage garnishment on a Texas rent judgment is either confused or overselling. See eviction judgment collection for how this works.
Questions to Ask Any Texas Agency
Use this as your shortlist interview. The answers should come in writing.
- What's your exact legal entity name, and is your Texas bond active?
- Which charges on this sample file would you decline to collect, and why?
- Can I see a sample validation notice and a sample client report?
- Do you report to credit bureaus? Which ones, and how do you handle disputes and recalls?
- What's every fee you could charge me, including litigation, recalls and integration?
- What's your recovery rate on placements like mine, grouped by placement month?
- How do you recover on a Texas judgment when wages are exempt?
- How do accounts get from my software to you, and how often do you remit?
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is there a list of licensed collection agencies in Texas?
Not a license list. Texas uses a bond filing instead, and the Secretary of State runs a free debt collector bond search that shows whether a filing is active, pending cancellation or cancelled. Search the agency's exact legal name, not its marketing name.
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Can a collection agency add its fee to the former tenant's balance in Texas?
Only if the lease or applicable law authorizes it. Finance Code Section 392.303 bars collecting any fee, charge or interest the agreement doesn't expressly allow. If your lease is silent, the agency's commission comes out of what it recovers.
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Should I place Texas balances that are more than four years old?
Ask the agency to review them charge by charge first. The baseline limitations period is four years under Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.004, and recurring rent may accrue period by period. A careful agency will tell you which charges are still suable before it works the file.
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Do I need a different agency for Houston, Dallas and Austin?
No. One agency with a current Texas bond can collect statewide. Local rules matter mostly if a balance goes to court, because suits are filed in the county where the property sits. Our city guides for Houston, Dallas and Austin cover those differences.
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Can I pull accounts back from a collection agency?
Usually yes, if the contract allows recalls. Ask what the recall fee is, if any, and how fast the agency stops collecting and updates the credit bureaus after you recall or a resident disputes. Get both in writing before you place.
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How long should I give an agency before judging its results?
Six to twelve months. NAA notes that recovery on a batch of placements takes that long to settle, so ask for results grouped by placement month rather than one blended rate.