Obligo

Obligo

Deposit-free renting with billing authorization

Overview

Obligo offers a deposit-free renting option by replacing upfront security deposits with a billing-authorization system. Tenants avoid initial deposits and can be billed later for damages, while landlords receive immediate payment on valid claims. Tenants repay billed amounts in installments, giving renters financial flexibility. The goal is to simplify rental transactions, reduce upfront costs for renters, and provide landlords with reliable protection against damages.

About Obligo

Simplify's Rating
Why Obligo is rated
B-
Rated B on Competitive Edge
Rated B on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

Fintech

Real Estate

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

Debt Financing

Total Funding

$90.5M

Headquarters

New York City, New York

Founded

2017

People at Obligo

People at Obligo who can refer or advise you

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Obligo secured $35M in 2025 funding, bringing total funding to over $90M to expand deposit-free rentals[2][3].
  • Obligo introduced Reduced Deposit and Deposit-In-Installments options, expanding renter flexibility while maintaining landlord protection[1][9].
  • Obligos Smart Record Closure automates compliance and reduces manual review for property partners in 2025[1].

What critics are saying

  • Jetty offers deposit-free leasing at $15/month versus Obligos $30–$50 fee, dominating budget renters within 6–12 months[7].
  • New York Times reports expose deposit alternatives cost renters $1,300+ over 10 years, triggering regulatory crackdowns in 9–15 months[7].
  • Wells Fargo and HSBC letters of credit face capital stress in 2026–2027, forcing higher collateral fees or losing guarantee backing[7].

What makes Obligo unique

  • Obligo is the only credit-backed deposit alternative using Wells Fargo and HSBC letters of credit, not insurance[3][7].
  • Obligo launched the Deposit Agent, the first autonomous AI agent for security deposit management since 2025[1][2].
  • Obligo embedded its end-to-end system into Yardi, RealPage, AppFolio, and Buildium for seamless property manager workflows[6][9].

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Funding

Total Funding

$90.5M

Below

Industry Average

Funded Over

5 Rounds

Series C funding is usually for startups that are doing well and are looking for more money to fuel major growth, such as acquiring other companies, expanding into global markets, or launching new product lines. Investors typically include larger venture capital firms and private equity.
Series C Funding Comparison
Below Average

Industry standards

$50M
$40M
Figma
$50M
Medium
$62M
SeatGeek
$100M
Oura

Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

Remote Work Options

Paid Vacation

Paid Holidays

Commuter Benefits

Stock Options

Company Social Events

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

-2%

2 year growth

1%
Obligo
Jun 15th, 2026
Obligo introduces the first AI agent for security deposits.

Obligo introduces the first AI agent for security deposits. By: Team Obligo Get Blog Updates for In-Depth Resources The Deposit Agent helps property teams manage deposits with less manual work, fewer disputes, and a better renter experience. Obligo today introduced the Deposit Agent, the first autonomous AI agent purpose-built for lease security and deposit administration. Built on Obligo's deposit operating system, the Deposit Agent is built to work like another member of the property team - initiating proactive workflows to help set requirements, process charges and refunds, manage compliance, and prevent disputes. Security deposit administration touches every stage of the lease, but today, it's often managed across fragmented systems, spreadsheets, emails, ledgers, and phone calls. The Deposit Agent brings these workflows into a single AI layer connected to Obligo's deposit operating system, informed by years of real rental transaction data and compliance expertise. "Move-out is where the Deposit Agent can create the most immediate value," said Roey Dor, Co-founder and CEO of Obligo. "Deposit decisions are sensitive because residents want their money back, while property teams need to recover legitimate costs and document every decision. By helping both sides review charges, understand evidence, ask questions, and resolve issues before they become disputes, the Deposit Agent can make move-out more transparent, consistent, and trusted." Obligo's customers and embedded property management software partners will be able to access Deposit Agent via MCP, as well as directly through Obligo's platform and API. The Deposit Agent will be made available to Obligo's property management customers in the coming months. Operators can request early access here or through their Obligo customer success manager. Back to Blog

Obligo
Mar 4th, 2026
The Property Management Companies Renters Trusted Most In 2025

The Property Management companies renters trusted most in 2025. By: Team Obligo Get Blog Updates for In-Depth Resources Obligo Inc is proud to announce the recipients of its sixth annual Renter's Trust Awards! In a rental landscape where move-out charges too often create tension and uncertainty, these award-winning property management companies are raising the bar. By embracing a modern, tech-enabled approach to deposits, they're reducing friction, preventing negative reviews, and delivering a move-in and move-out experience that doesn't just meet expectations, it genuinely earns renters' trust. Obligo helps power a more transparent and streamlined rental experience for both properties and renters. The platform enables properties to maintain full protection, reduce bad debt, and offer a compelling amenity to prospective residents, giving renters flexible options allowing them to instead use funds at move-in to save, invest, or spend. For award consideration, Obligo evaluates a property's deposit deductions (if any), charge repayments, renter sentiment, and more. The Renter's Trust Awards recognizes property management companies that consistently demonstrate fairness, transparency, and accountability, earning a high level of trust from their renters based on these criteria. To ensure statistical rigor, only operators with more than 18 months of activity on the Obligo platform were considered. The 2025 Renter's Trust Award winners: * Beam Living | Multifamily | New York | PMS: Yardi * Bev Roberts Rentals | Single Family | North Carolina | PMS: AppFolio * Blackfish Companies | Multifamily | Utah | PMS: Entrata * Chelsmore Apartments | Multifamily | New York * Civic Property Management | Single Family | New Jersey, Pennsylvania | PMS: RealPage * Dakota Management | Single Family | Colorado | PMS: Buildium * Enclave Property Management | Single Family | North Dakota | PMS: AppFolio * Hornberger Property Management | Single Family | Indiana, Washington | PMS: AppFolio * J & L Holding | Multifamily | New York | PMS: Yardi * Luna Properties, LLC | Single Family | Montana | PMS: AppFolio * Northern Virginia Property Management Pros | Single Family | Virginia | PMS: Propertyware * Personal Touch Property Management | Single Family | North Dakota | RentVine * Reside Rentals Properties | Single Family | Indiana, Utah | PMS: Buildium * Shannon Property Management | Single Family | Texas | PMS: AppFolio * The Arena Group | Single Family | Texas | PMS: AppFolio * Urban Coast Properties, Inc. Multifamily | California | PMS: AppFolio * Wolfnest | Single Family | Utah | PMS: Propertyware "Earning trust, whether it be with our tenants or with owners, or even our employees is something we've been working towards," says Evagail Calvert, Director of Operations at The Arena Group. "So it was exciting to see something that shows we're succeeding." Shannon Weber, owner of Luna Properties says,"Winning the Renter's Trust Award two years in a row is validating, because our goal is to build relationships with our residents and being recognized for that is a treat. It's validation that hey, what we're doing is working." "Trust is earned through consistent outcomes, not good intentions," said Roey Dor, CEO of Obligo. "This year's Renter Trust Award winners are showing what's possible when transparency at move-out is treated as a core operating principle. By modernizing deposits and prioritizing renters, they're reducing friction, managing risk more effectively, and elevating the rental experience." Looking to stay ahead of your competition, attract qualified renters, and create a first-class rental experience? Schedule a demo with Obligo Inc and learn how you can enhance your property performance and increase resident satisfaction. Back to Blog

Edmond Premier Real Estate Services
Feb 10th, 2026
Revolutionizing the Move-In Experience: Edmond Premier Real Estate Partners with Obligo

Revolutionizing the move-in experience: Edmond Premier Real Estate partners with Obligo. By Jenifer Bowen - Tuesday, February 10, 2026 At Edmond Premier Real Estate Services LLC, we are constantly looking for innovative ways to enhance the rental experience for our residents while providing superior protection for our property owners. We are thrilled to announce that we have partnered with Obligo to offer a smarter, more flexible alternative to traditional security deposits. This new program is designed to lower the barrier to moving into your dream home, allowing you to keep your cash where you need it most - in your pocket. Jenifer Bowen Vice-President/Operations Manager

Obligo
Jan 22nd, 2026
Obligo's 2025 Wrapped: A Year of Momentum, Milestones & Meaningful Innovation

Obligo's 2025 wrapped: A year of momentum, milestones & meaningful innovation. Looking back at 2025, Obligo Inc is celebrating a year defined by growth, bold product advancements, and a deepened commitment to improving the rental experience for both property managers and renters. From launching a redesigned site to welcoming new property management software partners, here's everything Obligo Inc accomplished together. Expanding its network: new property management software partners. A huge highlight of 2025 was the expansion of Obligo's integrations with leading property management systems. Its best-in-class, API-first deposit solutions make Obligo Inc the software partner of choice for all the leading property management softwares, including: After extensive collaboration, its embedded Yardi solution officially went live, marking a major milestone in bringing flexible deposit solutions directly into one of the industry's most widely used platforms. With this launch, operators can seamlessly adopt Obligo with minimal change management, while renters benefit from a smooth, native experience inside RentCafe Living, and even integrated into Yardi's rewards program, making participation more intuitive and more valuable for residents. Learn more. In November, Obligo Inc announced its partnership with RealPage, bringing its deposit solutions directly into OneSite workflows. The experience makes it even easier to streamline leasing, improve resident satisfaction, and eliminate deposit headaches. As RealPage sunsetted its Deposit Insurance offering, Obligo stepped in as their preferred deposit solution, giving RealPage users access to its flexible alternative that integrate smoothly into existing workflows. This strengthened partnership not only streamlines operations for property teams but also delivers a clearer, more modern move-in experience for renters, solidifying Obligo's role as the trusted deposit solution within one of the industry's most influential ecosystems. Embedded (live mid-january). Rounding out the year, Obligo Inc has been working closely with the Buildium team on a brand new fully embedded experience launching at the start of 2026. This new experience builds on its great partnership with Buildium, demonstrated by Obligo being Featured Partner of 2025 These partnerships strengthen Obligo's role as the flexible, sustainable deposit alternative renters and property managers actually enjoy using. As Obligo leads the way in renter-friendly deposit solutions, Obligo Inc thank all its great partners for their collaboration. Product highlights: building tools to power better renting. 2025 was a big product year, focused on giving renters more choice and property teams more control. A new embedded, end-to-end solution to reinvent security deposits. Cash deposit handling has long been a costly and cumbersome process for property managers. Its new capabilities empower partners to remove the burden of security deposits entirely with Obligo, with a truly end-to-end solution. Obligo renters will enjoy a seamless move-in with digital payments and refunds - no checks, no snail mail. Learn more. New renter options: Reduced deposits & Deposit-In-Installments. Obligo Inc introduced new pathways for renters to qualify and participate, helping more residents access flexible move-in alternatives. Operators can now offer Reduced Deposit and Deposit-In-Installments as part of a single, unified platform, expanding flexibility without sacrificing protection. Smart Record closures to improve move-out processes and resident experience. Its Smart Record Closure feature officially went live this year, delivering a major leap forward in compliance automation for its property partners. Built with intelligent reconciliation and jurisdiction-specific logic, Smart Record Closure automatically identifies and closes Obligo accounts in accordance with each portfolio's unique requirements. The result is a dramatic reduction in manual review, fewer compliance risks, and significantly cleaner books, freeing teams to focus on higher-impact work while ensuring every record is handled with accuracy and confidence. Making qualification more clear & easy. This year Obligo Inc added another powerful tool to the onboarding experience: the Pre-Qualification Tool. With a simple, frictionless way to verify renter eligibility before move-in, property teams can help set expectations earlier in the leasing flow. Obligo Inc also added more ways to qualify for Obligo options. It's another way Obligo reduces operational friction, so property teams can work smarter, not harder. A new look for a new era: its redesigned site. This year, Obligo Inc unveiled Obligo's fully redesigned website, anchored by a major milestone: its new Obligo.com domain. This site upgrade strengthens its brand presence and ensures a cleaner, digital experience for renters and operators alike. The new site was built to better tell its story, showcase partner success, and offer a smoother path to discovering its flexible deposit solutions. Obligo.com reflects its evolution as the industry's trusted financial technology partner and sets the stage for the next chapter of its growth. Obligo Inc also rolled out one of its most-requested resources: the Security Deposit Law Center: a centralized, easy-to-use hub that breaks down deposit laws in every state. With clear language, up-to-date guidance, and easy state-by-state navigation, the Security Deposit Law Center has become a trusted reference for anyone looking to confidently navigate the world of security deposits. A big year for brand: from billboards to booths. In 2025, Obligo showed up louder and prouder than ever. Its Renter's Trust Award billboard campaign lit up key metros across the country, putting deposit alternatives on the big screen and reinforcing its mission to bring trust, transparency, and flexibility to renting. The campaign drove national awareness and spotlighted the real operational challenges its solutions help solve. At the same time, Obligo Inc made a major impact on the conference floor. Whether at National Apartment Association Apartmentalize, National Multifamily Housing Council OpTech, or regional property management and renter events, its conference presence stood out with sleek booth design, immersive demos, interactive content, speaking engagements, and a high-energy team. Crowds gathered, conversations sparked, and the message was clear: Obligo is elevating the standard for what renters and operators can expect from deposit solutions in the industry. Together, these brand moments helped cement 2025 as a year where Obligo not only innovated, but also truly made its mark. Strengthening its people & culture. AI Officers. This year, Obligo Inc introduced AI Officers across all departments, a forward-looking move that embeds intelligent tooling and support throughout its organization. New additions. Obligo Inc also welcomed 14 incredible new teammates across product, engineering, sales, customer success, and more. Their talent and energy have helped accelerate its growth and bring fresh ideas to the forefront. Fun in alignment. At Obligo, alignment isn't just about strategy, it's about people coming together, sharing ideas, and having a whole lot of fun along the way. Its QBRs brought teams across departments into one room (virtual or otherwise) to reflect, recalibrate, and rally around the goals ahead. These sessions were energizing, sparking new ideas and strengthening cross-team collaboration. No Obligo quarter would be complete without Obligrub dinners. Whether gathered around a long table or exploring a new local spot, these meals gave Obligo Inc time to unwind, laugh, and enjoy the company of the people who make its mission possible. Here's to 2026. 2025 was a year of growth, grit, and groundbreaking innovation. Obligo Inc is grateful to every partner, team member, and renter who has joined Obligo Inc on this journey. Thank you! Here's to an even more impactful 2026, full of smarter tools, new and exciting partnerships, and its continued mission to power the financial future of renting. Stay tuned, more big announcements coming very soon...

Del Val Realty & Property Management
Jan 8th, 2025
Del Val Realty Wins Obligo's 2024 Renter's Trust Award!

Delvalproperty is beyond thrilled to announce that Del Val Realty & Property Management has been honored as a winner of Obligo's 2024 Renter's Trust Awards!

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