Best Landlord Software UK 2026

Why Landlord Software Matters in 2026

Making Tax Digital (MTD) for landlords starts April 2026 if your property income exceeds £50,000. The threshold drops to £30,000+ from April 2027. HMRC wants digital records and quarterly submissions. Your shoebox of receipts is officially dead.

Good software also saves you time on rent tracking, compliance dates, and expense logging. The right tool turns landlording from a second job into something you spend 20 minutes a month on.

This guide reviews every major UK landlord software option in 2026. I’ve tried most of them. Here’s what actually works and what’s a waste of money.

What to Look for in Landlord Software

Most landlord software tries to sell you features you don’t need. Focus on what actually matters.

Essential Features

• Rent tracking — log incoming rent, flag late payments, track arrears
• Expense tracking — categorise costs to match HMRC’s property income rules
• Document storage — tenancy agreements, gas safety certificates, EPC, EICR, and other compliance docs in one place
• Tax reporting — income and expense summaries for Self Assessment or MTD
• Reminders — automatic alerts for gas safety renewals, insurance expiry, deposit re-protection, and other deadlines

Nice-to-Have Features

• Tenant portal — tenants report maintenance and view documents through the platform
• Maintenance tracking — log repair requests from report to resolution
• Bank feed integration — auto-import transactions from your bank account
• MTD submission — submit quarterly updates directly to HMRC without separate software
• Multi-property dashboard — all properties visible at a glance
• Contractor management — store tradesperson details and track their work

What Doesn’t Matter

• CRM features — you’re a landlord, not a sales team. Skip this
• Fancy mobile apps — basic mobile access is useful. A slick app means nothing if the core features are weak
• Social features — landlord forums are fine but shouldn’t drive your software choice

The Software: Head-to-Head Reviews

Arthur Online

Best for: Portfolio landlords with 5+ properties

Arthur Online is the most feature-heavy property management platform in the UK. It was built for managing agents originally. Now it serves landlords directly too. Tenant onboarding, maintenance workflows, financial reporting — it does the lot.

Key Features:

• Full property portfolio management
• Tenant and contractor portals
• Automated rent collection and arrears tracking
• Maintenance workflow management
• Document management with compliance reminders
• Financial reporting and accounting integration
• Inspection scheduling and reporting
• Mobile app for landlords, tenants, and contractors

Pricing:

• Starts at £15/month per property (annual billing)
• Volume discounts for larger portfolios
• Free trial available

Strengths:

• Most feature-complete option on the market
• Excellent maintenance workflow. Tenants report issues, you assign contractors, and track progress to completion
• Strong compliance tracking with automatic reminders
• Scales well from 5 to 500+ properties
• Decent mobile app for managing on the go

Weaknesses:

• Total overkill for 1-3 properties. You’ll pay for features you never touch
• Per-property pricing adds up fast. Five properties = £75/month minimum
• Setup takes real time. Importing data, configuring automations, and learning the system is a solid afternoon’s work
• Not MTD-compatible natively. You’ll need to export data to accounting software

Verdict: Arthur Online is the best option if you have 5+ properties and want everything in one place. For a small portfolio, you’re paying for a Ferrari to do the school run.

Rating: 4/5 for portfolio landlords, 2/5 for single-property landlords

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Landlord Vision

Best for: Tax-focused landlords who want proper accounting

Landlord Vision is built specifically for UK landlords dealing with HMRC. The accounting features are excellent. Everything else is secondary.

Key Features:

• Full double-entry accounting designed for property income
• Bank feed integration (auto-imports transactions)
• Self Assessment tax return generation
• MTD for Income Tax compatible (quarterly submissions)
• Property and tenant management
• Document storage
• Mortgage tracking
• Capital gains tax calculations
• Multi-property portfolio view

Pricing:

• From £12/month (1-5 properties)
• £18/month (6-25 properties)
• £25/month (26-50 properties)
• All plans include full features
• 30-day free trial

Strengths:

• Best accounting and tax features of any UK landlord software. Nothing else comes close
• Properly handles Section 24 mortgage interest restrictions
• Bank feed integration saves hours of manual data entry every month
• MTD-compatible. Submit quarterly updates directly to HMRC
• Built for UK property tax rules. Not a US product with a British flag stuck on it
• Capital gains calculations ready for when you sell
• Pricing doesn’t scale per-property up to the tier limits. Fair deal

Weaknesses:

• Maintenance tracking is basic compared to Arthur Online
• No tenant portal. Tenants can’t self-serve for maintenance or documents
• Interface feels dated next to newer competitors
• Accounting features have a learning curve if numbers aren’t your thing
• Contractor management is limited

Verdict: Landlord Vision is the strongest choice for tax compliance. With MTD arriving in 2026, that matters more than ever. It handles your books better than anything else on the market. Don’t expect it to manage day-to-day operations as well as it manages your finances.

Rating: 5/5 for tax and accounting, 3/5 for property management

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Hammock

Best for: Landlords with 1-3 properties who want something simple

Hammock does less than the others on purpose. Track income. Log expenses. See what you’ll owe in tax. That’s basically it. And for most landlords with a couple of properties, that’s all you need.

Key Features:

• Income and expense tracking
• Automatic tax estimates (shows what you’ll owe in real time)
• Receipt scanning via mobile app
• Bank account integration
• Property and tenant records
• Basic document storage
• Compliance reminders for key dates
• Simple dashboard with profit overview

Pricing:

• Free tier: 1 property, basic features
• Premium: £8/month for unlimited properties
• 14-day free trial for premium

Strengths:

• Genuinely easy to use. Set it up in 10 minutes
• Free tier actually works. It’s not just a teaser to force you onto paid
• Clean, modern interface
• Good mobile app for scanning receipts on the go
• Tax estimates update live as you add transactions. Really useful at year-end
• £8/month premium with no per-property pricing. Bargain

Weaknesses:

• No maintenance tracking, no tenant portal, no inspection management
• Not MTD-compatible for direct HMRC submissions yet. They’ve said it’s coming
• No contractor management
• Document storage is basic with no compliance workflow
• Reporting is too simple for complex portfolios

Verdict: Hammock is the best starting point for new landlords with 1-3 properties. The free tier gets you going. The tax estimates alone justify the £8 premium. You’ll outgrow it if your portfolio expands past 3-4 properties. For most self-managing landlords, it does exactly what’s needed.

Rating: 4/5 for simplicity and value, 2/5 for feature completeness

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Goodlord

Best for: Landlords who re-let frequently and want a slick tenancy setup

Goodlord handles the lettings process rather than ongoing management. Tenancy creation, referencing, rent collection, and compliance in one workflow. Agents love it. Individual landlords can use it too.

Key Features:

• Online tenancy creation and e-signing
• Tenant referencing (credit check, employer ref, landlord ref, Right to Rent)
• Rent collection via direct debit
• Deposit management and protection
• Insurance products (landlord and tenant)
• Compliance tracking
• Move-in/move-out workflows

Pricing:

• Pay per tenancy (not monthly subscription)
• Referencing: from £24.99 per tenant
• Full tenancy setup: from £99
• Ongoing rent collection: included with tenancy setup

Strengths:

• Move-in workflow is polished and professional. Tenants get a good first impression
• E-signing means no printing or posting agreements
• Referencing is fast. Often same-day results
• Deposit protection handled automatically
• Makes you look more professional than you probably are

Weaknesses:

• Once the tenant moves in, Goodlord’s value drops off a cliff
• No expense tracking, tax reporting, or accounting features
• No maintenance management
• Per-tenancy pricing gets expensive if you re-let often
• Not MTD-compatible
• Built for agents first. The landlord experience is an afterthought

Verdict: Goodlord does one thing brilliantly: setting up new tenancies. If you re-let multiple properties each year, the workflow saves real time. But it won’t help with ongoing management, accounting, or compliance. You’ll need something else alongside it.

Rating: 4/5 for lettings process, 1/5 for ongoing management

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OpenRent

Best for: Tenant finding and basic lettings management (free)

OpenRent started as a listing platform. Now it’s a basic property management tool too. For loads of self-managing landlords, it’s the only platform they use.

Key Features:

• Free property listings on Rightmove, Zoopla, and other portals
• Tenant referencing (£20 per applicant)
• Free tenancy agreement template (lawyer-reviewed)
• Rent collection (free standing order setup or managed collection)
• Deposit protection via mydeposits
• Basic property and tenant records
• Maintenance reporting (basic)

Pricing:

• Free listing: appears on OpenRent, Rightmove, Zoopla
• Featured listing: £49 (better visibility + Rightmove Premium)
• Referencing: £20 per applicant
• Rent collection: free
• Deposit protection: from £0 (custodial)

Strengths:

• Free to list. That alone makes it essential
• Best tenant-finding platform for self-managing landlords. Full stop
• Referencing is thorough and cheap. £20 vs. £100+ through an agent
• Free tenancy agreement saves £200+ in legal fees
• Rent collection through their platform is convenient and free
• Huge active marketplace. Your listing reaches millions of tenants

Weaknesses:

• Not a full management platform. No expense tracking, no tax reporting, no proper compliance management
• Maintenance features are bare-bones
• No bank feed integration
• No MTD compatibility
• Document storage is limited
• Works best paired with a separate accounting or management tool

Verdict: OpenRent is non-negotiable for self-managing landlords. Use it for tenant finding and basic tenancy management. Pair it with Landlord Vision or Hammock for finances. Don’t try to use OpenRent as your only tool. You’ll have gaps in accounting and compliance.

Rating: 5/5 for tenant finding, 2/5 for ongoing management

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Free Alternatives: Spreadsheets and Manual Systems

Best for: Landlords with 1-2 properties and simple finances

You don’t always need software. A decent spreadsheet handles the financial side of a small portfolio just fine.

What you need:

• Income tracker — log rent received each month
• Expense tracker — log all property costs with categories (repairs, insurance, mortgage interest, professional fees, etc.)
• Compliance calendar — track renewal dates for gas safety, EICR, insurance, deposit protection
• Document folder — organised digital storage for certificates and agreements

Recommended approach:

1. Google Sheets or Excel for income and expenses
2. Google Calendar for compliance reminders
3. Google Drive or OneDrive for document storage
4. A notes app for maintenance logs

Strengths:

• Completely free
• No learning curve if you’re comfortable with spreadsheets
• Total flexibility. Customise to your exact needs
• No vendor lock-in

Weaknesses:

• MTD requires digital records linked to HMRC. You’ll need “bridging software” to submit from a spreadsheet. That’s extra cost and hassle
• No automation. Everything is manual entry
• Easy to forget compliance dates without automated reminders
• Doesn’t scale past 2 properties without becoming messy
• No bank feed integration. Every transaction entered by hand

Verdict: Spreadsheets work for 1-2 properties with straightforward finances. MTD changes the calculation though. Plan to move to proper software before your first quarterly submission is due.

Rating: 3/5 for simplicity, 1/5 for scalability

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Comparison Table: All Options at a Glance

Feature	Arthur Online	Landlord Vision	Hammock	Goodlord	OpenRent	Spreadsheet
Price	From £15/property/mo	From £12/mo	Free-£8/mo	Per tenancy	Free-£49	Free
Rent tracking	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Basic	Basic	Manual
Expense tracking	Good	Excellent	Good	None	None	Manual
Tax reporting	Basic	Excellent	Good	None	None	Manual
MTD compatible	No	Yes	Coming soon	No	No	Via bridging
Tenant portal	Yes	No	No	Yes (move-in)	Basic	No
Maintenance	Excellent	Basic	No	No	Basic	Manual
Document storage	Excellent	Good	Basic	Good	Basic	Manual
Compliance reminders	Excellent	Good	Basic	Good	Basic	Manual
Tenant finding	No	No	No	Yes	Excellent	No
Best for	5+ properties	Tax/accounting	Simple tracking	Lettings process	Tenant finding	1-2 properties

The Best Combinations for Different Landlords

No single tool does everything well. Here’s what I’d recommend based on where you are.

1 Property, Just Starting Out

Recommended: OpenRent + Hammock (free tier) + Google Calendar

• OpenRent for finding tenants, referencing, and tenancy setup
• Hammock free tier for tracking income, expenses, and tax estimates
• Google Calendar for compliance date reminders

Monthly cost: £0

Start here. Spend nothing. Upgrade Hammock to premium (£8/month) when you want bank feed integration and better reporting.

2-3 Properties, Focused on Tax Compliance

Recommended: OpenRent + Landlord Vision

• OpenRent for tenant finding and basic management
• Landlord Vision for accounting, tax reporting, and MTD submissions

Monthly cost: £12

Landlord Vision handles everything HMRC wants, including quarterly MTD submissions. OpenRent handles the tenant-facing side. Together they cover everything.

4-10 Properties, Wanting Full Management

Recommended: Arthur Online + Landlord Vision

• Arthur Online for day-to-day property and tenant management
• Landlord Vision for accounting and tax (Arthur’s financial features are weaker)

Monthly cost: £60-150+ (depending on portfolio size)

At this scale, Arthur Online’s efficiency justifies the cost. Time saved on maintenance management, tenant comms, and compliance tracking adds up fast.

Portfolio Landlord (10+ Properties)

At this scale, also consider:

• Propertymark management software — enterprise-level tools
• Custom systems — some portfolio landlords build workflows using Notion, Airtable, or Zapier
• Dedicated accountant — software helps. But 10+ properties with MTD requirements may warrant a professional

Making Tax Digital: What You Need to Know

MTD is the single biggest reason landlords need software in 2026. Here’s what matters for your choice.

The Timeline

• April 2026: MTD mandatory for landlords with property income over £50,000
• April 2027: MTD mandatory for landlords with property income over £30,000
• Future (TBC): Likely to extend to all landlords eventually

What MTD Requires

1. Digital records — income and expenses recorded digitally. Not handwritten
2. Quarterly updates — submit income and expense summaries to HMRC every quarter
3. End of Period Statement — annual summary after the tax year ends
4. Final Declaration — replaces the Self Assessment tax return

Software That Handles MTD

The MTD-ready options for landlords as of early 2026:

• Landlord Vision — fully MTD-compatible. Submits directly to HMRC
• QuickBooks — general accounting software with MTD submission
• Xero — general accounting software with MTD submission
• FreeAgent — popular with freelancers and MTD-compatible
• Bridging software — tools like BTCSoftware or TaxCalc submit spreadsheet data to HMRC (additional cost)

Hammock has announced MTD compatibility is coming. No confirmed date yet. Arthur Online and OpenRent don’t handle MTD at all.

Choose Landlord Vision or pair your management tool with a general MTD-compatible accounting package. Don’t wait until the deadline. Start your digital records now so your first quarterly submission goes smoothly.

Our Making Tax Digital for landlords guide has the full breakdown.

SelfLandlord Tools: What’s Coming

We’re building free tools for self-managing UK landlords. The goal is simple: give you everything you need without monthly subscriptions.

Planned tools:

• Rent tracker — log payments, flag late rent, generate reports
• Expense tracker — categorised for UK property tax rules with receipt upload
• Compliance dashboard — automatic reminders for gas safety, EICR, insurance, deposit re-protection
• Document vault — secure storage for all tenancy documents
• Tax summary — annual income and expense report formatted for Self Assessment and MTD
• Rental yield calculator — already live at /tools/rental-yield-calculator/

All tools will be free. Managing a rental property shouldn’t cost you £10-30 per month per property in software fees.

How to Choose: A Decision Framework

Not sure which software to pick? Answer four questions.

1. How many properties do you have?

• 1-2: Hammock free tier or a spreadsheet
• 3-5: Landlord Vision
• 5+: Arthur Online + Landlord Vision

2. Does MTD apply to you from April 2026?

• Yes: Landlord Vision or another MTD-compatible accounting tool
• No: Any option works for now. Plan ahead though

3. What’s your biggest pain point?

• Finding tenants: OpenRent
• Tax and accounting: Landlord Vision
• Day-to-day management: Arthur Online
• Keeping it simple: Hammock

4. What’s your budget?

• £0/month: OpenRent + Hammock free tier + Google Calendar
• Under £15/month: Landlord Vision or Hammock Premium
• £15-30+/month: Arthur Online (potentially + Landlord Vision)

Key Takeaways

1. No single tool does everything. Most landlords need two tools. One for tenant-facing tasks. One for financial management.

2. OpenRent is essential. Use it for tenant finding and basic tenancy management regardless of what else you choose.

3. MTD changes everything. Property income over the threshold means you need MTD-compatible software. Landlord Vision is the best landlord-specific option right now.

4. Don’t overpay. Arthur Online is brilliant for big portfolios. It’s overkill for 1-3 properties. Start simple and upgrade when you actually need to.

5. Free tools are coming. SelfLandlord will offer free property management tools built for self-managing UK landlords. Until then, a spreadsheet plus OpenRent gets you further than you’d expect.

Pick the simplest option that meets your needs. Get comfortable with it. Upgrade when your portfolio or HMRC forces your hand.

Our self-managing landlord guide covers the full picture. Start with our how to be a landlord guide if you’re new to letting. — tenancy agreements, gas safety certificates, deposit protection, rent records, expense receipts, tax returns. For decades, landlords have muddled through with filing cabinets, spreadsheets, and shoeboxes of receipts.

That’s no longer good enough. Making Tax Digital (MTD) for landlords begins in April 2026 for those with property income over £50,000 (extending to £30,000+ from April 2027). HMRC now requires digital record-keeping and quarterly submissions. A shoebox of receipts won’t cut it.

Beyond tax compliance, good software saves time, reduces errors, and helps you stay on top of legal obligations. The right tool can be the difference between landlording feeling like a second job and it being the passive income stream it should be.

This guide reviews every major landlord software option available in the UK in 2026, with honest assessments of who each one suits best.

What to Look for in Landlord Software

Before comparing specific products, understand what features actually matter for UK landlords.

Essential Features

• Rent tracking — record incoming rent, flag late payments, track arrears
• Expense tracking — log costs with categories that match HMRC’s property income rules
• Document storage — keep tenancy agreements, gas safety certificates, EPC, EICR, and other compliance documents in one place
• Tax reporting — generate income and expense summaries for Self Assessment or MTD
• Reminders — automatic alerts for gas safety renewals, insurance expiry, deposit re-protection, and other compliance deadlines

Nice-to-Have Features

• Tenant portal — let tenants report maintenance, view documents, and communicate through the platform
• Maintenance tracking — log repair requests from report to resolution
• Bank feed integration — automatically import transactions from your bank account
• MTD submission — submit quarterly updates directly to HMRC without needing separate software
• Multi-property dashboard — overview of all properties at a glance
• Contractor management — store tradesperson details and track their work

What Doesn’t Matter

• CRM features — you’re a landlord, not a sales team
• Fancy mobile apps — basic mobile access is useful, but a slick app doesn’t help if the core features are weak
• Social features — landlord forums and communities are nice but shouldn’t drive your software choice

The Software: Head-to-Head Reviews

Arthur Online

Best for: Portfolio landlords with 5+ properties

Overview: Arthur Online is the most comprehensive property management platform in the UK market. Originally built for managing agents, it’s expanded to serve landlords directly. It handles everything from tenant onboarding to maintenance management to financial reporting.

Key Features:

• Full property portfolio management
• Tenant and contractor portals
• Automated rent collection and arrears tracking
• Maintenance workflow management
• Document management with compliance reminders
• Financial reporting and accounting integration
• Inspection scheduling and reporting
• Mobile app for landlords, tenants, and contractors

Pricing:

• Starts at £15/month per property (annual billing)
• Volume discounts for larger portfolios
• Free trial available

Strengths:

• The most feature-complete option on the market
• Excellent maintenance workflow — tenants report issues, you assign contractors, and track progress through to completion
• Strong compliance tracking with automatic reminders
• Scales well from 5 to 500+ properties
• Good mobile app for on-the-go management

Weaknesses:

• Overkill for 1-3 properties — the feature set is overwhelming if you only have a small portfolio
• Pricing is per-property, so costs add up quickly
• Setup takes time — importing property data, setting up automations, and learning the system requires an initial investment
• Not MTD-compatible natively — you’ll need to export data to accounting software

Verdict: If you have 5+ properties and want a single platform to manage everything, Arthur Online is the most capable option. For smaller portfolios, it’s more than you need and more than you should pay.

Rating: 4/5 for portfolio landlords, 2/5 for single-property landlords

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Landlord Vision

Best for: Tax-focused landlords who want integrated accounting

Overview: Landlord Vision is a UK-specific landlord accounting and management platform. Its core strength is financial management — it’s built around the needs of UK landlords dealing with HMRC, and it shows.

Key Features:

• Full double-entry accounting designed for property income
• Bank feed integration (auto-imports transactions)
• Self Assessment tax return generation
• MTD for Income Tax compatible (quarterly submissions)
• Property and tenant management
• Document storage
• Mortgage tracking
• Capital gains tax calculations
• Multi-property portfolio view

Pricing:

• From £12/month (1-5 properties)
• £18/month (6-25 properties)
• £25/month (26-50 properties)
• All plans include full features
• 30-day free trial

Strengths:

• Best accounting and tax features of any UK landlord software
• Properly handles Section 24 mortgage interest restrictions
• Bank feed integration saves hours of manual data entry
• MTD-compatible — can submit quarterly updates directly to HMRC
• Understands UK property tax rules (not a US product retrofitted for the UK)
• Capital gains calculations for when you sell
• Reasonable pricing that doesn’t scale per-property (up to the tier limits)

Weaknesses:

• Weaker on operational management — maintenance tracking is basic compared to Arthur Online
• No tenant portal — tenants can’t self-serve for maintenance or document access
• Interface feels dated compared to newer competitors
• Learning curve for the accounting features if you’re not financially minded
• Limited contractor management

Verdict: If tax compliance is your priority — and with MTD arriving in 2026, it should be for many landlords — Landlord Vision is the strongest choice. It handles the financial side of landlording better than anything else on the market. Just don’t expect it to manage your day-to-day operations as well as it manages your books.

Rating: 5/5 for tax and accounting, 3/5 for property management

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Hammock

Best for: Simplicity-focused landlords with 1-3 properties

Overview: Hammock takes a deliberately simple approach. Where other platforms try to do everything, Hammock focuses on the basics: tracking income, logging expenses, and estimating your tax bill. It’s the least intimidating option for landlords who just want something that works without a learning curve.

Key Features:

• Income and expense tracking
• Automatic tax estimates (shows what you’ll owe)
• Receipt scanning via mobile app
• Bank account integration
• Property and tenant records
• Basic document storage
• Compliance reminders for key dates
• Simple dashboard with profit overview

Pricing:

• Free tier: 1 property, basic features
• Premium: £8/month for unlimited properties
• 14-day free trial for premium

Strengths:

• Genuinely easy to use — you can set it up in 10 minutes
• Free tier is usable (not just a teaser)
• Clean, modern interface
• Good mobile app for scanning receipts on the go
• Tax estimates update in real time as you add transactions
• Affordable premium tier with no per-property pricing

Weaknesses:

• Limited features beyond financials — no maintenance tracking, no tenant portal, no inspection management
• Not MTD-compatible for direct HMRC submissions (yet — they’ve announced it’s coming)
• No contractor management
• Basic document storage (no compliance workflow)
• Reporting is simple — fine for basic portfolios, but insufficient for complex situations

Verdict: Hammock is the best starting point for new landlords with 1-3 properties. The free tier gets you started, the interface is intuitive, and the tax estimates alone justify the premium price. You’ll outgrow it if your portfolio expands, but for most self-managing landlords, it does exactly what’s needed without overwhelming you.

Rating: 4/5 for simplicity and value, 2/5 for feature completeness

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Goodlord

Best for: Landlords who want to streamline the lettings process

Overview: Goodlord focuses on the lettings journey rather than ongoing management. It handles tenancy creation, referencing, rent collection, and compliance in a single workflow. It’s popular with letting agents, but individual landlords can use it too.

Key Features:

• Online tenancy creation and e-signing
• Tenant referencing (credit check, employer ref, landlord ref, Right to Rent)
• Rent collection via direct debit
• Deposit management and protection
• Insurance products (landlord and tenant)
• Compliance tracking
• Move-in/move-out workflows

Pricing:

• Pay per tenancy (not monthly subscription)
• Referencing: from £24.99 per tenant
• Full tenancy setup: from £99
• Ongoing rent collection: included with tenancy setup

Strengths:

• Excellent lettings workflow — the move-in process is polished and professional
• E-signing means no printing or posting agreements
• Referencing is fast (often same-day)
• Deposit protection is handled automatically
• Good for creating a professional impression with tenants

Weaknesses:

• Not a management tool — once the tenant is in, Goodlord’s value drops significantly
• No expense tracking, tax reporting, or accounting features
• No maintenance management
• Per-tenancy pricing makes it expensive if you re-let frequently
• Not MTD-compatible
• Designed primarily for agents — the landlord experience is secondary

Verdict: Goodlord is excellent at one thing: setting up new tenancies. If you let multiple properties frequently, the streamlined workflow saves time and creates a professional experience. But it doesn’t help with ongoing management, accounting, or compliance monitoring, so you’ll need another tool alongside it.

Rating: 4/5 for lettings process, 1/5 for ongoing management

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OpenRent

Best for: Tenant finding and basic lettings management (free)

Overview: OpenRent is primarily a listing platform, but it’s expanded into a basic property management tool. For many self-managing landlords, it’s the only platform they need.

Key Features:

• Free property listings on Rightmove, Zoopla, and other portals
• Tenant referencing (£20 per applicant)
• Free tenancy agreement template (lawyer-reviewed)
• Rent collection (free standing order setup or managed collection)
• Deposit protection via mydeposits
• Basic property and tenant records
• Maintenance reporting (basic)

Pricing:

• Free listing: appears on OpenRent, Rightmove, Zoopla
• Featured listing: £49 (better visibility + Rightmove Premium)
• Referencing: £20 per applicant
• Rent collection: free
• Deposit protection: from £0 (custodial)

Strengths:

• Free to list — this alone makes it essential
• The best tenant-finding platform for self-managing landlords
• Referencing is comprehensive and cheap (£20 vs. £100+ via agents)
• Free tenancy agreement saves £200+ in legal fees
• Rent collection via their platform is convenient and free
• Large, active marketplace — your listing reaches millions

Weaknesses:

• Not a full management platform — no expense tracking, no tax reporting, no comprehensive compliance management
• Maintenance features are rudimentary
• No bank feed integration
• No MTD compatibility
• Document storage is limited
• Works best paired with a separate accounting/management tool

Verdict: OpenRent is indispensable for self-managing landlords. Use it for tenant finding and basic tenancy management, then pair it with Landlord Vision or Hammock for the financial side. Trying to use OpenRent as your only tool will leave gaps in accounting and compliance.

Rating: 5/5 for tenant finding, 2/5 for ongoing management

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Free Alternatives: Spreadsheets and Manual Systems

Best for: Landlords with 1-2 properties and simple finances

Not every landlord needs software. A well-structured spreadsheet can handle the financial side of a small portfolio perfectly adequately.

What you need:

• Income tracker — log rent received each month
• Expense tracker — log all property-related costs with categories (repairs, insurance, mortgage interest, professional fees, etc.)
• Compliance calendar — track renewal dates for gas safety, EICR, insurance, deposit protection
• Document folder — organised digital storage for all certificates and agreements

Recommended approach:

1. Use Google Sheets or Excel for income/expenses
2. Use Google Calendar for compliance reminders
3. Use Google Drive or OneDrive for document storage
4. Use a notes app for maintenance logs

Strengths:

• Completely free
• No learning curve if you’re comfortable with spreadsheets
• Total flexibility — customise to your exact needs
• No vendor lock-in

Weaknesses:

• MTD requires digital records that link to HMRC — you’ll need “bridging software” to submit from a spreadsheet (this is an additional cost and complexity)
• No automation — everything is manual
• Easy to forget compliance dates without automated reminders
• Doesn’t scale well beyond 2 properties
• No bank feed integration — every transaction is entered manually

Verdict: A spreadsheet system works for 1-2 properties with straightforward finances. But as MTD makes digital submission mandatory, the advantage of purpose-built software grows. If you start with spreadsheets, plan to migrate to proper software before your first MTD submission is due.

Rating: 3/5 for simplicity, 1/5 for scalability

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Comparison Table: All Options at a Glance

Feature	Arthur Online	Landlord Vision	Hammock	Goodlord	OpenRent	Spreadsheet
Price	From £15/property/mo	From £12/mo	Free-£8/mo	Per tenancy	Free-£49	Free
Rent tracking	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Basic	Basic	Manual
Expense tracking	Good	Excellent	Good	None	None	Manual
Tax reporting	Basic	Excellent	Good	None	None	Manual
MTD compatible	No	Yes	Coming soon	No	No	Via bridging
Tenant portal	Yes	No	No	Yes (move-in)	Basic	No
Maintenance	Excellent	Basic	No	No	Basic	Manual
Document storage	Excellent	Good	Basic	Good	Basic	Manual
Compliance reminders	Excellent	Good	Basic	Good	Basic	Manual
Tenant finding	No	No	No	Yes	Excellent	No
Best for	5+ properties	Tax/accounting	Simple tracking	Lettings process	Tenant finding	1-2 properties

The Best Combinations for Different Landlords

No single tool does everything perfectly. Here are the recommended combinations based on your situation.

1 Property, Just Starting Out

Recommended: OpenRent + Hammock (free tier) + Google Calendar

• OpenRent for finding tenants, referencing, and tenancy setup
• Hammock free tier for tracking income, expenses, and tax estimates
• Google Calendar for compliance date reminders

Monthly cost: £0

This gets you started without spending a penny. Upgrade Hammock to premium (£8/month) when you want bank feed integration and better reporting.

2-3 Properties, Focused on Tax Compliance

Recommended: OpenRent + Landlord Vision

• OpenRent for tenant finding and basic management
• Landlord Vision for accounting, tax reporting, and MTD submissions

Monthly cost: £12

Landlord Vision handles everything HMRC requires, including quarterly MTD submissions. OpenRent handles the tenant-facing side. Together, they cover all bases.

4-10 Properties, Wanting Full Management

Recommended: Arthur Online + Landlord Vision

• Arthur Online for day-to-day property and tenant management
• Landlord Vision for accounting and tax (Arthur’s financial features are weaker)

Monthly cost: £60-150+ (depending on portfolio size)

At this scale, the operational efficiency of Arthur Online justifies its cost. The time saved on maintenance management, tenant communications, and compliance tracking adds up.

Portfolio Landlord (10+ Properties)

At this scale, you should also consider:

• Propertymark management software — enterprise-level tools
• Custom systems — some portfolio landlords build their own workflows using tools like Notion, Airtable, or Zapier
• Dedicated accountant — software helps, but 10+ properties with MTD requirements may warrant professional support

Making Tax Digital: What You Need to Know

MTD is the biggest reason landlords need to think about software in 2026. Here’s what’s relevant to your software choice.

The Timeline

• April 2026: MTD mandatory for landlords with property income over £50,000
• April 2027: MTD mandatory for landlords with property income over £30,000
• Future (TBC): Likely to extend to all landlords

What MTD Requires

1. Digital records — income and expenses must be recorded digitally (not handwritten)
2. Quarterly updates — submit a summary of income and expenses to HMRC every quarter
3. End of Period Statement — an annual summary after the tax year ends
4. Final Declaration — replaces the Self Assessment tax return

Software That Handles MTD

As of early 2026, the MTD-ready options for landlords are:

• Landlord Vision — fully MTD-compatible, can submit directly to HMRC
• QuickBooks — general accounting software with MTD submission
• Xero — general accounting software with MTD submission
• FreeAgent — popular with freelancers, MTD-compatible
• Bridging software — if you use spreadsheets, tools like BTCSoftware or TaxCalc can submit your data to HMRC (additional cost)

Hammock has announced MTD compatibility is coming but hasn’t confirmed a date. Arthur Online and OpenRent don’t handle MTD at all.

Our recommendation: If MTD applies to you from April 2026, choose Landlord Vision or pair your management tool with a general MTD-compatible accounting package. Don’t wait until the deadline to set up your digital records — start now so your first quarterly submission goes smoothly.

For a complete breakdown of MTD requirements, see our Making Tax Digital for landlords guide.

SelfLandlord Tools: What’s Coming

We’re building free tools specifically for self-managing UK landlords. Our goal is to provide everything you need to manage your property without paying for software subscriptions.

Planned tools:

• Rent tracker — log payments, flag late rent, generate reports
• Expense tracker — categorised for UK property tax rules, receipt upload
• Compliance dashboard — automatic reminders for gas safety, EICR, insurance, deposit re-protection
• Document vault — secure storage for all tenancy documents
• Tax summary — annual income and expense report formatted for Self Assessment and MTD
• Rental yield calculator — already live at /tools/rental-yield-calculator/

All tools will be free for self-managing landlords. We believe the core tools for managing a rental property shouldn’t cost £10-30 per month per property.

How to Choose: A Decision Framework

Still not sure which software to pick? Answer these questions:

1. How many properties do you have?

• 1-2: Hammock free tier or spreadsheet
• 3-5: Landlord Vision
• 5+: Arthur Online + Landlord Vision

2. Does MTD apply to you from April 2026?

• Yes: Landlord Vision (or any MTD-compatible accounting software)
• No: Any option works for now, but plan ahead

3. What’s your biggest pain point?

• Finding tenants: OpenRent
• Tax and accounting: Landlord Vision
• Day-to-day management: Arthur Online
• Keeping it simple: Hammock

4. What’s your budget?

• £0/month: OpenRent + Hammock free tier + Google Calendar
• Under £15/month: Landlord Vision or Hammock Premium
• £15-30+/month: Arthur Online (potentially + Landlord Vision)

Key Takeaways

1. No single tool does everything. The best setup for most landlords is a combination of two tools — one for tenant-facing tasks and one for financial management.

2. OpenRent is essential. Regardless of what else you use, OpenRent should be in your toolkit for tenant finding and basic tenancy management.

3. MTD changes the game. If your property income exceeds the MTD threshold, you need MTD-compatible software. Landlord Vision is currently the best option for landlords specifically.

4. Don’t overpay. Arthur Online is excellent but overkill for most self-managing landlords with 1-3 properties. Start simple and upgrade when you need to.

5. Free tools are coming. SelfLandlord will offer free property management tools built specifically for self-managing UK landlords. In the meantime, a spreadsheet plus OpenRent gets you surprisingly far.

The best software is the one you’ll actually use. Start with the simplest option that meets your needs, get comfortable with it, and upgrade when your portfolio or HMRC demands it.

For more guidance on managing your property, see our self-managing landlord guide or start with our how to be a landlord guide if you’re new to letting.