If you’re a self-managing landlord, it can be hard to keep track of all the small tasks you need to do, particularly if you rent out more than one property.
Property management software can help you to stay on top of everything, and could work out cheaper than hiring a letting agent.
So if you want to stay in control of your portfolio, read up on the benefits of property management software and compare five of the best platforms for landlords.
What is property management software?
When a tenant moves into your property, there are lots of things you need to do across the course of their tenancy, such as keeping financial records, scheduling maintenance jobs, and sending updated documents.
Property management software helps you to do all these things in one place, with plenty of automation to save you time and reduce the margin for human error.
Using a software package can reduce the pressure and hassle associated with self-managing a rental property. You can do away with paper records and complicated spreadsheets and benefit from a clear overview of your buy-to-let business.
What is cloud-based property management software?
Cloud-based software is stored and managed through the cloud. This means your records and information are stored securely online, rather than on one computer.
This type of software is usually accessed through a web browser or app, so you can manage your rental property from anywhere using any device.
These days, the vast majority of software systems are cloud based.
Why landlords need property management software
Being a landlord can be complicated and time-consuming, so it’s important to use all the tools available to you that can make things simpler.
Here are three reasons why using software could benefit landlords:
- Keeping records and a paper trail – whether you’re paying tax or settling a deposit dispute, being able to access the information you need quickly and easily is vital.
- Meeting your compliance obligations – using software to set tasks and reminders for things like gas safety certificates can help to keep your tenants safe.
- Understanding the financial position of your portfolio – knowing how much rent you’re owed and what outgoings you’ve got coming up allows you to budget effectively.
And with Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment coming from April 2026, landlords will be looking for software that simplifies the admin that comes with running a rental property.
The overhaul of tenancy agreements and increased compliance obligations due to the Renters’ Rights Act from 1 May means vigilant property management is more important than ever.
Compared – 6 of the best property management software systems
When looking for the best property management software for your needs, you’ll need to think about key features and how many properties it covers, as well as things like price and package.
Read on for details of six of the best-known software providers for landlords.
| Software | Starting price | Free plan | MTD ready? | Best for |
| Landlord Studio | From £12 a month | Free (up to three properties) | Yes | Small to medium portfolios |
| Arthur Online | From £70 a month (up to 50 properties) | No | Yes (via Xero) | Professional and large portfolios |
| August | From £8.99 a month | Free plan available | Yes | Small UK landlords |
| Landlord Vision | £20 a month | No, but free trial is available | Yes | Landlords with 10+ properties |
| PaTMa | From £15 a month | Yes (for one property) | Yes | DIY landlords |
| Hammock | From £8 a month | No | Yes | Bookkeeping and finance |
This is just a summary of different options available and what’s best for you will depend on your circumstances.
1. Landlord Studio
Landlord Studio helps landlords to manage their accounting and maintenance, as well as tax reporting and finding new tenants.
Key benefits include:
- mobile management
- Xero integration
- Making Tax Digital ready
Users can choose the Go option, which is free for up to three properties. Pricing for the Pro package, which includes Xero integration, unlimited users, and unlimited storage, starts at £12 a month for three properties.
2. Arthur Online
Arthur Online provides a full management service for self-managing landlords, helping you to:
- find and communicate with tenants
- manage your finances
- automate day-to-day property management, like chasing rent
- handle compliance obligations, such as storing deposits
- track repairs and maintenance
It also has dedicated apps for tenants, owners, and contractors.
You can choose the Standard, Professional, or Enterprise package, with prices from £70 a month to £126 a month.
Arthur links up with a range of third-party providers, including Xero for accounting and Fixflo for reporting repairs.
3. August
August is designed specifically for the England and Wales legislative framework. It’s less about “enterprise management” and more about making sure a single-let or small HMO landlord doesn’t miss a legal deadline.
- localised compliance – including built-in checklists for right to rent, gas safety, and Electrical installation condition report renewals
- AI property assistant can answer specific tenancy questions
- rent payment tracking syncs with banking app
- mobile dashboard for on-the-go property management
You can choose the Growth, Portfolio, or Portfolio Plus plan, with prices from £8.99 a month to £29.99 a month.
4. Landlord Vision
Landlord Vision styles itself as easy-to-use software that helps landlords to manage all aspects of their buy-to-let business.
As well as full accounting services, Landlord Vision provides access to legal document templates plus the opportunity to track tenancy agreements, view tasks and deadlines, and set up automatic reminders.
There are four packages available:
- Starter – includes four tenancies for £19.97 a month (occasional discount price £7.99 a month)
- Standard – includes 10 tenancies for £29.97 a month
- Premium – includes 15 tenancies for £39.97 a month
- Enterprise – includes 25 tenances for £84.97 a month
5. PaTMa
PaTMa stands out for landlords who view their property as a pure investment. It provides deep data on yields, capital growth, and ROI that other tools that are more involved when it comes to admin.
- avoids accounting jargon and focuses on keeping you compliant with simple alerts
- browser extension that helps you analyse property deals on Rightmove/Zoopla before you buy
Pricing is £15 a month for unlimited rental properties (and there’s a free plan if you just manage one property).
6. Hammock
Hammock is a property management software solution for landlords.
- track income and expenses in real time
- MTD quarterly updates filing
- rent tracking
- integrates with more than 50 UK banks and credit card accounts
- bookkeeping, tax statements, and property investment metrics (e.g rental yield)
There are four plans available:
- Basic (for up to three properties) – £8 a month*
- Standard (for four to 10 properties) – £15 a month*
- Plus (for 11 to 20 properties) – £25 a month*
- Beyond (21+ properties) – £31.50 a month*
*These are the standard prices, but Hammock has a discount until April 2026 so you might be able to sign up for less.
Property management tips – get the best out of your landlord software
Once you’re up and running with your chosen software package, you’ll need to use it properly to get the most out of it.
Here are some points to consider:
- upload things as you go – for example, if you buy something for the property that counts as an allowable expense, uploading the receipt straight away can save you time when it comes to doing your tax return
- communicate with tenants – most software allows you to automate sending emails, invoices, and rent receipts to tenants. Communicating this way demonstrates your professionalism, showing tenants that you’re on top of everything
- don’t ignore reminders – by keeping up to date with your tasks, you reduce the chances of missing important compliance or tenancy deadlines
Property management software FAQs
What’s the best free property management software?
Property Hawk provides a free software service called PM3s, which it says has been used by over 80,000 landlords since 2006. It’s 100 per cent free but does mean it’s quite basic. You can use it for simple record-keeping and rent tracking if you have a small portfolio.
Do I need software for a single rental property?
While you don’t need property management software for a single rental property, it can help ease the admin burden for landlords. The alternative might be hiring a property management company – software lets you manage everything yourself, from rent collection to maintenance requests.
You’ll still need software to manage your taxes – particularly with the introduction of Making Tax Digital.
What about accounting software?
Xero is an accounting software that landlords can use to automate invoices and financial reports, plus prepare for Self Assessment tax returns.
It’s worth bearing in mind that a lot of property management software systems integrate with Xero to provide their accounting function. However, if you’re just looking for accounting support, you may want to use Xero on its own.
Landlords can use Xero to:
- reconcile bank transactions such as rent payments
- enter bills and expenses
- review short-term cash flow
Check guidance from HMRC about accounting software that’s compatible with Making Tax Digital.
More guides for buy-to-let landlords
- 5 smart home devices for your rental property
- What is a Section 13 notice? A guide for landlords
- How to install a home security system in a rental property
- Do landlords need contents insurance?
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