Best landlord software UK 2026: honest comparison for private landlords
A plain-English comparison of the top UK landlord software in 2026 — Landlord Vision, Landlord Studio, Hammock, Rentila, Goodlord and RentDocs — with features, pricing and who each one is best for.
Choosing landlord software in 2026 is different to choosing it two years ago. The Renters' Rights Act 2026 removes Section 21, tightens rent-increase rules, expands the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector, and ties into the new PRS Landlord Ombudsman. If your "system" is a folder on your desktop and a WhatsApp thread with your tenant, you are one complaint away from a five-figure fine.
This is an honest comparison of the landlord software UK private landlords actually use — what each one is good at, what it costs, and who it's for. We build RentDocs, so we've included ourselves last and told you where we're a weaker fit.
What to look for in landlord software in 2026
- UK-specific compliance — gas safety, EAT ICR 2020, EPC (rising to C from 2028), How to Rent / Renters' Rights Act guides, right to rent, deposit protection.
- Evidence trail — an ombudsman won't accept "I told them by phone". You need a timeline of everything you sent to each tenant.
- Four-nation coverage — England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have different rules. A lot of software only really covers England.
- Rent tracking + reminders — chasing rent by text is 2015. Automation should do it.
- Tenancy agreement generation with e-signatures — post-RRA, the AST is gone; you'll be issuing new-style periodic tenancies constantly.
- Price that scales with a portfolio — per-property fees add up fast on an HMO.
The comparison
| Software | Best for | Rough price | UK compliance | E-sign | Portal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landlord Vision | Accountants and 10+ property landlords | ~£15–£40/mo | Strong | Add-on | Yes |
| Landlord Studio | Rent tracking and Making Tax Digital | ~£12–£25/mo | Medium | Add-on | Yes |
| Hammock | Bookkeeping + Open Banking | ~£12/mo per property | Financial-focused | No | No |
| Rentila | Free tier, budget landlords | Free / paid tiers | Basic | Limited | Basic |
| Goodlord | Letting agents, tenant onboarding | Agent-priced | Referencing-focused | Yes | Yes |
| RentDocs | Landlords who want RRA-ready compliance without agent fees | £5/mo (+£3/room HMO) | Strong | Included | Yes |
Landlord Vision
The heavyweight. Full accounts, mortgage tracking, service charge splits, HMO handling. If you have 10+ properties and actually enjoy spreadsheets, this is the mature choice. Downside: it's built for portfolio landlords, so first-time landlords with one flat find it overkill and expensive.
Landlord Studio
Very good rent tracking, receipt scanning, and Making Tax Digital exports. Their compliance side is fine but not exceptional — you'll still store certificates elsewhere. Great pick if your main pain is tax and rent.
Hammock
An Open Banking-powered rent tracker. Beautiful if your problem is "did my tenant actually pay?" and less useful for compliance, documents, or tenant communication.
Rentila
The free / freemium option. Basic property and tenant records, some documents. Good for a single landlord dipping a toe in. UK compliance is thin and it's not built around RRA 2026.
Goodlord
Really designed for letting agents, not private landlords. Fantastic referencing and onboarding, but you'll be paying for features you don't need if you self-manage.
Where RentDocs fits
We built RentDocs because the tools above either cost too much, don't cover compliance properly, or assume you have an accountant on retainer. RentDocs is one flat price (£5/mo for one property, £3/room for HMOs) and includes:
- UK compliance across all four nations (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland).
- Renters' Rights Act 2026 tenancy agreement generator with multi-landlord e-signatures — no per-signature fees.
- Landlord Protection Centre — an audit-ready evidence trail your ombudsman or judge will accept.
- Rent reminders by SMS and email — optional per tenant, tenants can opt out.
- Statutory document tracking with the right How to Rent / RRA notices auto-served based on tenancy start date.
Where we're weaker: we don't do full double-entry accounting like Landlord Vision, and we don't yet do Open Banking rent reconciliation like Hammock. If those are your top priorities, pick one of those; if compliance and evidence are your top priorities, RentDocs is built for exactly that.
How to choose
- 1–5 properties, want compliance sorted for cheap — RentDocs.
- Full accounts and portfolio reporting — Landlord Vision.
- Making Tax Digital and receipts — Landlord Studio.
- Automated bank-feed rent reconciliation — Hammock.
- You're a letting agent — Goodlord (or RentDocs for agents).
Whichever you pick, the important thing in 2026 is: stop running your lettings on a folder and a phone. The RRA doesn't have to be scary — but it does require a paper trail.
Start your free 3-day RentDocs trial — no card required to look around.