5 Best MTD Software for Landlords in 2026: Streamlining Tax Compliance for UK Property Owners
Most MTD software wasn’t built for landlords. The five platforms reviewed here were selected because they were or come close enough to matter. From April 2026, landlords earning above £50,000 in the tax year 2024-25 must keep digital records, submit quarterly updates and final declaration to HMRC under Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
This guide compares RentalBux, Hammock, Landlord Studio, Landlord Vision, and Xero, the five best MTD software for landlords. Each is built differently, and the right choice depends on how your portfolio is structured.
Quick comparison: best MTD software for landlords (2026)
Each platform is assessed across three dimensions that reflect what UK landlords approaching the April 2026 MTD deadline need to evaluate. Scores are out of 10 and ranked from strongest to most limited.
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MTD compliance
How automated and landlord-specific the submission process is; not just HMRC recognition but how much manual work remains on the landlord's side
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Portfolio fit
How well the platform handles real landlord complexity: joint ownership, HMOs, foreign property, combined income sources
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Value for money
Free plan availability, pricing transparency, and what you actually get at entry level before needing to upgrade
*Scores reflect our editorial assessment based on publicly available information and platform documentation reviewed ahead of the April 2026 MTD deadline. They are not based on sponsored relationships or user review aggregation.
How to Choose MTD Software for Landlords
A few things worth thinking through before you commit:
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HMRC compatibility
The software must be recognised by HMRC for MTD submissions. All five platforms in this guide meet that requirement.
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Property-level tracking
Property-specific platforms let you see income and expenses per property, which makes quarterly submissions more accurate and easier to review.
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How they charge
Run the numbers on your own portfolio before assuming the cheaper headline price stays cheap.
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Joint ownership
If you co-own properties, you need software that splits income and expenses automatically and generates separate MTD submissions per owner.
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Additional property management tools
If you want tenancy management, compliance certificate tracking, and maintenance logs in the same place, you'll need a platform built for landlords.
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Mixed income
If you have self-employment income alongside rental income, managing both in one MTD subscription is cleaner than splitting them across two tools.
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Accountant access
Confirm your accountant can get in and work the way they want to before committing.
5 Best MTD Software for Landlords in 2026: Detailed Review
No single platform ticks every box. The right choice depends on which of these questions matter most to your situation. The five reviews below are structured to answer them directly, with a comparison table and best-for summary at the end to help you narrow down your shortlist.
1. RentalBux
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MTD status
HMRC recognised — live
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Starting price
Free/ £ 0.00 per month
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Free plan
Yes — 1 property unit
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Platform
Web, iOS, Android
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Best for
Joint ownership, foreign property, or combined rental and self-employment income
RentalBux is a property accounting and MTD compliance platform built specifically for UK landlords and sole traders. It is the only platform in this comparison offering a free plan with direct HMRC integration, and the only one handling joint ownership splits, foreign property, and combined income under a single MTD subscription.
Key features
- Direct quarterly MTD submissions to HMRC with automatic deadline reminders and full submission history
- UK and foreign property income tracked separately as HMRC requires, both covered under one submission
- Ownership percentages defined once, income and expenses split automatically, with individual MTD submissions generated per co-owner including Form 17 and partnership support
- Combined rental and self-employment MTD in one subscription, all 8 quarterly updates submitted without needing a second tool
- Bank feeds with continuous transaction import and OCR receipt scanning via mobile camera
- Pre-built landlord chart of accounts with property-level profit and loss reports generated automatically
- Real-time portfolio dashboard filterable by date or property, exportable as PDF or CSV
- Compliance certificate tracking for EPC, Gas Safety, and insurance renewals. Reminders set automatically before expiry
- Tenancy management including lease storage, rental payment tracking, due dates, and automated tenant reminders
- Maintenance request tracking via tenant portal, requests flow directly to the landlord dashboard for timely resolution
Pros
- Handles rental and self-employment income under one MTD subscription
- Automatic joint ownership splits with separate submissions per co-owner
- UK and foreign property tracked within the same platform
- Pre-built landlord chart of accounts so, no manual setup
- All paid plans free until August 2026
Cons
- Being a newer platform has fewer independent tutorials and community resources than established tools
2. Landlord Studio
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MTD status
HMRC recognised — live
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Starting price
Free / £12.00 per month
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Free plan
Yes — up to 3 units
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Platform
Web, iOS, Android
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Best for
Landlords who want MTD compliance, maintenance tracking, and tenancy management in one platform
Landlord Studio is a property management and accounting platform trusted by over 80,000 landlords and letting agents. It covers MTD compliance, rental accounting, tenancy management, property maintenance, and compliance tracking in one place.
Key features
- Automatic bank feeds with real-time reconciliation and SmartScan receipt digitisation via mobile
- MTD submissions with separate updates per owner supported under one account
- Over 15 accountant-approved reports including profit and loss, capital gains, and rent ledger which is exportable as PDF or CSV
- GPS mileage tracking built into the mobile app with manual entry option
- Compliance certificate tracking for Gas Safety, EICR, EPC, legionella, and alarms with automated reminders
- Tenant portal for maintenance requests, prioritised by urgency and tracked to completion
- AI-powered listing generator, tenant pre-screening, automated rent reminders, and arrears tracking
Pros
- Free plan for up to three units
- Broad feature set: accounting, compliance, maintenance, and tenancy in one platform
- GPS mileage tracking built into mobile app
- Separate MTD submissions per owner under one account
Cons
- Free plan charges £5 per MTD submission, four quarterly submissions costs £20 per year
- Automated bank feeds, compliance reminders, and multi-user access require a paid plan
3. Hammock
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MTD status
HMRC recognised — live
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Starting price
From £8 per month
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Free plan
No — 30-day free trial
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Platform
Web, iOS, Android
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Best for
Automated bookkeeping for HMOs, limited companies, and landlords who want real-time reconciliation without manual input
Hammock is an accounting platform built specifically for UK landlords, with automated real-time bookkeeping at its core. Transactions are reconciled as they happen, no manual bank statement sorting required.
Key features
- Real-time automated bookkeeping, payments matched to properties and tenants instantly, without manual reconciliation
- Unlimited UK bank and credit card feeds, with personal transactions automatically excluded from property finances
- Property tax statement mapped to SA105 with a running estimated tax bill and option to set aside funds throughout the year
- Direct quarterly MTD submissions to HMRC
- Buy-to-let metrics including loan-to-value ratio, rental yields, and per-property profit and loss updated in real time
- Instant payment notifications with running arrears balance per property and tenant
- Supports joint ownership, partnerships, limited companies, HMOs, furnished holiday lets, and student lets
Pros
- Automated real-time bookkeeping removes manual reconciliation entirely
- Tax bill estimation with option to set funds aside throughout the year
- Supports HMOs, limited companies, and multiple ownership structures
- Per-property pricing, cost stays flat as tenant count grows in HMOs
Cons
- No compliance certificate tracking or tenancy management tools
- No free plan, trial only
4. Landlord Vision
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MTD status
HMRC recognised — coming soon
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Starting price
£19.97 per month
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Free plan
No — 2-week free trial
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Platform
Web
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Best for
Landlords who want property management, compliance tracking, and financial reporting in one platform alongside MTD
Landlord Vision is a property management platform built for UK landlords covering compliance, document management, and financial tracking in one system. MTD functionality is included across all plans at no additional cost, though live submission is not yet available at the time of writing.
Key features
- Rent schedules set automatically per tenancy with real-time arrears visibility at tenant, property, and portfolio level
- Open Banking bank feeds with automatic transaction matching, no manual reconciliation
- Compliance dashboard tracking EPC, Gas Safety, and EICR certificates with automated reminders before expiry
- Centralised document storage linked to property or tenancy with full audit trail, version history, and tenant file sharing
- E-signatures available from the Standard plan; e-signatures and tenant portal included from Standard upward
- Comprehensive reporting suite: profit and loss, income tax, balance sheet, cash flow, capital gains, and statement of account
- Tenancy management tools including right to rent tracking, mail merge, calendar, and task management from Standard plan
Pros
- Covers compliance, documents, finance, and tenancy management in one platform
- MTD included in all plans at no extra cost
- Automated compliance reminders for EPC, Gas Safety, and EICR
- Comprehensive reporting including capital gains and cash flow
- UK-based phone and email support on all plans
Cons
- MTD submission not yet live at time of writing
- Starter plan capped at 4 tenancies
- Xero integration, VAT support, and tenant referencing require the Enterprise plan
- No free plan, higher starting price than all others in this comparison
5. Xero
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MTD status
HMRC recognised — live
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Starting price
£7 per month
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Free plan
No — 30-day free trial
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Platform
Web, iOS, Android
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Best for
Landlords with straightforward needs who want an established accounting platform with strong accountant access
Xero is a general-purpose cloud accounting platform used by millions of businesses worldwide. Unlike the other four tools in this comparison, it is not built around property but a dedicated Simple plan for sole traders and landlords makes it accessible at the lower end of the pricing range.
Key features
Key features
- Bank feeds connected to 21,000+ global banking institutions with automatic reconciliation recommendations
- Auto-filled MTD returns reducing manual data entry at submission time
- Real-time dashboard tracking bank balances, invoices, bills, and cash flow
- Hubdoc receipt and bill capture with automatic data extraction into Xero
- Shared accountant access built into all plans
- Large third-party app ecosystem via the Xero App Store
- Cash flow forecasting, invoicing, expense tracking, and multi-currency accounting on higher plans
Pros
- Lowest fixed starting price in this comparison at £7/month
- 21,000+ bank connections with automated reconciliation
- Strong accountant access built into all plans
- Established platform with large support ecosystem
Cons
- Not built for landlords, no property-level tracking, tenancy management, or compliance reminders
- Payroll, expenses, mileage, and CIS submissions carry additional fees on most plans
Which MTD software should I choose?
| Your situation | Best pick | Why it wins here |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership structure | ||
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Jointly owned properties
Co-own with spouse, partner, or investor
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RentalBux | Automatically splits income per owner and generates a separate MTD submission for each, no manual calculations |
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HMO portfolio
Multiple tenants, single property.
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Hammock | Priced per property not per tenancy, costs stay flat as tenant count grows |
| Income type | ||
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Rental + self-employment
Freelancer or sole trader alongside property
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RentalBux | One subscription covers both income streams and submits all 8 quarterly updates, splitting across two tools risks missed deadlines |
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Foreign property income
Overseas rental alongside UK property
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RentalBux | Tracks UK and foreign income separately as HMRC requires, within one MTD submission |
| What you need beyond MTD | ||
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Full property management
Compliance certs, tenancy docs, maintenance
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Landlord Vision | EPC, Gas Safety, EICR tracking, e-signatures, document storage, and tenant portal alongside MTD |
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Maintenance + tenant tools
Repairs, tenant comms, compliance reminders
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Landlord Studio | GPS mileage, tenant portal, maintenance requests, and compliance reminders all included alongside MTD |
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MTD compliance only
Already have other tools, just need submissions
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Xero | Lowest fixed starting price, strong accountant access, established platform, no extra property tools to pay for |
| Portfolio size and budget | ||
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1–3 units, tight budget
Starting out or minimal portfolio
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RentalBux or Landlord Studio | Both offer genuinely free plans. Note: Landlord Studio charges £5 per MTD submission on the free tier |
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Growing portfolio, 4–10+ units
Need scalable pricing and team access
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Hammock or Landlord Studio Pro | Hammock's per-property pricing scales predictably; Landlord Studio Pro Plus adds multi-user access for accountants or agents |
Conclusion
RentalBux suits landlords with joint ownership, foreign property, or self-employment income alongside rental, its automatic splits and combined MTD submissions handle complexity that other platforms leave to the landlord. Landlord Studio suits those who want MTD compliance and property management in one place, with a free entry point for smaller portfolios. Hammock suits landlords who want real-time automated bookkeeping without property management overhead, particularly HMO landlords and those operating through a limited company. Landlord Vision suits landlords who need the broadest property management feature set such as compliance tracking, document storage, tenancy tools alongside MTD preparation. Xero suits landlords with straightforward needs who want an established accounting platform, particularly those already working with an accountant on Xero.
Most platforms here offer a free trial or free plan. Use it, test it against real work, and check that your accountant can access it before committing.
FAQs
Landlords whose gross property and/or self-employment income exceeded £50,000 in the 2024/25 tax year must comply from April 2026.
Spreadsheets alone are not MTD-compliant. You must use HMRC-recognised software to submit quarterly updates directly to HMRC. Landlords must use bridging software if they choose to continue spreadsheet record keeping, but a dedicated MTD platform is the simpler approach.
Yes. Each co-owner must submit their own quarterly MTD updates based on their share of the income. You will need software that either supports joint ownership automatically or allows each owner to manage their own submissions.
Quarterly updates are due four times a year: 7 August, 7 November, 7 February, and 7 May. A final declaration is due by 31 January of the year following the tax year.
No. MTD for Income Tax applies to individuals, not limited companies. Landlords operating through a limited company continue to file Corporation Tax returns as normal.
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