Best AI tools for UK letting agents in 2026
Six AI tools sold to UK letting agents, scored on the jobs each covers, set-up, approval, support, a price you can read and track record.
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Letting agents
Guides to the admin that eats an agency's week, and reviews of the software that claims to fix it. 56 guides and 2 reviews so far.
Free toolsBest buysQuestions answeredKey factsGlossaryKey datesNotices and arrearsCompliance and safetyDeposits, rent and feesRunning the agency
Free tools
Can I charge the tenant for this?Five questions on what the money is for, whether the agreement provides for it and when it is paid, leading to the rule, the cap and what to do.Can this rent go up, and when?Five questions on the landlord, the last increase, the 52 weeks and the notice, leading to whether the rent can rise, which form and the date it can start.Deposit cap and protection deadline calculatorWork out the maximum deposit, holding deposit and rent in advance from the monthly rent, plus the 30-day protection deadline, and why rent ÷ 4 breaks the cap.Ground 8 rent arrears checkerCheck whether a tenant's arrears meet Ground 8 after the Renters' Rights Act: 3 months' or 13 weeks' rent, owed at notice and at the hearing.Rent arrears letter makerMake a rent arrears letter with the figures filled in: a friendly reminder, a formal arrears letter, and a final letter before a Section 8 notice.Lettings compliance date trackerEnter a property's last gas check, EICR and EPC dates and get every due date, the early-renewal window for gas, and a calendar file with reminders.Section 13 rent increase date checker: the earliest date a new rent can startHow letting agents in England raise rent since 1 May 2026: Form 4A, two months' notice, the 52-week rule, a worked date example and the tribunal.Late information sheet covering email and letter makerThe information sheet was due by 31 May 2026. Which tenancies needed it, the only valid ways to send it, a proof log and an email for any you missed.Admin scorecard for a letting agency: the office hours a week that could be prepared by AI and checked by you, job by jobEnter the hours a week your agency spends on emails, compliance dates, arrears and repairs to see which jobs AI could prepare and what stays with you.Gas safety access letter makerHSE looks for at least three attempts when a tenant blocks a gas safety check. A dated timetable, three letters to copy and the log that proves you tried.Holding deposit written notice makerA holding deposit is capped at one week's rent and has a 15-day deadline. The dates worked through, a keep-or-refund table and the written notice to send.Letting agent readiness check: ten yes-or-no questions on deposits, notices, rent increases, pets and gas safetyTen yes-or-no questions for a letting agency in England on deposits, arrears letters, rent increases, pet requests, gas access and the information sheet.New tenancy checklist for letting agents24 steps to start a tenancy in England, from the advert to day 30: holding deposit, written terms, certificates, alarms and deposit protection, with the rules.Pet request reply letter makerA landlord must answer a tenant's written pet request within 28 days and cannot refuse without a fair reason. The dates worked through, with letters.Yearly renewals checklist for a managed property25 steps for the yearly run on one managed property in England: gas check, EICR, EPC, alarms, HMO licence, PRS Database details and the rent, with the rules.
Best buys
Best AI tools for UK letting agents in 2026
Six AI tools sold to UK letting agents, scored on the jobs each covers, set-up, approval, support, a price you can read and track record.
Best lettings software for small UK letting agents in 2026
Six lettings and property management systems for a small UK letting agent, scored on jobs covered, independent reviews, published price and client accounting.
Notices and arrears
Landlord wants to sell or move in: the earliest date a Ground 1 or Ground 1A notice can expire, worked for four tenancies
Ground 1 and 1A need four months' notice that cannot expire in the first 12 months of a tenancy. Four start dates worked, and the date where the rule flips.
Ground 8 rent arrears checker: is the new 3-month threshold met?
Check whether a tenant's arrears meet Ground 8 after the Renters' Rights Act: 3 months' or 13 weeks' rent, owed at notice and at the hearing.
Rent arrears letter template (UK): three letters, from reminder to final notice
Make a rent arrears letter with the figures filled in: a friendly reminder, a formal arrears letter, and a final letter before a Section 8 notice.
Section 8 notices after the Renters' Rights Act: every common ground and its notice period
With Section 21 gone, every possession claim now starts with Section 8. The common grounds, notice periods and the 12-month protected period.
What happens if a tenant in rent arrears goes into Breathing Space? The 60 days, worked through for a letting agent
Breathing Space pauses action on a tenant's rent arrears for 60 days. What an agent must stop, what rent is still due, and the dates worked through.
How long is a tenant's notice period in 2026? Two months at most, with the end date worked out
A tenant in England gives two months' notice at most, in writing, ending on a rent day or the day before. The end date worked through for a letting agent.
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How ready is your firm for AI? Find out in 3 minutes.Take the 3-minute readiness scorecardCompliance and safety
A married couple own a rental together: the 50/50 income split, Form 17 and its 60-day limit, worked
HMRC splits a married couple's joint rental income 50/50 unless a valid Form 17 arrives within 60 days. A worked example shows the effect.
A landlord client's tax bill jumps and January costs three times the usual: payments on account, worked
HMRC asks for half of last year's bill on 31 January and 31 July, plus any balance. A worked example shows why January jumps, and when nothing is due.
A landlord client lets a spare room to a lodger: the £7,500 Rent a Room limit worked as a monthly rent
GOV.UK says Rent a Room gives £7,500 a year tax-free, £3,750 if shared. Worked as monthly rents of £625 and £312.50, with five rents tested.
Does a letting agent have to register with HMRC for money laundering supervision: the 10,000 euros a month test and the fees worked
GOV.UK says HMRC supervises letting agency work at 10,000 euros a month. Application £300, £400 per premises: year-one and renewal costs worked.
The tenant moves out and the flat sits empty for six weeks: what Council Tax a landlord client faces, worked per day
GOV.UK says you usually pay Council Tax on an empty home, with any discount up to the council. Void gaps of 14, 28 and 42 days costed on an example bill.
A landlord client files the tax return late: the £100, £900 and 5% penalties worked out at £2,000 and £10,000 of tax
Late Self Assessment returns cost £100, up to £900 daily, then 5% or £300 at 6 and 12 months. Worked for two landlord clients with late payment added.
Legionella in a rented home: the risk assessment HSE asks of landlords, the 60 and 50 degree figures, and a six-week void flushed weekly, worked
HSE's page on legionella and landlords' responsibilities says to assess the risk, keep hot water hot and flush empty homes weekly. A six-week void counted out.
Fit for human habitation: when the clock starts on a damp report, with the days from report to fix and the 24-hour access notice worked
GOV.UK's landlord guide to the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 says liability starts on the tenant's report. A damp case counted day by day.
VAT for a letting agency: the £90,000 test on fee income, with a rolling 12 months and the 30-day rule worked
GOV.UK sets the VAT threshold at £90,000 of taxable turnover. A 12-month rolling test on an agency's fee income, worked, with the registration date.
Returning a tenant's deposit: the 10-day clock starts when you agree the amount, with dates worked for three move-outs
GOV.UK says a deposit goes back within 10 days of both sides agreeing the amount. Three move-outs worked to the day, with a deduction sum on a £1,500 deposit.
Gas safety record: copy to the tenant in 28 days or before move-in, and keep it for two further checks
HSE says give existing tenants the gas safety record within 28 days, new tenants before move-in. Dated cases, and how long an early-check record is kept.
Can a landlord let a property rated F or G? The EPC band E minimum, the £3,500 cap, the exemptions and the penalties
A rented home in England and Wales must reach EPC band E unless an exemption is registered. The £3,500 spending cap, six exemptions and what a breach costs.
Deposit protection: 30 calendar days or 30 working days? The last safe date worked out, and what a miss costs
The statute counts 30 days beginning with the day the deposit is received. Day 30 for a deposit received on 2 October 2026, and the 1 to 3 times penalty.
Can we take rent before the tenancy is signed? The one-month limit on rent in advance, worked through for letting agents
Since 1 May 2026 an agent cannot ask for rent before both sides sign, and after signing can ask for one month at most. The move-in sum, worked out.
Rent repayment orders now reach two years of rent: what an unlicensed or unlawful let can cost a landlord client
From 1 May 2026 a tribunal can order a landlord to repay up to two years of rent. What counts, how the sum is built, and a worked HMO example.
Can we turn down an applicant on benefits or with children? The same-income test, worked through for letting agents
Since 1 May 2026 agents cannot refuse applicants for benefits or children, but can test affordability. One income test for all, worked through.
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in rented homes: what a letting agent must check at each tenancy start, and the £5,000 penalty
One smoke alarm per storey, a CO alarm where there is a fixed combustion appliance, a day-one check and a council penalty of up to £5,000. Counted for 40 homes.
EICR came back unsatisfactory: the 28-day remedial deadline, who gets copies, and the dates worked out
An EICR with a C1, C2 or FI code starts a 28-day clock for repairs, then another 28 days for proof. The dates worked through, plus the £40,000 penalty.
Rental bidding ban for letting agents: what an advert must say and what to do with an offer above the asking rent
Since 1 May 2026 an advert needs one asking rent and an offer above it cannot be invited or accepted. What is banned, what is allowed and the £7,000 penalty.
Lettings compliance date tracker: gas, EICR and EPC due dates, straight into your calendar
Enter a property's last gas check, EICR and EPC dates and get every due date, the early-renewal window for gas, and a calendar file with reminders.
Lettings compliance checklist 2026 (England): what changed with the Renters' Rights Act
A start-of-tenancy and during-tenancy checklist for letting agents in England, updated for the rules that began on 1 May 2026, with the deadline for each item.
Renters' Rights Act information sheet: who had to give it, how, and how to prove it
The information sheet was due by 31 May 2026. Which tenancies needed it, the only valid ways to send it, a proof log and an email for any you missed.
Can I still do a right to rent check by video call? What the Home Office guide of 1 October 2026 allows
Yes, if you hold the original documents or open the share code check yourself. The three check methods, the records to keep and the penalties, for agents.
Tenant will not give access for the gas safety check: the three-attempt record and the letters to send
HSE looks for at least three attempts when a tenant blocks a gas safety check. A dated timetable, three letters to copy and the log that proves you tried.
New tenancy checklist for letting agents: every step from the advert to day 30
24 steps to start a tenancy in England, from the advert to day 30: holding deposit, written terms, certificates, alarms and deposit protection, with the rules.
HMO licence cost in Reading: £1,500 for a 3 or 4 person house, the late fee and the penalties
A Reading HMO licence costs £1,500, or £1,750 if you apply more than 12 weeks late. Both schemes' fees side by side, with the penalties as they stand now.
Can a landlord refuse a pet in 2026? The 28-day reply rule for letting agents, with dates and reply letters
A landlord must answer a tenant's written pet request within 28 days and cannot refuse without a fair reason. The dates worked through, with letters.
Yearly renewals checklist for a managed rental property: gas, EICR, EPC, licence and rent
25 steps for the yearly run on one managed property in England: gas check, EICR, EPC, alarms, HMO licence, PRS Database details and the rent, with the rules.
Deposits, rent and fees
Stamp Duty on a landlord's next buy-to-let: the extra 5% worked on £180,000, £300,000 and £450,000
A landlord buying another home pays 5% extra SDLT on each band. Worked on £180,000, £300,000 and £450,000 using GOV.UK rates, with the 3-year refund rule.
Landlord replaces a sofa, fridge or washing machine: replacement of domestic items relief, worked for three items
A landlord can deduct the cost of replacing furniture and appliances, less what the old item sold for. Worked for a sofa, a fridge and a washing machine.
Landlord mortgage interest relief: 20% of the lowest of three amounts, worked for three landlords
Residential landlords get a 20% tax reduction on finance costs, based on the lowest of three figures. Worked at £10,000 of interest for three landlords.
Holding deposit and tenancy deposit caps: one week's rent, 15 days, then 5 or 6 weeks, worked at £1,300 and £4,500 a month
A holding deposit is capped at one week's rent and held 15 calendar days. The tenancy deposit is 5 weeks' rent, or 6 over £50,000 a year. Worked in pounds.
A landlord with one garage or room let: the £1,000 property allowance or expenses, worked at four rent levels
The £1,000 property allowance can replace expenses on small lets. Worked at £800, £1,400, £5,000 and £9,000 of rent, with the break-even and who cannot use it.
A landlord client is selling a let property: the 60-day Capital Gains Tax deadline from completion, and the 18% and 24% sums worked
A landlord who completes a sale on 15 December 2026 has until 13 February 2027 to report and pay. A £60,000 gain on £30,000 of other income is £13,218 of tax.
Can a letting agent charge a late fee when rent is late? The 14-day rule and the daily interest, worked out
A late rent charge is allowed only after 14 days, only if the agreement says so, and only as interest at 3% above base rate. The daily sum, worked through.
What happens if a letting agent charges a prohibited fee? Repayment, the £5,000 penalty and the five-year rule
A tenant can recover a prohibited payment, and the council can add a penalty of up to £5,000, or £30,000 for a second breach. The steps, with dates.
Can I charge a tenant for this? Five questions on the Tenant Fees Act, with the limit
Five questions on what the money is for, whether the agreement provides for it and when it is paid, leading to the rule, the cap and what to do.
Can the rent go up now, and from what date? Five questions on Form 4A and the 52 weeks
Five questions on the landlord, the last increase, the 52 weeks and the notice, leading to whether the rent can rise, which form and the date it can start.
Tenancy deposit cap calculator: 5 or 6 weeks' rent, worked out the way the law does it
Work out the maximum deposit, holding deposit and rent in advance from the monthly rent, plus the 30-day protection deadline, and why rent ÷ 4 breaks the cap.
Section 13 rent increase: how to serve Form 4A and work out the earliest start date
How letting agents in England raise rent since 1 May 2026: Form 4A, two months' notice, the 52-week rule, a worked date example and the tribunal.
Non-resident landlord tax: the letting agent's quarterly return due 30 October 2026, worked through
A letting agent must get the tax on an overseas landlord's rent to HMRC by 30 October 2026 for the quarter to 30 September. The sum, the forms and the dates.
Holding deposit rules for letting agents: the 15-day deadline, the 7-day refund and when you can keep it
A holding deposit is capped at one week's rent and has a 15-day deadline. The dates worked through, a keep-or-refund table and the written notice to send.
Running the agency
Making Tax Digital for landlords: which of your clients are in from April 2026 and 2027, and the quarterly dates
Landlords with over £50,000 gross rent must send quarterly updates from 7 August 2026. Which of your landlords are caught, and what your statements must show.
Your agency website after the Renters' Rights Act: 12 phrases to find and fix
Old pages about Section 21, fixed terms and best offers stay in Google and can now mislead. The phrases to search your own site for, and what replaces each.
The PRS Database and Landlord Ombudsman: what letting agents should prepare before 15 December 2026
The private rented sector database launches on 15 December 2026 in the West Midlands, with the Ombudsman to follow. What it asks for and what to do now.
How much does it cost to be a letting agent in 2026? Redress scheme, client money protection and ICO fees, priced
A one-branch letting agency in England pays £687 to £849 a year before VAT for redress, client money protection and the ICO fee. Each scheme's price.
Admin scorecard for letting agents: how many office hours a week could AI prepare for you to check, job by job
Enter the hours a week your agency spends on emails, compliance dates, arrears and repairs to see which jobs AI could prepare and what stays with you.
Can a letting agent use ChatGPT for tenant emails, property descriptions and notices? Prices, data terms and three prompts
Yes for drafts, on a business plan. What ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot and Gemini cost a four-person agency, what each does with your data, and three prompts.
Letting agent readiness check: ten yes-or-no questions on deposits, notices, rent increases, pets and gas safety
Ten yes-or-no questions for a letting agency in England on deposits, arrears letters, rent increases, pet requests, gas access and the information sheet.
Letting agent software prices: which firms publish them, and what a 120-property agency would pay
We checked six lettings software firms' own websites for prices. One publishes full prices, one publishes part, and four ask you to book a demo.