Business type · Prices checked on official pages, 19 October 2026
Best Accounting Software for Landlords 2026 (UK and US)
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Quick answer
UK landlords: FreeAgent’s landlord plan (£10 a month, or free with some bank accounts) tracks income and costs per property and handles MTD for Income Tax end to end. Sage Sole Trader Free is the £0 option for recording landlord income. US landlords: the landlord-specific tools are the better fit. Stessa and Baselane both start free with property-level tracking, and include Schedule E reports (Stessa from its US$12 Manage plan). General small business software like QuickBooks can track properties too, but you pay for features a landlord rarely needs.
Prices are regular prices from each provider’s official page, read on 19 October 2026 (UK prices excl. VAT). This is a software guide, not tax advice. Running a business as well as rentals? Compare small business accounting software for your country.
What landlords actually need
Landlord bookkeeping is simpler than running a trading business, but it has its own needs:
- Income and costs by property, so you can see which property earns what.
- Tax-ready reports: property income for Self Assessment and MTD in the UK, Schedule E in the US.
- Bank feeds and receipt capture, for repairs, agent fees and mortgage statements.
- Rent collection and tenant ledgers, if you manage tenants yourself (the US landlord tools build this in).
Inventory, payroll and multi-currency usually aren’t needed, so it rarely makes sense to pay for a top-tier business plan.
UK landlords and Making Tax Digital
GOV.UK counts property income towards MTD for Income Tax. “Qualifying income” is your self-employment plus property turnover before expenses. If that was over £50,000 on your 2024 to 2025 return, you’ve needed MTD software since 6 April 2026. The threshold falls to £30,000 from April 2027 and £20,000 from April 2028.
Two GOV.UK rules matter specifically for landlords. You can’t use more than one software product to send quarterly updates for your property income. And for jointly let property, your quarterly updates can include income only, with expenses reported after the year ends by resending your fourth update. You don’t need to digitally link your records with the other joint owner’s. Our MTD software guide covers deadlines and setup.
UK options and prices
| Software | Landlord price (excl. VAT) | Why it suits landlords |
|---|---|---|
| FreeAgent (landlord plan) | £10/month or £100/year; free with an eligible NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle account | Records income and costs against each property and tracks profitability; end-to-end MTD for Income Tax |
| Sage Sole Trader | Free (5 invoices a month, 1 bank); £7 for unlimited | Free plan lists recording landlord income and expenses, MTD ready |
| Xero Simple | £7/month (non-VAT) | MTD for Income Tax ready; a full accounting product if you also trade |
| QuickBooks Sole Trader Plus | £10/month | MTD for Income Tax; also covers self-employment income |
| Zoho Books UK Free | £0 | Free plan lists MTD for Income Tax and SA100 |
FreeAgent is the only one of these with a dedicated landlord plan and per-property tracking on its pricing page, so it’s our UK pick. If you bank with NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle, it can cost nothing. Sage Sole Trader Free is the zero-cost alternative, though its 5-invoices-a-month limit rarely matters to landlords, who don’t usually invoice. Xero suits landlords who also run a business. See the UK guide for the wider comparison.
See Xero’s UK offer (partner link, opens in a new tab) Try Zoho Books free (partner link, opens in a new tab)
US landlords: Stessa, Baselane or QuickBooks
In the US, two landlord-specific tools start at $0 and include the property features general accounting software lacks.
Stessa: Essentials is free, with unlimited properties, automatic bank feeds, basic financial reports, online rent collection, tenant screening, maintenance tracking and 5 receipt scans a month. Manage (US$12 a month, billed annually) adds a Schedule E report, legal forms and 1 e-signature a month. Pro (US$28 a month, billed annually) adds advanced reports, budgeting, project expense tracking and unlimited receipt scans.
Baselane: Core is free and combines banking with bookkeeping: property-level income and expense tracking, an accountant tax package and Schedule E reports, and automated rent with reminders and late fees. Smart (US$20 a month on an annual plan, 30-day trial) adds auto-tagging of transactions to properties, receipt matching, custom categories, balance sheet reports and shared access. Tenants pay 3.49% if they pay rent by card.
QuickBooks Online: classes and locations, a common way to split income and costs by property, start on Plus (US$140 a month, up to 40). That makes sense if your rentals sit inside a wider business with staff or inventory, but it costs far more than the landlord tools. Read our QuickBooks Online review for details. For a simple free option without property features, see Wave.
Yearly cost compared
| Option | Yearly cost (regular price) |
|---|---|
| Sage Sole Trader Free (UK) | £0 |
| FreeAgent landlord (UK) | £100 billed annually (or £0 with an eligible bank) |
| Xero Simple (UK) | £84 |
| QuickBooks Sole Trader Plus (UK) | £120 |
| Stessa Essentials / Manage / Pro (US) | $0 / $144 / $336 |
| Baselane Core / Smart (US) | $0 / $240 |
| QuickBooks Online Plus (US) | $1,680 |
Our calculations from list prices before VAT, intro discounts and payment fees.
Which one should you choose?
- UK landlord, 1–2 properties, no MTD yet: Sage Sole Trader Free or Zoho Books Free.
- UK landlord in MTD, several properties: FreeAgent landlord plan, free if you bank with NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle.
- UK landlord who also trades: Xero or QuickBooks, so both sides of your income are in one place.
- US landlord managing tenants yourself: Stessa or Baselane, starting free. Upgrade to Stessa Manage if you want its Schedule E report.
- US rentals inside a larger business: QuickBooks Plus.
Not sure what else to weigh? Our how to choose accounting software checklist covers users, limits and year-two cost, and the free accounting software guide covers the $0 options.
FAQ
Do landlords need Making Tax Digital software?
In the UK, yes, if your qualifying income (self-employment plus property turnover) is over the threshold: £50,000 from April 2026, £30,000 from April 2027 and £20,000 from April 2028, based on GOV.UK guidance. You then need compatible software to keep digital records, send quarterly updates and submit your return.
What is the best free accounting software for landlords?
In the UK, Sage Sole Trader Free lists landlord income and expenses, and FreeAgent is free with eligible NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle accounts. In the US, Stessa Essentials and Baselane Core are both free, with property-level tracking.
Can I use QuickBooks for rental property?
Yes. In the US, classes and locations, a common way to split figures by property, start on QuickBooks Plus (US$140 a month). For most individual landlords, a landlord tool such as Stessa or Baselane is cheaper.
How do joint landlords handle MTD quarterly updates?
According to GOV.UK, for jointly let property you can include property income only in your quarterly updates, and report the expenses after the tax year ends by resending your fourth update. You don’t need to digitally link your records with the other landlord’s.
