MTD software for landlords with 1-5 properties: how to choose

There isn’t one “best” product. The right choice depends on four things: whether you also have self-employment income, whether you want to keep a spreadsheet, whether you need bank feeds, and your budget.

Desk research, not testing. This shortlist comes from vendor pages and GOV.UK, read on 19 October 2026. We have not used these products ourselves, so we don’t rate ease of use. Check every product in HMRC’s software finder for your exact income sources before signing up.

If you want to pay nothing

• Spreadsheet users: My Tax Digital (free; bridging from spreadsheet templates, plus final declaration according to its documentation).
• Simple bookkeeping: Clear Books Property Free or Zoho Books Free. Both say they cover MTD for landlords at no cost, with limits (for example, no bank feeds on the free plans).
• Already bank with NatWest, RBS, Ulster or Mettle? FreeAgent may be free for you.

If you want a landlord-specific app

Landlord apps add rent tracking, arrears alerts and property-level reports on top of MTD filing.

• Hammock: £8/month + VAT for 1-3 properties, £15 for 4-10. The vendor lists quarterly updates and final declaration, unlimited bank feeds and a 30-day trial.
• Landlord Vision: Starter shown at £7.99/month for 4 tenancies, and the vendor says every plan includes MTD submissions. Note: it counts by tenancy, not property.
• Landlord Studio: free MTD Go plan for up to 3 units at £5 per submission; Pro shown at £12 or £15 + VAT/month (the page conflicts). Check final declaration support in HMRC’s finder.

If you’re also self-employed

Landlord-only apps may not handle a trade. General accounting tools like Xero (Ignite from £18/month excl. VAT), Zoho Books, Sage Sole Trader, FreeAgent and Clear Books list both. Alternatively, GOV.UK allows one product per income source, for example a landlord app for property and another product for the trade, as long as together they meet all your MTD requirements. See landlord and self-employed.

A five-question checklist

1. Is it listed in HMRC’s finder for all your income sources (UK property, foreign property, self-employment)?
2. Does it submit the year-end tax return as well as quarterly updates?
3. Can it handle your share of a jointly owned property?
4. What are the free-plan limits (transactions, bank accounts, per-submission fees)?
5. What is the price after any introductory offer ends?

See every option side by side on the comparison page, or read Xero vs Landlord Vision vs Landlord Studio.