Comparison
Do you need full property management software, or a compliance tool?
Full property management platforms
e.g. COHO, Landlord Vision, Alphaletz
They run the day-to-day letting and often the accounts too. Compliance is one part among many.
Right for you if:
- • Rent and repairs across many tenancies or HMO rooms take up your week
- • You want your accounts and rent records in the same system
- • You don't mind a bigger system to learn
Compliance & proof tools
e.g. HouseFile
They look after each property's legal documents and expiry dates, with a dated record of what your tenants opened and agreed to.
Right for you if:
- • Rent and repairs are under control, and what worries you is compliance and evidence
- • You want something quick to set up
- • You want to be able to show what each tenant received
What we’d suggest
With one to ten properties, a full platform is often more than you need. If rent comes in by standing order, repairs go to trades you trust and your accountant gets a spreadsheet once a year, a platform solves a problem you don't have.
Since the Renters' Rights Act, evidence matters more. Possession goes through Section 8, and if you took a deposit, the court can't make an order on most grounds until it's protected and the prescribed information given. A compliance tool keeps a dated record of what each tenant received, and HouseFile is built around that record.
You can use both. A platform can run rent and repairs while HouseFile keeps the documents and the record of what tenants opened. If a large portfolio's rent and repairs are taking over your week, start with a platform. If its handling of certificates and tenant acknowledgements falls short, add HouseFile.
It helps to see where you stand first. The free RRA readiness checker and fine calculator are quick, and neither needs an account.
Try HouseFile on your own properties
14 days free · no card needed
Also read: HouseFile vs spreadsheets