What compliance software has to do in 2026
Knowing when each certificate is due is half the job. If a council or court asks whether your tenant received a document, you need to show when, so the software has to keep the dates and the proof.
Every deadline, tracked
Gas every 12 months, EICR at least every five years, EPC every ten. HouseFile reads each expiry date from your upload and emails you 30 days ahead, again at 7 days and on the day.
Proof of delivery
Share documents through your tenant’s own link. HouseFile records the date and time they open each one, and whether they agree to it. Replace a certificate with its renewal and it goes back on their list as a new copy, with the earlier one kept on the record.
One compliance status per property
Each property gets a red, amber or green ring. Red means something has expired, and amber means a document is missing or due within 30 days.
Portfolio view
The dashboard shows what has expired or is due in the next 60 days across your properties, and the calendar shows every expiry date by month.
Tenant links that open in any browser
Tenants open their link on a phone or computer and confirm each document, with no account or app. Each HMO room gets its own link.
Evidence packs on demand
Download a PDF Compliance Report for any property, with each document’s status, when each tenant opened and agreed to it, and its version history.
What HouseFile doesn't do
HouseFile looks after compliance only, so it won't collect rent, do your accounts or book repairs. If you're weighing up the two kinds of software, read compliance tool vs full property management software. If you use a spreadsheet, here's exactly where that breaks down.
The free compliance deadline checker lists what a property needs and when each certificate is due, with no account needed. It's one of several free landlord tools for things like deposits and rent increases.
Common questions
What is property compliance software?
Software that tracks what the law requires for each rented home, from the gas safety record to deposit protection: when each is due, and evidence that it was done, including a record of what your tenants received.
What does HouseFile track?
The certificates and documents for each property and tenancy, from the gas safety record to the deposit protection certificate. It reads the expiry date from each certificate you upload and emails you 30 days before it runs out, again at 7 days and on the day. It also records when your tenants open each document you share, and whether they agree.
Does it work for HMOs and larger portfolios?
Yes. For an HMO, HouseFile adds the licence and fire risk assessment to the checklist, and each room gets its own tenancy documents and tenant link. The dashboard covers all your properties, up to 50 on the largest plan, and letting agents see each landlord they act for separately.
How is compliance software different from property management software?
Property management platforms run rent and repairs, often the accounts too, with compliance as one part. HouseFile does the compliance part. If your rent and repairs already run smoothly, keep that setup and add HouseFile alongside it.
Why does proof of delivery matter so much now?
Since Section 21 ended on 1 May 2026, possession goes through Section 8, and on most grounds the court can’t make an order until any deposit is protected and the prescribed information given. Not giving tenants the gas safety record, EICR or EPC can also bring a fine. A certificate on file doesn’t show your tenant got it, so HouseFile records when they open it.