How to choose letting agent software in 2026: a buyer's checklist
What to look for in letting agent software after the Renters' Rights Act, the questions to ask suppliers, pricing models and how to switch.
Many small letting agencies still run on a spreadsheet, a shared inbox and a messaging app. That works until a gas safety record expires unnoticed, a landlord asks for a statement nobody has time to build, or a new law changes how every tenancy works.
The Renters' Rights Act has pushed a lot of agencies to look again at their software. This guide is a practical checklist for choosing a system, whichever supplier you pick. We make Letfold, so we say where it fits at the end, but the checklist is written to be useful on its own.
Start with your own workload
Before looking at any product, write down:
- How many properties you manage and how many you let only.
- How many people need access, and in which roles.
- How many branches you run.
- Your three biggest time sinks, such as chasing contractors, rent reconciliation or compliance dates.
- Your deal-breakers, such as a particular portal feed or deposit scheme.
This keeps demos focused on your problems rather than a supplier's favourite features.
The features that matter most
| Area | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Compliance | Expiry dates for gas safety, electrical safety, EPC and HMO licences per property, with reminders before they lapse |
| Right to Rent | Records of checks and reminders for follow-up checks |
| Tenancies | Periodic tenancies as standard; no fixed-term or Section 21 templates for England |
| Rent and arrears | Rent schedules, arrears as soon as a payment is missed, payment plans, bank reconciliation |
| Landlord statements | Produced from the same records, not rebuilt in a spreadsheet |
| Repairs | Tenants report, contractors quote and complete, landlords approve |
| Portals | Separate logins for tenants, landlords and contractors |
| Documents | Agreements, certificates and notices stored against the right property and tenancy |
| Lettings pipeline | Enquiries, viewings and offers tracked to let agreed |
| Security | Roles and permissions, two-factor login, an audit log |
Questions to ask every supplier
- Is the product updated for the Renters' Rights Act? Ask to see a new periodic tenancy and the possession notice process, not a slide.
- How is pricing calculated? Per user, per property, per branch, or a flat plan? Model your costs at today's size and at double.
- What does it cost to leave? Can you export your data in a usable format, and is there a contract term or exit fee?
- How does migration work? Is there an import tool for properties, landlords and tenancies? Who does the work?
- Which integrations are live today, rather than on a roadmap? Deposit schemes, portal feeds, payments, accounting.
- What support do you get, through which channels, and how fast?
- Can you trial it with your own data before paying?
Pricing models compared
| Model | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Per user | A small team manages many properties | Costs rise with every hire |
| Per property | You have few properties and many staff | Costs rise as you grow the portfolio |
| Flat plan with limits | You want predictable costs | Check what happens when you pass a limit |
| Enterprise quote | Large, multi-office groups | Long contracts and implementation fees |
Planning the switch
A switch is less painful with a plan:
- Clean the data first. Remove old landlords, duplicate tenants and dead properties.
- Start with the essentials: landlords, properties, current tenancies and compliance dates.
- Run a short overlap where the new system is the source of truth for new work.
- Train by role. Negotiators, property managers and accounts need different things.
- Tell landlords and tenants about their new portal logins in one clear email.
Red flags
- Tenancy templates that still default to fixed terms or Section 21 for England
- No way to export your data
- "Coming soon" answers to your deal-breaker features
- Long minimum terms before you have tried the product with your own properties
Where Letfold fits
Letfold is built for independent UK letting and estate agencies. Agency staff, tenants, landlords and contractors each get their own portal into the same records: properties, tenancies, rent and arrears, repairs, compliance reminders and documents, plus enquiries, viewings and offers.
Plans are flat monthly or yearly prices: Starter £29 a month (up to 50 properties, 5 users, 1 branch), Pro £79 a month (up to 500 properties, 25 users, 3 branches) and Agency £199 a month (up to 5,000 properties, 100 users, unlimited branches). There is a CSV migration wizard, and a 30-day free trial with no card to start. See pricing, compare Letfold with other letting software, or book a demo.
For the legal changes your software needs to handle, read our Renters' Rights Act guide for letting agents and our compliance checklist.
Frequently asked questions
What should letting agent software do?
At minimum: track tenancies, rent and arrears, repairs and compliance dates, store documents, and produce landlord statements, ideally with portals for tenants, landlords and contractors.
How much does letting agent software cost?
It depends on the pricing model: per user, per property, flat plans or enterprise quotes. Model the cost at your current size and at double before deciding.
How long does it take to switch letting software?
It depends on how clean your data is and the import tools available. Starting with landlords, properties, current tenancies and compliance dates keeps the first phase short.
What should I check about the Renters' Rights Act?
That new tenancies in England are set up as periodic, there are no Section 21 or fixed-term templates, and any possession or rent increase notices use the current forms (Form 3A and Form 4A).
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