Goodlord alternatives for letting agents: what to look at before you switch
What Goodlord does for an agency, why agents look elsewhere, the alternatives by job, and a checklist for moving referencing, contracts and rent chasing.
Goodlord is a tenancy platform. It runs the steps between an accepted offer and a settled tenancy, so an agency that wants to leave it has to work out who will do each of those steps next. The alternatives are rarely a single like-for-like product; they are a different split of work between a CRM, a referencing provider, a payment route and your own team.
This guide explains what Goodlord does according to its own website, why agents look at alternatives, which products cover each job, and what to check before you switch. We make Letfold, one of the alternatives, and we say plainly where it fits. Vendor facts were checked on vendor websites on 31 October 2026, and legal points against gov.uk on 31 October 2026.
What Goodlord does, in its own words
Goodlord's website describes a platform that "runs the tenancy" for letting agents, landlords and tenants, covering compliance, referencing, contracts, inventories and utilities. The named products are:
- Tenant referencing, with identity verification and fraud detection backed by a referencing team.
- Contracts, with templates and workflows for Terms of Business and tenancy agreements.
- Tenant payments, where Goodlord says it will "collect move-in monies, manage holding deposits, and chase rent payments on your behalf", with reminders before rent is due and automated chasers when it is late, and a unique payment ID for every tenant.
- Rent protection insurance and buildings and contents insurance, aimed at landlords' income and agents' management fees.
- CRM integrations, so the platform works alongside a separate agency system.
No prices are published on its site. Goodlord is not a sales CRM and does not claim to be one. For a side-by-side view see Letfold vs Goodlord and the Goodlord comparison.
Why agents look for an alternative
The reasons we hear come down to five:
- Two systems for one tenancy. The CRM holds the property and the landlord; the platform holds the applicant, the contract and the move-in money. Staff type the same tenancy twice and reconcile the two by eye.
- Who holds the money. A platform that collects rent and move-in money on your behalf changes how your client account, reconciliation and statements work. Some agencies prefer rent to land in their own client account.
- Fees that scale with tenancies. Where a product charges per tenancy or per transaction, a growing agency should model the annual total against a flat plan.
- No sales side. A hybrid agency wants valuations, offers and progression in the same place as lettings.
- Insurance bundled with software. Some agencies want to choose referencing and insurance separately.
None of these is a criticism of Goodlord as a product. They are reasons the shape of the product no longer matches the shape of the agency.
Map every job before you touch anything
Write down each job Goodlord does for you today and who will do it afterwards. The table is a starting point.
| Job Goodlord does today | What an alternative must cover | Legal point to keep in view |
|---|---|---|
| Referencing and ID checks | A referencing provider, or a CRM with referencing built in or integrated | Right to Rent checks and follow-ups remain your duty; see our Right to Rent guide |
| Tenancy agreement and e-signing | Templates for assured periodic tenancies in England, with e-signature | Since 1 May 2026 new tenancies in England are periodic; no fixed-term or Section 21 templates |
| Holding deposit | A record of the amount, date and deadline for agreement | Cap of one week's rent (Tenant Fees Act) |
| Deposit and move-in money | Requests, receipts and a clear "paid" status | Deposit cap of five weeks' rent (six weeks if annual rent is £50,000 or more); protect within 30 days |
| Rent reminders and chasers | A rent schedule with arrears flagged on the day, reminders and payment plans | See our arrears process |
| Rent collection into a platform account | Standing orders to your own client account, or another regulated collection route | Client money protection membership, with a fine of up to £30,000 for agents who do not join |
| Rent protection and contents insurance | A broker or insurer of your choice | Keep policy documents against the tenancy |
The alternatives, by job
One system for the whole agency
Letfold is built for independent UK letting and estate agencies: properties, tenancies, rent and arrears, repairs, compliance reminders, documents and the lettings and sales pipeline in one system, with portals for tenants, landlords and contractors. Tenancy agreements are e-signed, move-in payment requests track the holding deposit, deposit and first rent, and a bank CSV reconciliation matches payments to rent schedules. The Pro plan includes tenant referencing, and a referencing integration with PropertyGoose is in beta using the agency's own account. Plans are £29, £79 and £199 a month with a 30-day free trial. See pricing.
A large CRM with referencing integrations
Alto and Reapit are full sales and lettings CRMs that list referencing and tenancy platforms among their integrations; Alto's integration list on its own site includes Goodlord itself. Street.co.uk covers sales, lettings, property management and client accounting. All three price by quote. If you move to one of these, you can keep a referencing platform or swap it, but the double entry problem only goes away if the integration is live and two-way.
Property management and rent-focused tools
Arthur is property management software with financials, tasks and apps for owners, occupants and contractors, priced per unit on its website. PayProp describes itself as a property management and rental payment platform that automates rent collection, reconciliation and payments through client accounts that are bank accounts. Neither is a sales CRM.
Specialists for one job
Referencing can be bought on its own from several UK providers, and repairs from Fixflo. The trade-off is the same as before: one more login and one more place where the tenancy is typed in.
Before you switch: a checklist
- Tenancies in flight. List every application with referencing or a contract in progress and let them complete on the old platform, or re-run them deliberately. Do not leave a holding deposit without a recorded deadline.
- Tenant payment instructions. If tenants pay a platform account, give each tenant the new account details and reference in writing before the next rent date, and confirm the first payment arrives.
- Client money protection. If rent will now land in your own client account, confirm your scheme membership and certificate are current before the first payment. Agents in England who hold client money must belong to a scheme; the fine for not joining is up to £30,000.
- Insurance policies. Note renewal dates and who the policyholder is; a software switch does not cancel a policy.
- Documents. Export signed agreements, referencing reports and Right to Rent evidence while you still have access, and file them against the right tenancy in the new system.
- Data export. Ask for tenancies, tenants, landlords and payment history in CSV before your access ends.
- Notice period and final invoice. Read the contract for the notice term and any charges after notice.
- Tell landlords and tenants once. One clear email each, with the new portal login and the new way to pay.
Questions to ask any alternative
- Will rent be paid into my client account or yours?
- Can I see a new periodic tenancy for England and the e-signing flow?
- How are the holding deposit, deposit and first rent requested and shown as paid?
- What happens on the morning a rent payment is missed?
- Is referencing built in, integrated or separate, and whose account does it run on?
- What does it cost at my size, at double my size, and to leave?
How Letfold helps
Letfold keeps the applicant, the e-signed agreement, the move-in payment requests, the rent schedule and the arrears on one tenancy record, so there is no second platform to reconcile. Rent is paid into your own client account and matched by bank CSV reconciliation, and landlords see statements in their portal. See how it compares at Letfold vs Goodlord or compare it with other systems.
Frequently asked questions
Is Goodlord a CRM?
No. Goodlord's own site describes a tenancy platform for referencing, contracts, tenant payments and insurance that integrates with CRMs; it does not cover sales.
What is the closest alternative to Goodlord?
It depends on which job matters most. For one system across lettings and sales, look at Letfold, Alto, Reapit or Street.co.uk; for rent collection and payments, PayProp; for referencing or repairs alone, a specialist provider.
Can I switch mid-tenancy?
Yes, but plan it. Let in-progress applications complete, move tenant payment instructions before the next rent date, export documents, and check your client money protection certificate is current.
Do I need client money protection if rent comes to my own account?
Yes, in England any letting or property management agent who holds client money must belong to an approved client money protection scheme, display the certificate, and hold the money with an FCA-authorised bank or building society.
Sources
Checked on 31 October 2026:
- Goodlord and Goodlord tenant payments (vendor site)
- Alto, Reapit, Street.co.uk, Arthur, PayProp, Fixflo (vendor sites)
- Protecting clients' money if you're a property agent (gov.uk)
- Guide to the Renters' Rights Act (gov.uk)
- Tenant Fees Act collection (gov.uk)
This article is general information for England, not legal advice.
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