LandlordCosts Team 
Last updated: 8 October 2026 · Next review: April 2027 Short, direct answers to the questions landlords ask most often about costs, tax and compliance in England. Each answer links to a full guide with sources. Figures were checked on 8 October 2026. General costs How much does it cost to be a landlord? It … Read more
Last updated: 8 October 2026 · Next review: April 2027 The rent looks like income. But by the time the mortgage, insurance, repairs, safety checks, empty weeks, agent fees and tax have come out, the money you actually keep can be a fraction of it. Industry research published in January 2026 found that running costs … Read more
Last updated: 8 October 2026 · Next review: April 2027 Houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) can produce higher rental income than single lets, but they come with more regulation and noticeably higher running costs. The most visible cost is the council licence — and because every council sets its own fees, the price for the … Read more
Last updated: 8 October 2026 · Next review: April 2027 Software used to be optional for small landlords. With Making Tax Digital now requiring digital records and quarterly updates for landlords above the income thresholds, it’s becoming a standard running cost. The question is how much you need to pay. This page lists the published … Read more
Last updated: 8 October 2026 · Next review: April 2027 Every landlord in England needs three core certificates: a gas safety record every year, an electrical installation condition report (EICR) at least every five years, and an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) every ten years. None of them has a government-set price, so costs vary by … Read more
Last updated: 8 October 2026 · Next review: April 2027 Maintenance is the landlord cost that ruins budgets. The mortgage is predictable and insurance is renewed once a year, but a boiler failure, a roof leak or a full redecoration between tenants arrives when it arrives. And according to recent industry research, it’s taking a … Read more
Last updated: 8 October 2026 · Next review: April 2027 If you’ve started letting out a property you used to live in — or you’ve bought your first buy-to-let — one of the first questions is whether your existing home insurance is enough. In most cases it isn’t. Standard home insurance is built around an … Read more
Last updated: 8 October 2026 · Next review: April 2027 Most “best landlord software” articles are written by the software companies themselves, or by sites paid a commission for every sign-up. This one isn’t. We don’t take affiliate fees from any product below, and we don’t claim to have run every tool for a year. … Read more
Last updated: 8 October 2026 · Next review: April 2027 Choosing landlord software used to be about convenience. Now, with Making Tax Digital requiring digital records and quarterly updates for many landlords, and the new Private Rented Sector database asking for safety documents to be uploaded, it’s a compliance decision too. Pick well and it … Read more
Last updated: 8 October 2026 · Next review: April 2027 Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax comes with a new penalty system. It’s more forgiving of a one-off slip than the old flat-rate fines, but with four quarterly updates and a tax return every year, there are more deadlines to miss — and late … Read more
