View all articles
Managing student housing isn’t the same as letting out a single buy-to-let. Students tend to move in groups, rents are often split between individuals, and the academic calendar creates a predictable but intense cycle of move-ins and move-outs.
Add deposit management, safety compliance, and frequent maintenance requests to the mix, and it’s easy to see why landlords and agents need more than spreadsheets to keep on top of things.
That’s where student housing property management software comes in. These platforms are designed to help property owners cope with the quirks of student lets: handling group or individual tenancies, collecting rent by room, keeping deposit records straight, and making sure compliance tasks don’t slip through the cracks. For private landlords, letting agents, and PBSA (Purpose-Built Student Accommodation) providers, the right system can save hours of admin while giving peace of mind that nothing important is being missed.
In this guide, we’ll run through the best student housing platforms available to UK landlords, explain what features matter most, and highlight why Landlord Vision is such a strong fit for the sector.
What to Look for in Student Housing Property Management Software
Student accommodation comes with its own challenges. The best software should:
- Manage both group and individual tenancies, since shared houses rarely run on one neat lease.
- Support rent collection by tenant, by room, or by household.
- Handle deposits securely, ideally with links to the DPS or other protection schemes.
- Allow online applications and e-signatures, to speed up onboarding.
- Track compliance – from Right to Rent checks through to fire safety and HMO licensing.
- Offer simple ways for tenants to log maintenance requests and for landlords to track them – contact management.
- Provide reporting tailored to student housing, such as occupancy rates or arrears.
- Be mobile-friendly, since both landlords and students expect quick access on their phones.
While many general property management systems tick some of these boxes, they often fall short in key areas like group tenancies or deposit handling. For landlords in the student market, using the right tool can make the difference between smooth running and constant frustration.
The Best Student Housing Property Management Software: Detailed Reviews
Landlord Vision
Best for: UK landlords and agents managing student lets of all sizes
Landlord Vision has been developed specifically for the UK market, which means it already covers the compliance tasks student landlords need to track. You’ll find automated reminders for gas safety checks, EPC renewals, and HMO licensing – areas where missing a deadline can prove expensive.
The platform handles group tenancies as easily as single lets. You can set up rent schedules for a whole household or split them between individual students. Deposits are logged securely, tenancy agreements can be created in-system, and digital signatures make the paperwork side fast and professional.
For maintenance, students can raise requests online. From there, you can assign contractors, track progress, and keep a record of completed jobs. It takes away the need for dozens of scattered emails or texts.
Financial reporting is another strong point. Landlord Vision is Making Tax Digital compatible, produces clear portfolio reports, and gives you the data you need on performance without complicated exports. The fact that the support team is UK-based is also a plus, especially when time is short.
Pricing starts at £19.97/month, with a free trial for landlords who want to test the waters.
Arthur Online
Best for: landlords and agents managing larger, more complex portfolios
Arthur Online has a reputation for flexibility. The system lets you build workflows around your own processes. For example, you might automate rent arrears follow-ups, set tasks for fire safety checks, or create a chain of steps when onboarding tenants.
The portals are another strong feature. Landlords, tenants, and contractors all have their own login, which makes communication clearer. For student housing, this means maintenance issues can be logged and tracked properly without relying on students remembering to phone or email.
That said, Arthur Online can feel like overkill if you only have a handful of properties. It’s best suited to agents or landlords with an extensive portfolio where automation delivers the biggest gains.
Pricing starts from around £70/month.
Kinetic
Best for: PBSA operators and universities
Kinetic is tailored specifically for student accommodation. It covers the full journey: applications, room assignments, tenancy agreements, and ongoing management. It integrates neatly with university systems, which makes it popular with campus housing teams as well as PBSA providers.
Features include deposit management, maintenance scheduling, and reporting tools. For large organisations managing hundreds of rooms, the level of specialisation makes sense. Smaller landlords, however, may find it more than they need.
Pricing is bespoke, based on portfolio size.
StudentTenant.com
Best for: landlords focused on student marketing
StudentTenant.com is both a letting platform and a light-touch management system. It’s particularly useful for advertising properties, reaching students directly, and managing applications. You can generate tenancy agreements and handle referencing, but its strength is in tenant acquisition rather than full-scale management.
For many landlords, it works best as a complement to another tool. For example, you might use StudentTenant.com to fill rooms quickly, then Landlord Vision to handle rent collection, compliance, and reporting.
Pricing varies depending on services used.
Roompact
Best for: student engagement and wellbeing
Roompact takes a different angle. Instead of focusing solely on financial or compliance management, it’s geared towards building student communities and improving engagement. For PBSA providers, especially those running large accommodation blocks, this can be a valuable addition.
It tracks wellbeing, handles announcements, and supports community-building activities. That makes it less of a property management tool in the traditional sense, but for universities or PBSA teams who prioritise engagement, it adds another layer to the service.
Pricing available on request.
Student CRM
Best for: student recruitment with accommodation options
Student CRM is mainly a recruitment and marketing system for universities, but it does touch on accommodation management through booking and communication tools. It’s not built for private landlords, but for PBSA providers linked with universities it can integrate well into the wider student experience.
Pricing is custom.
Yardi Student Housing
Best for: enterprise landlords and agencies
Yardi is one of the biggest names in property management software globally. Its student housing module adds tools for shared tenancies, compliance tracking, and financial reporting at scale.
It’s a heavyweight platform, more suited to agencies or investors managing hundreds of units than private landlords with a handful of HMOs. For the right user, though, it’s a comprehensive system.
Pricing is enterprise-level and available on request.
ResMan Student Living
Best for: US PBSA operators entering the UK market
ResMan is more widely used in the US but has features that apply to UK student housing too. It covers lease management, rent tracking, maintenance requests, and reporting. For UK landlords, it may not feel as localised as Landlord Vision, but for international operators expanding into the UK, it offers familiarity.
Pricing on request.
RentPro
Best for: small property portfolio landlords wanting a cost-effective option
RentPro is a straightforward system that includes core features like rent collection, tenancy agreements, and maintenance tracking. It also includes some notes specific to student housing, which makes it a better fit than purely generic tools.
It’s not as advanced as platforms like Arthur or Landlord Vision, but for landlords with a handful of student lets, it’s affordable and reliable.
Pricing starts from around £30/month.
MRI Living for Student Housing
Best for: enterprise-level property managers
MRI Living is another large-scale system used by agencies and investors with extensive portfolios. Its student housing module supports lease management, compliance tracking, and reporting across hundreds of units.
Like Yardi, it’s best suited to enterprise use rather than individual landlords.
Pricing is enterprise-level.
Final Thoughts & Recommendations
Student housing is a tough sector. The churn is high, compliance requirements are strict, and the tenants themselves need more communication and support than most. Managing all of this with spreadsheets or generic tools is asking for trouble.
For most UK landlords, Landlord Vision offers the key features that get the best balance of usability, compliance support, and financial reporting. It’s scalable enough to handle a growing student portfolio, but simple enough to pick up if you’re starting with one or two HMOs.
Larger operators may want to consider Arthur Online or Kinetic, and marketing-focused landlords may benefit from pairing Landlord Vision with StudentTenant.com. But if you want a single platform that’s built for the UK and trusted by thousands of landlords, Landlord Vision is the standout choice.
Try Landlord Vision today with a free demo
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need special software for student accommodation?
In theory you could use a generic platform, but most landlords quickly hit problems. Shared tenancies, deposits split between several people, and the constant turnover of students each year aren’t well served by one-size-fits-all software. Student housing platforms are built to deal with those quirks.
Can this software integrate with university lettings?
Some systems, like Kinetic or Student CRM, are designed with universities in mind. For private landlords, it’s often best to use a tool like Landlord Vision for compliance and rent management, then complement it with a university-facing system if needed.
What compliance requirements should student landlords watch out for?
Student HMOs must meet Right to Rent checks, fire safety rules, and gas/electrical certificate requirements. HMO licensing is also common. Missing a deadline can lead to fines or worse, so having automated reminders in place is essential.
How do deposits work for group tenancies?
Good systems let you log deposits individually, even if tenants are part of the same household. That way, if one student leaves, their deposit can be returned without disrupting everyone else’s.
Is it easier to handle turnovers with software?
Yes. The best platforms let you send tenancy agreements out for digital signature, process applications online, and automate rent schedules. That makes the summer rush far less stressful.
