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Property management has changed more in the past decade than it did in the previous fifty years. Where landlords once relied on paper ledgers or creaky spreadsheets, most now manage their rental businesses entirely online. That shift has been powered by cloud-based property management software – tools designed to simplify life for landlords, agents, property professionals and portfolio owners alike.
In short, “cloud-based” means your property data – from rent payments to gas safety certificates – is stored securely online rather than tied to one laptop or office computer. The benefit is simple but powerful: you can log in anywhere, from any device, and see everything in real time. Need to check if rent came in while you’re on holiday? Or approve a repair invoice between meetings? You can do it in a few taps. Facilities management becomes much more straightforward.
For UK landlords, this isn’t just about convenience. With Making Tax Digital (MTD) now live for landlords earning over £50,000, and expansion planned for those earning £30,000 or more, digital record-keeping has become essential. A good cloud platform helps you stay compliant, organised, and in control – while giving your tenants a smoother experience too. These systems are all geared towards making the day-to-day management of your portfolio much more straightforward.
This guide looks at how cloud-based software systems work, why landlords across the UK are switching to them, and which options are leading the way in 2025.
What Is a Cloud-Based Property Management System?
Think of a cloud-based property management system as the digital nerve centre of your rental business. Instead of keeping files scattered across emails, folders, and notebooks, everything – payments, tenancies, repairs, contacts – lives in one secure online space.
Unlike traditional desktop programs, cloud systems don’t need manual updates or installations. When tax rules or compliance requirements change, updates happen automatically in the background. You always have the latest version without having to download a thing.
Most of these systems include built-in accounting tools, rent tracking, tenant communication, and mobile access. But the real power lies in the combination: data flows automatically from one area to another. For instance, when a tenant pays rent through your connected bank feed, your income record updates instantly and your accountant sees it too. It’s that seamless connection – between landlord, property, and finances – that makes cloud-based systems so valuable.
For landlords who’ve ever misplaced a tenancy agreement, missed maintenance requests or forgotten to renew a safety certificate, that kind of organisation is a game-changer. You can efficiently manage every aspect of your responsibility.
Why UK Landlords Are Switching to Cloud-Based Property Software
If you talk to almost any landlord who’s been around a few years, they’ll tell you the same thing: paperwork used to eat up half their week. Rent ledgers in one folder, invoices in another, tax notes in an old spreadsheet labelled ‘2020-21 final FINAL version’. At some point, everyone reaches their limit – and that’s usually when they discover cloud software.
What’s changed most over the past few years is how normal it now feels to manage everything online. Instead of working from one computer in your home office, you can pull up tenant details from your phone, update a property portfolio between meetings, or share rent collection reports with your accountant in seconds. No updates, no installations – just a secure login.
MTD: The Push That Finally Did It
The government’s Making Tax Digital scheme might be the single biggest reason landlords have gone digital. Once your rental income tips past £50,000, you’re required to keep digital records and file returns through approved software.
That change used to cause groans across landlord forums – but now, most people just shrug and say, “My software handles it.” Systems like Landlord Vision are already fully MTD compatible, automatically connecting your accounts, updating your tax records, and keeping everything in line with HMRC guidance.
Instead of dreading quarterly submissions, you just click a few buttons and file directly – no bridging spreadsheets, no panic on the night before the tax year ends. For self-managing landlords and property managers alike, it’s been a genuine game-changer.
Security You Don’t Have to Think About
Anyone who’s ever lost a laptop full of tenancy agreements will understand this one. With cloud based property management software, your information lives safely on encrypted servers in the UK or EU. If your computer crashes or gets replaced, your data’s still there.
There’s a quiet confidence that comes with that. You’re not backing up drives or emailing yourself copies “just in case.” Cloud systems take care of it automatically, keeping everything GDPR-compliant and far more secure than any home setup.
Real-Time Insight Without the Guesswork
The best part about cloud tools isn’t just convenience – it’s visibility. The minute a tenant pays rent, it appears in your dashboard. If a payment’s late, you’ll know right away. You can pull up a cash flow graph or view a full year’s financial performance without spending your Sunday evening buried in spreadsheets.
It sounds like a small thing, but seeing those numbers in real time helps landlords make quicker, better decisions – whether that’s when to raise rents, budget for repairs, or refinance.
Collaboration That Actually Works
If you work with accountants, co-owners, or agents, you’ll know how painful version control can be. Someone edits a file, someone else downloads an old copy – and suddenly the numbers don’t match. With cloud software, everyone logs into the same system and sees the same thing.
You can give different permissions – so an accountant might view your income and expenses, while a maintenance manager logs repairs and uploads invoices. It keeps everyone organised and saves you from being the middle-person for every small update.
How to Choose the Right Cloud-Based Property Management System
Choosing software isn’t about picking the “best rated” platform. It’s about finding the one that fits how you work.
If you’ve got one or two rentals and just need to keep accounting records tidy, a lightweight tool like Landlord Studio or Hammock might do the job. But if you’re managing an HMO, dealing with multiple tenants, and need tenancy management, maintenance logging, and MTD submissions in one place, you’ll want a full-scale system such as Landlord Vision.
Ease of use matters more than features you’ll never touch. The ideal platform should feel intuitive within an hour – something you can use without digging through a manual. If a system feels like work before you’ve even logged a rent payment, it’s probably the wrong one.
Check the small print too. Some tools charge by property, others by portfolio size. UK-based support is a bonus – when something goes wrong, it’s much easier talking to someone who understands the UK property market and HMRC’s ever-shifting rules.
And one more thing: integrations. A good cloud based property management system should link with your existing tools – Xero, QuickBooks, or even your bank’s live feed. That connection means you’ll never again have to double-enter payments or chase missing data.
The Best Cloud-Based Property Management Systems
| Software | Best For | Key Strength | Pricing Model | Free Trial |
| Landlord Vision | Landlords managing multiple properties | Complete, HMRC-compliant feature set | Monthly subscription | Free trial available |
| Hammock | Landlords focused on finances | Real-time income and expense tracking | Low monthly cost | Yes |
| Arthur Online | Agencies and developers | Custom automation & integrations | Tiered pricing | Yes |
| Landlord Studio | Independent landlords | Expense tracking via mobile app | Pay-as-you-go | Yes |
| Property Hawk | New or budget-conscious landlords | Basic management tools | Free | Yes |
| Re-Leased | Commercial property managers | Enterprise reporting & scaling | Quote-based | Yes |
1. Landlord Vision
If you want the complete package – from rent collection & digital tax filing, right up to commercial property management – Landlord Vision is the one most UK landlords eventually end up using. It’s built for people who actually manage their own properties, not tech companies trying to break into real estate. It’s a property owner’s dream.
All of the key features live on one dashboard: tenants, maintenance tasks, accounting, and even HMRC submissions. You can automate rent reminders, upload safety certificates, and generate reports that make sense to both you and your accountant. It helps you keep on top of property maintenance
What makes it stand out is its genuine UK focus. It’s not an American platform retrofitted for our rules; it’s written around Making Tax Digital, local compliance, and the way landlords here actually work.
Pricing is monthly, based on portfolio size (starting at £19.99 a month), and every package comes with a two week full free trial so you can see how it fits before you commit. If you’re looking for an easy to use platform, and an end-to-end solution, start with Landlord Vision.
2. Hammock
Hammock feels like your financial assistant that never sleeps. It connects directly to your bank using Open Banking, then tracks every pound of rent as it lands. You can spot missed payments at a glance and check cash flow trends instantly.
It’s light on tenant management but fantastic for those who want their accounting completely under control. Reports update automatically, and end-of-year summaries line up neatly with your tax return.
It’s one of the most affordable options around, starting at a few pounds a month.
3. Arthur Online
Arthur Online sits closer to agency software than DIY landlord tools, but that’s part of its appeal. You can automate just about anything – chasing arrears, assigning maintenance, sending reminders – and it works seamlessly with Xero and QuickBooks. It’s good for the ongoing management of your properties. No matter how big your portfolio is.
For larger portfolios or property managers who want everything joined up, it’s hard to beat. The learning curve is a little steeper, but the payoff is serious control over how your operation runs.
4. Landlord Studio
Landlord Studio is a bit like the minimalist’s version of Landlord Vision. It handles income, expenses, and receipts beautifully through its mobile app. For landlords who just want an easy way to track numbers and stay MTD-ready, it’s a no-nonsense choice.
The app is clean, quick to learn, and great for anyone managing on the go.
5. Property Hawk
This one’s been around for years, and it’s still popular among landlords who prefer something free and simple. You can draw up tenancy agreements, track rent, and set reminders for safety checks.
It’s not fancy, but if you’re running a few residential properties and just need the basics, it’s hard to complain about the price tag.
6. Re-Leased
Re-Leased is more of an enterprise tool aimed at commercial and mixed-use portfolios. It handles multi-site property management services, automates reporting, and lets teams work collaboratively on the same dashboard.
If you manage offices, retail units or industrial properties, this one’s built with you in mind.
Cloud vs. Desktop: Why the Switch Makes Sense
There’s a certain nostalgia for the old desktop tools, but once you’ve used cloud software, you won’t go back. Desktop systems need updates, backups, and one-machine access. Cloud software updates automatically, stores data securely, and lets you log in from anywhere – whether that’s your office, a café, or your phone on the train.
For most landlords, the switch happens quietly. You sign up for a free trial, realise how much smoother it feels, and wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.
Final Thoughts & Next Steps
Cloud technology isn’t the future of property management – it’s the present. It makes compliance easier, improves security, and gives landlords the visibility they need to grow. Just make sure you get full value out of whichever solution you go for, and take advantage of all of the features on offer – even if you don’t think of one aspect as a major concern at the moment, it doesn’t mean it won’t be as your portfolio grows. These property management software solutions are designed to cope with that.
Our advice: if you’re ready to simplify your workload and see your entire property portfolio in one place, try Landlord Vision’s cloud based property management system. It’s built for UK landlords, designed for the realities of the job, already has a large base of happy customers and ready to take the admin off your hands. It will help you save time, money and an awful lot of stress!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need cloud software to comply with Making Tax Digital?
Yes. MTD rules require landlords to keep digital records and submit quarterly updates to HMRC. Cloud-based systems like Landlord Vision handle that automatically, so you don’t need bridging tools.
Are cloud-based systems safe?
Absolutely. Providers use secure UK and EU data centres, encryption, and automatic backups to protect your information.
Can I move from Excel or old software easily?
Most platforms have import tools that make switching simple. You can upload spreadsheets or CSVs and get started straight away.
Do these systems support multiple users or joint ownership?
Yes. You can grant different access levels to accountants, agents, or co-owners while keeping control of your main account.
How much does good software cost?
Expect to pay between £10 and £40 per month depending on your needs. It’s a small cost for peace of mind – and for staying compliant with the UK’s increasingly digital tax system.
