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As a landlord, which aspect of property management takes up a frustrating amount of time?
If you’re like most landlords, it’s highly likely that your answer is collecting rent payments.
It feels like it should be such a straightforward process, but there are so many aspects of it that can cause unnecessary hassle. It could be dealing with late rent payments, and therefore chasing tenants for payment, or it could be trying to keep track of who’s paid and who hasn’t, or adding it all to your financial report. Rent payments can cause plenty of stress.
If you’re still relying on manual processes, and doing most of the donkey work yourself, then it’s understandable that you feel all of this frustration on a monthly basis. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Rent collection software can save you an awful lot of time and stress, without breaking the bank. They automate the entire rent collection process, so you can track income, reduce missed payments and maintain a healthy cash flow – without any of the hassle that you’re used to. In this guide, we’ll compare the best options available in 2025 with a focus on UK-friendly tools that understand the realities of local compliance and landlord responsibilities.
Key Features Landlords Should Look For
Before we get into some specific options, it’s important to know what you are looking for. As you will see, there are a wide variety of online rent collection services available to you. Some will be purely for collection rent, while others are complete property management software solutions, covering everything from tenant communication, to submitting tax returns.
So we thought it would be useful to highlight some key rent collection features that you should be looking out for. Have a think about how important each of these can be for your business.
Automated rent collection and arrears tracking
Let’s start with the basics – the most important feature of rent collection services are that they collect rent. Fairly obvious, yes, but what this means is that the process is fully automated. No nagging thoughts in the back of your mind about who has paid and who hasn’t – it’s all taken care of for you.
UK Compliance
This one’s a must. Look for tools that support UK regulations – especially things like Open Banking and Making Tax Digital. If you’re still manually exporting rent data for tax returns, the right platform can save you a serious amount of admin time.
Accounting and reporting integration
How much time do you spend flicking between spreadsheets and bank statements when it comes to that dreaded time of year – when you submit your tax return. When you collect rent online, you can set up your system so it directly communicates with accounting software, while other solutions have integrated financial performance features, keeping it all in one, fully automated, place.
Tenant experience
The rent collection process is not just about you, it’s about your tenants as well. Landlords managing multiple properties just haven’t got the time to make things simple for all of their tenants, but if you have one system in place for everyone, it makes it easier for them as well. Automated reminders, an easy-to-use platform (with payment portals), and even mobile apps so they can check when rent is due on the go. The simpler the process is for your tenants, the less likely they are to miss payments.
Scalability
If you’re managing one property now but plan to expand, it helps to choose a platform that can scale. Whether you’re an independent landlord or working alongside letting agents, make sure the system you choose can handle more as your portfolio grows.
The Best UK-Specific Options
1. Landlord Vision
Why it’s the best: Best all-in-one rent collection & management software for UK landlords.
Some platforms try to do everything and end up doing very little well. Landlord Vision takes the opposite approach — it focuses on getting the essentials right for UK landlords.
Its rent collection features are built into a wider property management software platform, so you don’t need to juggle different tools for tenants, finances, and compliance. Payments can be automated, late fees can be applied, and everything is tracked in one place. You can even connect your bank account to reconcile payments automatically.
What makes Landlord Vision particularly useful is how clearly it understands the UK rental landscape. It supports Making Tax Digital, gives tenants access to their own online portal, and is well-suited to landlords managing between one and twenty properties – without being overwhelming or overpriced (with no payment processing fees).
Key rent collection features:
- Recurring rent payments with automatic logging
- Arrears tracking and late fee enforcement
- Bank syncing for transaction accuracy
- Tenant portal with downloadable payment history
- UK tax reporting and document storage
Strength:
A reliable, well-rounded platform that keeps rent collection simple without cutting corners.
Pricing:
- £19.97/month – up to 5 properties
- £39.97/month – up to 20 properties
- £59.97/month – 20+ properties
https://www.landlordvision.co.uk
Reviews:
“Great software, easy to use and very comprehensive in managing rent payments and mortgages for an affordable price. Makes self management worth it” – Trustpilot Review
2. PayProp
Best for: Letting agents and landlords handling high volume portfolios.
PayProp isn’t designed for casual landlords. It’s built for agencies or landlords who need to process rent at scale – sometimes across dozens or hundreds of properties.
The key to PayProp is all the automation. There are plenty of features that you can set up, like split payments, and you can send money to different accounts automatically (great if you have separate accounts for things like maintenance/reinvestment etc).
Top rent collection features:
- Automated transfers and arrears alerts
- Split payments between owners, agents, and suppliers
- Tenant credit reporting
- Audit trails and reconciliation tools
Strength:
Highly scalable and feature-rich – ideal for those with more complex operations.
Pricing:
Custom pricing
3. Hammock
Best for: Landlords who want to track rental income in real time.
Hammock connects directly to your bank accounts using Open Banking, then monitors incoming rent and alerts you to anything that looks off. It’s built to give you financial clarity more than to manage the tenancy itself.
It’s ideal if you’re comfortable managing your properties day to day but want a better grip on the money side of things.
Top rent collection features:
- Real-time alerts for missed payments
- Payment tracking and income reporting
- Tax summaries ready for self-assessment
Strength:
Finance-first software that cuts out the noise and keeps you focused on the bottom line.
Pricing:
From £5.99/month
4. Arthur Online
Best for: Customisable workflows and larger portfolios.
Arthur Online is another complete property management platform. It’s cloud-based, and has been specifically designed for landlords and agents who want full control over every part of the process – including, of course, rent collection.
You can automate rent reminders, track arrears, and even block partial payments if needed. It also integrates with bookkeeping software and gives both tenants and contractors their own access points.
Top rent collection features:
- Customisable rent rules and alerts
- Support for split payments and payment splitting
- Reporting tools and integration with Xero
- Central dashboard for all properties
Strength:
Full-featured platform that can be tailored to fit more complex operations.
Pricing:
From £70/month
https://www.arthuronline.co.uk
Additional Options That Landlords Can Look Into
Most of the platforms we’ve looked at so far are built with the UK market in mind. That said, there are a few other names you might come across if you’re researching online, particularly in North America. They’re not always the right fit for UK landlords, but they’re worth being aware of.
- Buildium – A long-established US tool that does a good job for larger portfolios. The catch? It isn’t tailored to UK banking or tax systems, so you may find yourself working around those gaps.
- AppFolio – Designed for enterprise-level property managers. It’s powerful and polished, but priced for big operators rather than private landlords.
- DoorLoop – A newer player that’s been getting attention for its ease of use and quick setup. It does have international reach, though UK-specific features are still limited.
- Rentec Direct – Budget-friendly and popular among smaller US landlords. Again, it’s not optimised for UK compliance, but some people like its straightforward approach.
If you’re managing property solely in the UK, these options will usually feel like more hassle than help. But for landlords with transatlantic interests, or those who simply like to keep tabs on what’s happening globally, they’re useful to know about.
Choosing the Right Rent Collection Software
Only you will be able to decide which of these options are the right ones for you and your business.
If you’re a landlord with a modest portfolio who wants an end-to-end solution, Landlord Vision is the most rounded choice. It lets you collect rent, manage tenants, track maintenance, and stay on top of your finances – all from one place.
If you’re working with a team or an agency and need more complex payment platform features or user permissions, PayProp or Arthur Online may give you the extra control you’re looking for.
And if what you really want is to keep a close eye on income and expenses – without changing how you manage your tenants – Hammock is a strong, no-fuss option.
No matter which one you choose, switching to a dedicated rent collection app can save hours of admin time and help ensure your rent payments arrive on time, every time.
Conclusion
Owning rental properties can be stressful enough, without the added hassle of managing every payment from every tenant. Fortunately, with the right rent collection software, your tenants can pay rent to you easily, without you having to do anything at all.
Whatever the size of your portfolio, the right solution is out there for you. Have a look through this list and pick out the one that you think will save you the most time (and stress!) every month. Landlord Vision, for example, can save you time in all aspects of property management, not just rent collection – you may be surprised at how much of your time can be saved with the right solution. Some of the other options may solve a specific problem that you’ve been having.
You don’t need to commit to anything at this stage – our advice is to book in for a Free Demo with Landlord Vision today, and get a feel for how it can help you and your business.
