Updating post from Reddit.
Hi all,
I work in property software, helping landlords get set up with rent tracking and automation tools. I’ve noticed that many self-managing landlords (especially with 1–10 properties) still rely on spreadsheets, standing orders, and chasing tenants manually.
I’m exploring a small service where I’d handle rent reminders, monthly rent logs, late payment alerts, and generate simple reports you can use for taxes or income tracking. No agents, no lock-in—just low-cost support for those who want to stay hands-on but save time.
Would something like this be helpful to you? What would you expect it to include or cost? I’d love to get your feedback or test the idea with anyone keen.
Thanks!
(Happy to answer any questions – not selling anything yet, just exploring interest.)
Openrent does this for £10pm as part of its service. They collect the rent, send reminders and then forward the rent to you.
I do find it beneficial as people tend to pay on time when companies are collecting.
OpenRent's rent collection for £10/month is a solid option, especially for tech-savvy landlords who don't need support.
The difference with my service is the personal involvement: I handle the setup, reminders, payment tracking, and any tenant comms on your behalf — not just automated emails.
Most landlords I work with like the peace of mind of having a real person chasing missed payments and keeping everything logged in one place, especially if they don't want to deal with it themselves.
But I totally agree — when tenants know a third party is involved, they pay faster, which is exactly what I help reinforce.
Not sure this scales that effectively + you inevitably end up being drawn into all manner of unpredictable issues.
Openrent set it all up, remind the tenants and also me. Notify me of any delays. Notify me if payment is late. They do the same on the tenant side.
On the tenant comms side all you can do is relay messaged back and forth.
Don't even need to be tech savvy, It's email and your bank details. No apps, no fuss. They also take the actual payment which is HUGE because as I said before when people are paying a company it tends to be....on time. Easy. Noticed a huge difference because of this.
There needs to be something really stellar to get people to move. Personal involvement sounds like something an estate agent would say that no one really cares about tbh.
With profit margins squeezed and councils impending selective licensing as a cash grab and potential epc requirements to come there is really no situation that I can see where an any cost extra is justifiable without increasing rents to cover it.
Sure sounds useful byt with all of the above squeezing margins I've stopped doing fully managed properties on my portfolio. It's a head ache for sure but unless it was very close to free I can't see it being worth it.
August app.
I second that, there are already great products out there doing this that are relatively inexpensive.
It would to me. Depending on costs. As well doing other things such as tracking renewals for certifications etc
Hey! Just curious — how do you currently manage your properties?
I'm building a simple support service for self-managing landlords, including rent tracking, automated reminders, and contractor invoice logging, without going full property management.
The idea is to keep it super lean and affordable (around £15-£20/month per property, depending on setup), so you stay in control but have someone else handling the admin.
Plenty of management software on the market, low cost is always good 👍🏼
100% agree — there's loads of great software out there, and I've worked with quite a few through my day job.
What I'm offering isn't just software though — it's a service layer on top, for landlords who either don't have time or don't want the faff of setting things up, monitoring payments, or following up when rent is late.
Think of it like this: You could buy Xero and do your own accounts… or you could pay someone a bit to handle it for you.
For landlords who want that kind of support, I’m here. For those who love managing every detail themselves — software alone is perfect.
Don’t waste your time because no landlord is going to waste their money on this because if you choose to self manage it’s because you want to minimise costs ( this increases costs) and it’s because you have the time to self manage ( so saving time isn’t useful) . I’ve self managed 12 all my life .. never used any software.. and I never would for the reasons above.
But yeah don’t do this. Your customer acquisition costs will be significant. distribution is tough in this market.
No.
I'd say yes with one proviso - make it MTD ready. I don't yet fall into scope for MTD, but I highly suspect they'll extend it downwards to all property income at some time in the future.
But if I'm honest, I've got access to rent tracking via the GRL for far cheaper than you could offering it - as I'm already a member & I suspect a lot of your potential clients would be.
That makes total sense and if GRL already gives you the tools you need, that’s great
Just to clarify though, I’m not setting up to be a property manager. This is more like having an employee without the strings someone who takes care of the admin bits, while you stay hands-on and in control of your portfolio
I can help with things like
Rent tracking & logging
Reminder emails & polite chasers
New tenant onboarding Tidying up records & invoices
And if you already use GRL, Xero, or QuickBooks — no problem. I can plug into those systems as a collaborator and help behind the scenes.
It’s all about saving you time without taking over or costing a fortune. But if your current setup works for you, totally fair, I really appreciate the honest feedback.
I only have a single 1 bed property that I let, but I honestly don't think that a lot of landlord software companies know quite the scope of what they now offer - I've been a member for a while & they only had a tenancy builder before. Now they've got AI enhanced inventory tools (generates information from photos), and yes, rent management too. It's basically got almost everything professional property management software has at this point - I'm not sure how you can "plug into" something like this, that has reminder emails for me to send and keeps track of rent/arrears etc.
Just to clarify, when I say “plug in,” I simply mean that if a landlord already uses software, I can be added as a user and handle the day-to-day operations — rent logging, sending reminders, chasing arrears, onboarding tenants, etc.
So the landlord stays in control, but doesn’t have to log in or do the admin themselves.
But if you’ve only got one property and you’re happy managing it, you’re probably right there’s not much you’d need me for.
Really appreciate the honest feedback — it’s helping me refine exactly who this is best suited for.
