Running a property business can be time consuming, stressful and confusing. Property owners have to administrate all aspects of their venture, including accounting, tenant screening, client management, maintenance requests, rent collection and contracting. Streamlining business operations and simplifying workflows with software solutions saves precious time and resources best spent on core business development.
These applications below are some of the best property management software and will help you automate key functions of your property business. Though many of these software solutions offer similar and overlapping features, we have compiled their best-known services, all of which work best when used in tandem with each other.
Want to create customisable contracts in no time?
Try Legislate.
Legislate is the all-in-one SaaS platform for crafting and managing your rental property contracts. Legislate is user-friendly and offers a full suite of customisable documents for landlords, agents and tenants alike - be it a lodger licence agreement, a student tenancy agreement, an assured shorthold tenancy agreement, or a consultancy agreement if you are looking to hire contractors. Instead of spending hours writing out meticulous clauses, or spending money on legal fees, Legislate’s subscription service allows you to generate entire contracts by answering simple questions. Pricing starts at £9.95 for one off contracts to £100 per month for higher volume creators. Legislate is free for invited parties which means that tenants invited to a contract will have their own tenant portal where they can access all their essential documents before, during and after their tenancy.
Want to take on tenants you know you can trust?
Try Checkboard
Checkboard verifies everything you want to know about an individual. From affordability, ID, AML, Land registry through to employment and rent history. The best thing about Checkboard is that all the checks can be requested directly from an online platform or through various software integrations, freeing the property professional from utilising multiple software to complete their necessary background checks. The process starts with a simple link that contains all the necessary information about the property. This link is sent to the prospective individual that will proceed to fill out 5 simple steps in 5 minutes. Once the steps are done, the landlord and/or Estate Agent will receive a comprehensive rated report on their dashboard. These great features are made possible by combining the best technologies on the market and a team whose goal is to overcome the most common and time-consuming challenges in the property sector. In a nutshell, Checkboard is the most comprehensive one-stop-shop software to verify your sales, buyers, landlord and tenant verification needs.
Want to keep on top of building maintenance?
Try Fixflo.
Fixlflo is a maintenance management solution which has a whole host of cloud-based tools for landlords to stay up to date with the state of the premises. One service allows occupiers to report needed repairs through submitting pictures and filling out a description of the essential work needed to be done. It also provides guidance as to whose responsibility the defect is to ameliorate. Another tool automatically assigns specific contractors to work order repairs based on “if this then that” logic trees. This can be done on the basis of the type of repair, time of day or the portfolio. Tasks can be scheduled and contractors can be checked for certification, streamlining the entire process of maintenance.
Curious about automated data extraction from documents?
Want to manage your lettings?
Try 10ninety.
10ninety’s CRM property management platform automates a multitude of responsibilities for best business practice and tenant management. A deposit management scheme manages returns and deductions for any behavioural violations. The service records rent payments from tenants, and manages top-up payments from housing authorities if applicable. Moreover, it can introduce or remove these top-ups mid-letting. Similar support programmes are logged and managed for HMOs, student tenancies and guaranteed rent schemes. There is also a key log to track keys handed out to tenants, contractors and staff.
Want to keep up to speed with cash flow?
Try Xero.
For small businesses, Xero has an ample toolkit for managing accounts and bills. Its billing services allows enterprises to centralise, store and group their payments, scheduling them in advance. It also functions with invoice payments from online providers like Stripe and GoCardless. Create accurate accounting reports and inventory reports to keep track of business. Xero is an accounting software platform which helps small businesses stay within the tax and financial reporting rules with HMRC-compatible VAT calculator software and expenses claims templates.
Want something to collect rent with?
Try Hammock.
Hammock is an automated online payment and reconciliation platform specific to landlords. Integrated into other banking software, it allows for real-time reporting of landlord and tenant account balances. The balance is tracked and displayed live, meaning that you can discover whether a tenant has paid without checking your bank account. The software sends rent invoices, reminders, payment confirmations and statements to all concerned, and it proactively sends notifications when a tenant has not paid. It also compiles a chart setting out the portfolio’s performance, short to long term.
These property management solutions can help property managers who want to run their business as cost and time efficiently as possible, leaving them with the resources to grow and develop.
Interested in Legislate? You can read how to create your first Legislate agreements in our tutorial and watch a short demo. If you would like to try Legislate, please book an introductory call.
The opinions on this page are for general information purposes only and do not constitute legal advice on which you should rely.