RentalBux vs. NRLA
Quick Verdict
Overall Winner: Which MTD Software Is Better for UK Landlords and Sole Traders?
RentalBux is the more complete MTD software for landlords and sole traders. It combines full Making Tax Digital compliance across UK property income, foreign property income, and self-employment income with comprehensive property management, automated bookkeeping, AI-driven expense categorisation, joint ownership profit-splitting, and a free plan for single-property landlords until March 2028. NRLA Portfolio is a property management tool from the UK's largest landlord membership body, but its end-to-end MTD submission capability is listed as "Coming soon" on NRLA's own service pages as of April 2026, actual filing to HMRC is delivered through a third-party partnership with Taxd.
At-a-Glance MTD Software Comparison
Key differences between RentalBux and NRLA across MTD compliance, property management, bookkeeping, pricing, and landlord-specific features.
| Feature | RentalBux | NRLA |
|---|---|---|
| Software Type | Property/Landlord Platform | Membership-bundled Property Management Tool |
| Target Users | Landlords, Sole Traders, Letting Agents | NRLA Members (private residential landlords) |
| Income Sources Supported | Sole Trader + UK Property + Foreign Property | UK Property only (Portfolio); other income routed via Taxd partner |
| Free MTD Software Plan | Free until March 2028 (1 property) | Portfolio "free" only with £125/yr NRLA membership |
| MTD Quarterly Updates to HMRC | Yes | Coming soon |
| Final Declaration | Yes | Routed via Taxd |
| Bank Reconciliation | Yes | Yes |
| Automated Bank Feeds | Yes | Yes |
| Invoice Creation | Yes | No |
| Receipt Capture (OCR) | Yes | No |
| Expense Auto-Categorisation | Coming soon | Yes |
| Property Portfolio Management | Yes | Yes |
| Tenant Management | Yes | Yes |
| Joint Ownership & Profit Sharing | Yes | No |
| Payroll | No | No |
| HMO Unit-Level Tracking | Yes | Limited |
| HMRC SA105 Box Pre-Mapping | Yes | No |
| Spreadsheet Import/Export | Yes | Limited |
| Platform | Web, iOS, Android | Web, mobile-responsive |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes | Yes |
What Is RentalBux? What Is NRLA?
What Is RentalBux?
All-in-One MTD Software for Landlords and Sole Traders
RentalBux is an all-in-one property management, accounting, and Making Tax Digital compliance platform built specifically for UK landlords, letting agents, and self-employed individuals. Designed with direct input from accountants who specialise in property and sole trader tax, RentalBux covers everything from tenancy management and rent collection to full bookkeeping with a pre-configured chart of accounts tailored to the property sector.
RentalBux is fully HMRC-recognised for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax across all three qualifying income categories: UK property income, foreign property income, and self-employment. This makes it one of the only landlord-specific MTD software platforms that can handle a landlord who also runs a sole trader business, all from a single subscription.
A major differentiator is RentalBux's pricing model: single-property landlords can use the platform completely free until March 2028, making it one of the most affordable HMRC-approved MTD software options for landlords entering the MTD regime.
What Is NRLA?
Championing a Responsible Rental Sector
The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) is the UK's largest membership organisation for private residential landlords, supporting and representing more than 85,000 members across England and Wales. Its core proposition is membership: legal advice, tenancy law guidance, training, deposit protection, lobbying, member discounts, and a tenancy templates library. Membership costs £125 per year for individual landlords and £250 per year for business membership (which adds up to four staff members).
In recent years NRLA has built two software products on top of that membership: NRLA Portfolio (a free property management tool for members covering tenancies, key-date reminders, document storage, and Safe2 safety certificate integration) and NRLA Portfolio Plus (an upgraded finance tier with Open Banking via MoneyHub, machine-learning expense auto-categorisation, instant P&L reports, and a SA105 tax summary). Portfolio Plus is priced at £5/month on NRLA's dedicated Portfolio Plus page, but £17/month on NRLA's MTD-specific landing page — NRLA's own pricing is inconsistent across pages as of April 2026.
Strengths
- Free MTD software for single-property landlords until March 2028
- Handles sole trader + UK property + foreign property income in one platform
- Joint ownership with automatic profit-sharing split by ownership percentage
- Pre-built chart of accounts tailored for landlords and sole traders
- AI-powered expense auto-categorisation and OCR receipt capture
- Agent filing on behalf of landlords — ideal for accountants and letting agents
- Supports HMO properties with auto-created units
Strengths
- UK's largest landlord membership body — 85,000+ members
- Excellent legal advice line consistently praised on Trustpilot
- Award-winning training academy and dedicated MTD eClassroom
- Trustpilot 4.5/5 from 3,407 reviews (organisation-wide)
- Safe2 native integration for safety certificate ordering
- mydeposits / Hamilton Fraser deposit protection at member rates
- Open Banking via MoneyHub (FCA-regulated)
- NRLA-drafted tenancy templates and post-Renters' Rights Act documentation
Limitations
- Newer to market compared to established platforms
- No yield or LTV investment analysis tools
- No MTD for VAT support yet
- Some advanced reporting features still in development
- Limited third-party app integrations
- No offline capability
- No tax liability forecasting feature currently
Limitations
- Portfolio is a member benefit, not a standalone MTD product
- End-to-end MTD submission listed as "Coming soon"; relies on Taxd partner today
- Sole trader / self-employment income not supported by Portfolio
- Joint ownership profit-splitting not automated in Portfolio Plus
- Pricing displayed inconsistently across NRLA's own product pages (£5/mo vs £17/mo)
- Multiple Trustpilot reviews flag dated software and weak mobile experience
- True cost = membership (£125/yr) + Portfolio Plus + separate Taxd fees
- No invoicing, OCR receipt capture, or AI categorisation
Making Tax Digital Compliance
How RentalBux Handles MTD Compliance
RentalBux supports all three MTD qualifying income categories: sole trader income, UK property income, and foreign property income. This makes it suitable for landlords who also earn self-employment income, eliminating the need for separate software. Most accounts are pre-mapped to HMRC Self-Assessment boxes. RentalBux also supports agent filing, allowing accountants or letting agents to submit MTD returns on behalf of their landlord clients.
How NRLA Handles MTD for Landlords
NRLA's MTD approach is a two-product stack. NRLA Portfolio Plus handles the digital record-keeping side: Open Banking-driven income and expense capture, machine-learning categorisation, and a SA105 tax summary that NRLA itself describes as "intended to be used as an indication" rather than a direct HMRC submission. Actual MTD filing — quarterly updates and the annual final declaration — is delivered through NRLA's March 2026 partnership with Taxd, an HMRC-recognised tax filing platform. NRLA's own service pages list the in-house complete end-to-end MTD solution (with quarterly updates and annual submissions) as "Coming soon" as of April 2026. NRLA Portfolio does not support sole trader or self-employment income at all, so landlords with mixed income would need additional software for that income stream. Foreign property income is not a featured Portfolio capability and would also be handled via the Taxd partner.
| Feature | RentalBux | NRLA |
|---|---|---|
| HMRC Recognised (MTD ITSA) | Yes | Coming soon |
| MTD Quarterly Updates | Yes | Via Taxd partner |
| Final Declaration | Yes | Via Taxd partner |
| Digital Record Keeping | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Links Compliant | Yes | Yes |
| Sole Trader Income | Yes | No |
| UK Property Income | Yes | Yes |
| Foreign Property Income | Yes | No |
| Multiple Income Streams | Yes | No |
| Agent Filing on Behalf | Yes | Indirect (via Taxd) |
Winner: RentalBux — A single HMRC-recognised platform that handles record-keeping and direct submission across all three MTD income types, versus a two-vendor stack with end-to-end MTD listed as "Coming soon" on NRLA's own pages.
Property Management
RentalBux: Property Management
RentalBux provides comprehensive property portfolio management with tenant management, rent tracking, property expense allocation, and support for multiple properties. A standout feature is its joint ownership and profit-sharing capability: landlords can define ownership percentages once, and RentalBux automatically splits rental income and expenses. RentalBux also supports HMO properties, automatically creating individual units.
NRLA Portfolio: Tenancy Management & Compliance for Members
NRLA Portfolio provides property portfolio management with tenancy creation using NRLA-drafted, regularly updated tenancy templates (including post-Renters' Rights Act documentation), key-date and certificate-renewal reminders, document storage, and tenant communication. A core strength is its native Safe2 integration — landlords can order and track gas safety, EICR, EPC and other safety certificates at the click of a button from within the platform. NRLA also bundles mydeposits / Hamilton Fraser deposit protection at member rates, plus discounted tenant referencing. However, joint ownership profit-splitting is not automated within Portfolio Plus, and HMO unit-level tracking is more limited than in landlord-specific software platforms.
| Feature | RentalBux | NRLA |
|---|---|---|
| Property Portfolio Management | Yes | Yes |
| Tenant Management | Yes | Yes |
| Rent Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Property Expense Allocation | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple Property Support | Yes | Yes |
| HMO Property Support | Yes (auto-creates units) | Limited |
| Joint Ownership/Profit Sharing | Yes (auto-split by %) | No |
| Maintenance Tracking | No | Yes |
| Tenant Screening | No | Yes |
| Compliance Document Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Arrears Tracking | No | Yes |
Winner: Tie — depends on priorities. RentalBux wins on joint ownership automation and HMO unit auto-creation. NRLA wins on tenancy compliance ecosystem (Safe2, mydeposits, NRLA-drafted contracts, referencing). Choose based on whether you prioritise MTD-aligned ownership accounting or tenancy/compliance workflow integration.
Bookkeeping, Accounting & Digital Record Keeping
RentalBux: Structured Accounting
RentalBux includes a pre-built chart of accounts specifically designed for landlords and sole traders, covering rental income, mortgage interest, insurance, property repairs, professional services, utilities, and tenant deposits. All accounts are pre-mapped to HMRC Self-Assessment boxes. The platform supports cash basis accounting, bank reconciliation, and journal entries.
NRLA Portfolio Plus: Open Banking Bookkeeping for UK Property
NRLA Portfolio Plus takes a lighter bookkeeping approach focused on property income tracking. It supports cash basis accounting and automated bank feeds via MoneyHub, an FCA-regulated Open Banking provider with read-only access and 256-bit encryption. Once connected, landlords manually categorise initial transactions to set the foundation, after which the system uses machine learning to recognise and categorise repeating transactions like rent income, mortgage payments, and insurance. Portfolio Plus generates instant per-property P&L and cash flow reports, plus a SA105 tax summary. Portfolio Plus does not state a chart of accounts, journal entries, double-entry bookkeeping, or sole trader income support on its service pages. The bookkeeping is property-only.
| Feature | RentalBux | NRLA |
|---|---|---|
| Cash Basis Accounting | Yes | Yes |
| Chart of Accounts (Pre-built, Landlord-Tailored) | Yes (pre-built + custom) | No |
| Journal Entries | Yes | No |
| Bank Reconciliation | Yes | Yes |
| Automated Bank Feeds | Yes (Major UK banks) | Yes |
| Open Banking Integration | Yes | Yes |
| Double-Entry Bookkeeping | Yes | No |
| HMRC Box Pre-Mapping | Yes | Partial |
| Xero Integration | No | No |
| Spreadsheet Import/Export | Yes | No |
| Digital Record Storage | Yes | Yes |
Winner: RentalBux — The pre-built chart of accounts, journal entries, sole trader and foreign property bookkeeping, and HMRC SA box pre-mapping give RentalBux proper accounting structure that NRLA Portfolio Plus does not state on its service pages. NRLA's bookkeeping is property-only; RentalBux covers all three MTD income types.
Invoicing, Expense Tracking
RentalBux: Expense Management
RentalBux includes OCR receipt capture, structured expense tracking with landlord-specific categories, auto-categorisation, invoice creation with customisable branding, and payment tracking with reminders.
NRLA Portfolio Plus: Open Banking Categorisation Without OCR or Invoicing
NRLA Portfolio Plus's expense management is powered by its Open Banking integration with MoneyHub. Once bank feeds are connected, landlords manually categorise their initial transactions, after which the system's machine-learning engine recognises and auto-categorises recurring transactions like rent income and mortgage payments. Overdue rent alerts can be sent to the landlord and/or the tenant. Portfolio Plus does not state OCR receipt capture, AI-powered expense categorisation beyond pattern-matching of recurring transactions, or invoice creation on its service pages. Sole trader invoicing is not supported because Portfolio is property-only.
| Feature | RentalBux | NRLA |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice Creation & Sending | Yes | No |
| Invoice Customisation/Branding | Yes | No |
| Online Payment Collection | Yes | No |
| Payment Tracking/Reminders | Yes | Yes |
| Expense Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Receipt Capture (OCR/Photo) | Yes | No |
| Expense Categorisation | Yes | Yes |
| Automated Transaction Matching | Yes | Yes |
| Mileage Tracking | No | No |
| AI Auto-Categorisation | Coming soon | Limited |
Winner: RentalBux — OCR receipt capture, automatic expense categorisation, and branded invoicing give RentalBux a clear edge for landlords who want to maximise allowable deductions and bill commercial tenants or service charges under MTD.
Reporting & Tax Forecasting
RentalBux: Formal Accounting Reports
RentalBux produces structured financial reports including profit & loss statements, balance sheets, journal reports, ledger reports, and trial balances. Smart categorisation helps ensure accuracy.
NRLA Portfolio Plus: Per-Property P&L and SA105 Summary
NRLA Portfolio Plus's reporting centres on instant per-property profit & loss reports, real-time cash flow reports, and a SA105 tax summary that can be sent to an accountant. The platform also offers automated alerts for overdue payments and cash flow issues. Portfolio Plus does not state formal balance sheets, trial balances, or sole trader / foreign property reports on its service pages. Tax liability forecasting is not described as a featured Portfolio capability.
| Feature | RentalBux | NRLA |
|---|---|---|
| Profit & Loss Report | Yes (formal) | Yes |
| Balance Sheet | Yes | No |
| Trial Balance | Yes | No |
| Dashboard/Overview | Yes | Yes |
| Real-Time Financial Data | Yes | Yes |
| Cash Flow Reporting | No | Yes |
| Tax Estimate/Forecast | Yes | No |
| AI-Powered Features | Coming soon | Limited |
Winner: RentalBux — Formal accounting reports across all three MTD income types. NRLA's cash flow reporting is the one area where it has parity, but the overall reporting depth and breadth favour RentalBux.
Collaboration & Mobile Apps
RentalBux's Collaborative Features
RentalBux enables agent filing, which gives accountants and letting agents the ability to submit directly on a landlord's behalf.
NRLA Portfolio: Member-Centric Access with Two-Vendor Filing
NRLA Portfolio is built around the NRLA membership account. Landlords access the platform via their existing NRLA login, with Business membership extending access to up to four additional staff members for £250/year. Portfolio works across desktop and mobile browsers, with NRLA marketing the platform as usable "desktop, mobile, wherever." A dedicated tenant portal allows tenants to access rent payments, maintenance requests, and documents directly. For accountant collaboration, NRLA Portfolio Plus generates a SA105 tax summary that NRLA describes as "an indication" intended to be sent to your accountant to assist with a tax submission. Direct end-to-end MTD filing including agent submission on a landlord's behalf is listed as "Coming soon" on NRLA's MTD landing page; today, quarterly updates and annual returns are submitted to HMRC via NRLA's specialist tax provider, Taxd, rather than from within Portfolio itself. Open Banking is delivered through MoneyHub, an FCA-regulated provider with read-only access and 256-bit encryption.
| Feature | RentalBux | NRLA |
|---|---|---|
| Accountant/Advisor Portal | Yes | Limited |
| Multi-User Access | Yes | Yes |
| Agent Filing on Behalf | Yes | Indirect |
| Bank Integration | Yes | Yes |
| Platform | iOS, Android | Web, mobile-responsive |
| Web Browser Access | Yes | Yes |
| FCA Regulated | Yes | Yes |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes | Yes |
Winner: RentalBux — Web, iOS and Android access plus direct agent filing make RentalBux significantly more flexible for accountants, letting agents, and landlords managing portfolios on the go. Multiple Trustpilot reviews from January–April 2026 specifically flag the NRLA mobile experience as dated, with one April 2026 reviewer describing the platform as "stuck in the past" with "terrible" mobile usability.
Ease of Use, Support & Security
RentalBux: Guided Workflows
RentalBux uses guided workflows, clear dashboards, and no accounting jargon. The platform offers phone support, email/chat support, and a help centre with guides and knowledge base articles.
NRLA's Ease of Use
NRLA's standout strength is its landlord support team, which holds an "Excellent" 4.5/5 Trustpilot rating from 3,407 reviews (organisation-wide). The vast majority of positive reviews specifically praise the landlord advice line and training academy rather than the software. However, reviews from January, February, March and April 2026 specifically about Portfolio / Portfolio Plus include several concerns: dated software, weak mobile experience, setup difficulty, and one cancellation-billing complaint where a member was charged after attempting to cancel within the 30-day Portfolio Plus trial. NRLA offers landlord advice via phone and email 6 days a week, alongside a comprehensive knowledge base and the MTD eClassroom training course.
| Feature | RentalBux | NRLA |
|---|---|---|
| Phone Support | Yes | Yes |
| Chat Support | Yes | Yes |
| Email Support | Yes | Yes |
| Help Centre/Knowledge Base | Yes | Yes |
| FCA Regulated | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise-Grade Security | Yes | Yes |
RentalBux Features
Sole Trader Income Support for MTD
RentalBux is one of the few landlord-focused MTD software platforms that supports self-employment income alongside UK and foreign property income within a single account. Landlords who also run a trade, consultancy, or freelance business can manage all quarterly submissions from one dashboard. Landlord Studio covers property income only.
Custom Chart of Accounts for Landlords
A property-tailored chart of accounts covering rental income, mortgage interest, insurance, repairs, utilities, letting agent fees, and more — all pre-mapped to HMRC Self-Assessment boxes. No setup required; the system is ready to use from day one. Landlord Studio has no equivalent.
Agent Filing on Behalf of Landlords
Letting agents and accountants can submit MTD quarterly updates and the Final Declaration on behalf of landlord clients directly from the platform. Landlord Studio allows accountant access but does not support submission on the landlord's behalf.
Branded Invoice Creation
Invoice creation with customisable branding for service charges and commercial landlords. Not available in Landlord Studio.
AI-Powered OCR Receipt Capture with Auto-Categorisation (Coming soon)
RentalBux's AI will read uploaded receipts and categorise the expense automatically against the pre-built chart of accounts. Landlord Studio's Smart Scan extracts dates and amounts but does not include AI-driven expense categorisation.
Formal Accounting Reports
Balance sheet, trial balance, ledger reports, and journal reports. Landlord Studio does not produce these natively.
Free Plan Including MTD Submissions Until March 2028
RentalBux's free single-property plan includes MTD quarterly submissions. Landlord Studio's free GO plan covers property management for up to three units but requires a paid PRO plan (from £12/month) to access MTD submission functionality.
Unique Features Only NRLA Offers
Landlord Legal Advice Line
Telephone and online access to NRLA's team of more than 30 expert advisors, available 6 days a week, providing guidance on tenancy law, regulations, possession, deposits, Renters' Rights Act compliance, and more. This is consistently the most-praised NRLA service across its 3,407 Trustpilot reviews and is not something any pure MTD software platform offers.
Award-Winning Training Academy and MTD eClassroom
NRLA's training academy includes a dedicated MTD eClassroom course covering everything landlords need to be MTD-ready, with the opportunity to ask questions of qualified tax trainers. The training catalogue also covers possession proceedings, the Renters' Rights Act, EPC compliance, HMOs, and property investment.
Safe2 Native Safety Certificate Integration
NRLA's compliance arm Safe2 is fully integrated into Portfolio, allowing landlords to order and track gas safety certificates, EICRs, EPCs and other safety documentation from within the platform. Members also receive a 5% Safe2 discount.
mydeposits Deposit Protection at Member Rates
NRLA bundles deposit protection through Hamilton Fraser's mydeposits scheme at preferential member rates — a cost saving on a service every landlord must use.
Lobbying and Policy Representation
NRLA actively represents landlords' interests to Westminster, the Welsh Government, and HMRC, and has shaped consultations including those around the Renters' Rights Act. This is a membership benefit no MTD software vendor can replicate.
NRLA-Drafted Tenancy Templates and Member Discounts
A library of regularly updated, NRLA-drafted tenancy agreements, Section 8 / Section 21 documentation, rent arrears letters, and notices — alongside member discounts on insurance, referencing, B&Q TradePoint, Currys Business and similar.
Who Should Choose RentalBux?
RentalBux is a strong fit if you:
Landlords with Mixed Income Streams
If you earn from both property and self-employment, RentalBux handles sole trader income alongside UK and foreign property income in a single MTD-compliant platform.
Joint Owners and Family Portfolios
The automated profit-sharing split is a standout feature. Define ownership percentages once and RentalBux calculates each owner's share automatically.
Budget-Conscious Landlords Entering MTD
Free MTD software for single-property landlords until March 2028, with no upfront commitment.
Landlords Who Want Proper Accounting Structure
Chart of accounts, journal entries, profit & loss, balance sheet, and trial balance give RentalBux a structured accounting foundation.
Accountants and Letting Agents
Agent filing on behalf, multi-user access, and spreadsheet import make RentalBux practical for professionals managing multiple landlord portfolios.
Commercial Landlords and HMO Owners
Invoice creation with branding for service charges, plus automatic HMO unit creation and tenant management.
Who should choose NRLA?
NRLA is the better choice for:
Landlords Who Primarily Need Membership Benefits
If your primary need is legal advice, tenancy compliance, training, and lobbying — and you want a property management hub as a bonus — NRLA membership is excellent value at £125/year. The advice line alone is genuinely industry-leading, and many landlords will rationally pay membership for the advice and training even if they use different software for MTD.
Existing NRLA Members Comfortable with the Two-Vendor Stack
If you're already paying £125/year for NRLA membership and are comfortable using Portfolio Plus + Taxd as a two-vendor stack — and willing to pay the additional Taxd fees for HMRC filing — NRLA can deliver MTD compliance, particularly if you only have UK property income and no joint-ownership splitting requirement.
UK-Property-Only Landlords with No Self-Employment
If you only have UK rental income, no foreign property, no self-employment, and no joint-ownership splitting requirement, NRLA Portfolio Plus + Taxd can cover the basics. Once your situation gets more complex, the gaps become more material.
Landlords Who Heavily Value Tenancy Compliance Tooling
Safe2 native integration for safety certificates, mydeposits / Hamilton Fraser deposit protection at member rates, and NRLA-drafted tenancy templates (including post-Renters' Rights Act documentation) are all genuine NRLA strengths.
Landlords Who Want a Training Academy
NRLA's MTD eClassroom and broader training catalogue are useful for landlords who want to be educated on the regulatory environment, not just compliant with it.