RentalBux vs. Zoho Books
Which MTD Software Is Better for UK Landlords?
Overall Winner: RentalBux
RentalBux is the more complete MTD software for UK 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. Zoho Books is a strong general-purpose accounting platform with an excellent free tier, full HMRC recognition for both MTD ITSA and MTD for VAT, a modern clean interface, and the backing of the wider Zoho ecosystem. However, Zoho Books is not purpose-built for landlords — it has no property portfolio management, no tenant management, no joint ownership profit-splitting, and no HMO-specific features. Landlords using Zoho Books must manually configure the software for property use cases. For landlords seeking a purpose-built, compliant, and affordable MTD solution, RentalBux is the clearer choice.
At-a-Glance MTD Software Comparison
Key differences between RentalBux and Zoho Books across MTD compliance, property management, bookkeeping, pricing, and landlord-specific features.
| Feature | RentalBux | Zoho Books |
|---|---|---|
| Software Type | Property/Landlord Platform | Cloud Accounting |
| Target Users | Landlords, Sole Traders, Letting Agents | SMEs, Sole Traders |
| Income Sources Supported | Sole Trader + UK Property + Foreign Property | Sole Trader, UK Property |
| Free MTD Software Plan | Free until March 2028 (1 property) | Free (businesses with revenue under £35,000/yr) |
| MTD Quarterly Updates to HMRC | Yes | Yes |
| Final Declaration | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Reconciliation | Yes | Yes (Automated bank feeds) |
| Automated Bank Feeds | Yes | Yes |
| Invoice Creation | Yes | Yes (with branding) |
| Receipt Capture (OCR) | Yes | Yes (receipt scanning via mobile app) |
| Expense Auto-Categorisation | Coming soon | Yes (rule-based automation) |
| Property Portfolio Management | Yes | No (not built-in; requires Zoho Creator add-on) |
| Tenant Management | Yes | No (not built-in) |
| Joint Ownership & Profit Sharing | Yes | No |
| Payroll | No | No |
| HMO Unit-Level Tracking | Yes | No |
| HMRC SA105 Box Pre-Mapping | Yes | No |
| Spreadsheet Import/Export | Yes | Yes |
| Platform | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android, Windows desktop app |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes | Yes |
What Is RentalBux? What Is Zoho Books?
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 Zoho Books?
The Perfect Balance of Features and Affordability
Zoho Books is a cloud-based accounting platform developed by Zoho Corporation, a global technology company founded in 1996 and headquartered in Tamil Nadu, India, with offices worldwide. Zoho Books is used by businesses in 180+ countries and is one of six plans in Zoho's broader finance suite, which also includes Zoho Invoice, Zoho Expense, Zoho Payroll, Zoho Inventory, and Zoho Analytics. The UK edition of Zoho Books is HMRC-recognised for both MTD for VAT and MTD for Income Tax, and explicitly supports both sole trader and landlord income sources.
Zoho Books is widely praised for its clean, modern interface, competitive pricing, genuinely useful free plan, and seamless integration with the wider Zoho ecosystem. Its AI capabilities — including Zia, Zoho's natural language AI assistant, and the February 2026 update introducing AI-powered Field Prediction for bank reconciliation — make it a strong automation tool. It is regularly ranked by independent reviewers as the top free accounting software for UK small businesses, particularly for sole traders and micro-businesses.
For landlords specifically, Zoho Books supports both sole trader and property income for MTD ITSA submissions, making it a compliant option for landlords entering the MTD regime. However, Zoho Books is not purpose-built for landlords — it has no built-in property portfolio management, no tenant tracking, no joint ownership profit-splitting, no HMO support, and a general chart of accounts that must be manually configured for property income. Independent reviewers note that Zoho Books can feel more suited to small-to-medium businesses than to sole traders with simple needs, given its breadth of features.
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
- HMRC-recognised for MTD ITSA (sole trader + UK property) and MTD for VAT
- Genuinely free plan with MTD ITSA readiness (1,000 invoices/yr cap; no bank feed)
- Clean, modern interface rated highly for usability — top recommendation by Startups.co.uk
- AI-powered via Zia and February 2026 Field Prediction update for bank reconciliation
- Full VAT returns and CIS support on paid plans
- Multi-currency support from Professional plan (£20/month + VAT, billed annually)
- Seamless integration with 50+ Zoho apps (CRM, Payroll, Projects, Inventory, etc.)
- Cash flow forecasting and budgeting tools on paid plans
- 14-day free trial of all paid plans; no contract required
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
- Not purpose-built for landlords — requires manual configuration for property
- No property portfolio management, tenant management, or rent tracking
- No joint ownership or profit-splitting functionality
- Free plan has no bank feed connectivity
- Foreign property income support not confirmed in official documentation
- No built-in payroll (requires Zoho Payroll add-on)
- Some reviews note customer support can be slow to respond
- Transaction and invoice limits per plan tier can be a constraint
- Receipt autoscans limited on lower plans — advanced autoscans are a paid add-on
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 Zoho Books Handles MTD for Landlords
Zoho Books is HMRC-recognised and fully ready for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. It explicitly supports both sole trader and landlord income sources and allows quarterly updates to be filed directly to HMRC. Zoho Books also supports the standard update period (6 April to 5 April) and generates the relevant SA103F/SA103S reports for lower-income users not yet mandated for MTD. The free plan includes MTD ITSA readiness, making Zoho Books one of the few platforms that offers genuinely free MTD compliance. Accountant access is available on all plans, enabling agent filing. However, Zoho Books does not confirm foreign property income support in its official UK documentation — landlords with overseas rental income should verify this directly. Zoho Books also does not support MTD for VAT on the free plan; VAT returns require a paid subscription.
| Feature | RentalBux | Zoho Books |
|---|---|---|
| HMRC Recognised (MTD ITSA) | Yes | Yes |
| MTD Quarterly Updates | Yes | Yes |
| Final Declaration | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Record Keeping | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Links Compliant | Yes | Yes |
| Sole Trader Income | Yes | Yes |
| UK Property Income | Yes | Yes |
| Foreign Property Income | Yes | No |
| Multiple Income Streams | Yes | Yes (sole trader; property module pending) |
| Agent Filing on Behalf | Yes | Yes |
Winner: RentalBux for landlord-specific MTD compliance. Both platforms support MTD ITSA for landlords. RentalBux's confirmed foreign property income support, purpose-built property workflow, and built-in agent filing tool give it a clearer advantage for landlords. Zoho Books is the stronger choice for landlords who are also VAT-registered or want an MTD-compliant solution within the wider Zoho business ecosystem.
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.
Zoho Books: General Accounting Without Built-in Property Management
Zoho Books does not include property-specific management features. There is no built-in property portfolio management, tenant management, rent tracking, HMO support, or joint ownership profit-splitting. Zoho Books can be used to track rental income as a recurring income source and property expenses through its general bookkeeping tools, and independent reviewers do cite its automation of recurring invoices and payment reminders as beneficial for landlords tracking rental income. However, all property categorisation and organisation must be done manually within Zoho's general framework. Landlords wanting dedicated property management alongside Zoho Books would need a third-party integration, adding cost and complexity.
| Feature | RentalBux | Zoho Books |
|---|---|---|
| Property Portfolio Management | Yes | No |
| Tenant Management | Yes | No |
| Rent Tracking | Yes | Manual |
| Property Expense Allocation | Yes | Manual |
| Multiple Property Support | Yes | Manual |
| HMO Property Support | Yes (auto-creates units) | No |
| Joint Ownership/Profit Sharing | Yes (auto-split by %) | No |
| Maintenance Tracking | No | No |
| Tenant Screening | No | No |
| Compliance Document Alerts | Yes | No |
| Arrears Tracking | No | |
| Arrears Tracking (per tenant) | No |
Winner: RentalBux — Zoho Books has no built-in property management features. RentalBux's purpose-built property toolkit — including tenant management, HMO auto-unit creation, and joint ownership profit-splitting — is unmatched for landlords.
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.
Zoho Books: Comprehensive General Accounting Platform
Zoho Books offers a more comprehensive general accounting toolkit, including double-entry bookkeeping, a customisable chart of accounts, journal entries, automated bank feeds, bank reconciliation, and a wider range of financial reports. From the Premium plan, Zoho Books also includes cash flow forecasting and fixed asset management. The chart of accounts is not pre-configured for property or landlord-specific categories but can be customised. Zoho Books supports both cash basis and accruals basis accounting — a flexibility that RentalBux does not currently offer.
| Feature | RentalBux | Zoho Books |
|---|---|---|
| Cash Basis Accounting | Yes | Yes |
| Chart of Accounts (Pre-built, Landlord-Tailored) | Yes (pre-built + custom) | |
| Journal Entries | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Reconciliation | Yes | Yes |
| Automated Bank Feeds | Yes (Major UK banks) | Yes |
| Open Banking Integration | Yes | Yes |
| Double-Entry Bookkeeping | Yes | Yes |
| HMRC Box Pre-Mapping | Yes | No |
| Xero Integration | No | No |
| Spreadsheet Import/Export | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Record Storage | Yes | Yes |
| Chart of Accounts (Pre-built) | Yes (general) | |
| Multi-Currency Support | Yes |
Winner: Depends on use case. RentalBux wins for landlord-specific bookkeeping structure — no setup required. Zoho Books wins for breadth, particularly for landlords who are VAT-registered, need multi-currency, or want accruals-based accounting alongside their MTD obligations.
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.
Zoho Books: Automated Accounting with Strong Invoicing
Zoho Books offers strong invoicing capabilities, including customisable branded invoice templates, recurring invoices, automated payment reminders, and online payment collection through integrated payment gateways. Receipt scanning via the mobile app allows users to capture and record expenses on the go. Expense categorisation is supported through rule-based automation. Zoho Books also integrates with Zoho Expense for more advanced expense claim management.
| Feature | RentalBux | Zoho Books |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice Creation & Sending | Yes | Yes |
| Invoice Customisation/Branding | Yes | Yes |
| Online Payment Collection | Yes | Yes |
| Payment Tracking/Reminders | Yes | Yes |
| Expense Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Receipt Capture (OCR/Photo) | Yes | Yes |
| Expense Categorisation | Yes | Yes |
| Automated Transaction Matching | Yes | Yes |
| Mileage Tracking | No | Yes |
| AI Auto-Categorisation | Coming soon | Yes |
Winner: RentalBux for landlords. AI-powered OCR receipt capture is available on all RentalBux plans including the free tier, and expense categories are pre-configured for landlord use. Zoho Books' AI features are strong but receipt autoscans are limited per plan, and expense categories require manual configuration for property use cases.
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.
Zoho Books: Comprehensive Financial Reporting
Zoho Books delivers a full suite of financial reports including profit & loss, balance sheet, trial balance, cash flow statement, aged receivables and payables, and VAT reports. Cash flow forecasting is available on all plans. The dashboard provides real-time visibility into cash flow, outstanding payments, and financial health. Zoho Books includes budgeting tools on Premium plans and above. The integration with Zoho Analytics enables advanced custom reporting and business intelligence for users on higher-tier plans or within the wider Zoho ecosystem.
| Feature | RentalBux | Zoho Books |
|---|---|---|
| Profit & Loss Report | Yes (formal) | Yes |
| Balance Sheet | Yes | Yes |
| Trial Balance | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | Yes |
Winner: Zoho Books for reporting depth. Cash flow statements, budgeting tools, VAT reporting, and integration with Zoho Analytics give Zoho Books broader financial reporting capabilities. RentalBux leads on property-specific accounting reports.
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.
Zoho Book's Collaboration, Accountant Access & Mobile Apps
Under Making Tax Digital, many landlords work closely with accountants or letting agents for their quarterly submissions. The ability to share access, delegate filing, and manage records remotely via mobile are important practical considerations
| Feature | RentalBux | Zoho Books |
|---|---|---|
| Accountant/Advisor Portal | Yes | Yes (via Zoho Practice) |
| Multi-User Access | Yes | Yes (plan-dependent) |
| Agent Filing on Behalf | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Integration | Yes | Yes (Automated bank feeds) |
| Platform | iOS, Android | iOS, Android |
| Web Browser Access | Yes | Yes |
| FCA Regulated | Yes | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes | Yes |
Winner: Tie — depends on priorities. RentalBux's built-in agent filing tool is more directly accessible for letting agents and accountants managing landlord clients. Zoho Books' Zoho Practice portal, third-party integrations, and Windows desktop app make it more extensible for broader business collaboration needs.
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.
Ease of Use, Customer Support & Security
Zoho Books is praised by users for its clean and intuitive interface, and its ease of use for everyday accounting tasks such as invoicing and bank reconciliation. However, some users — particularly those new to accounting software — report a steeper learning curve when accessing more advanced features. Zoho Books has a 4.4 out of 5 rating on G2 (302+ reviews). Customer support quality receives mixed reviews, with some users reporting delays in resolving issues.
| Feature | RentalBux | Zoho Books |
|---|---|---|
| Phone Support | Yes | Yes |
| Chat Support | Yes | Yes |
| Email Support | Yes | Yes |
| Help Centre/Knowledge Base | Yes | Yes |
| FCA Regulated | Yes | No |
| 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 Zoho Books Offers
MTD for VAT Compliance
Zoho Books is fully HMRC-recognised for Making Tax Digital for VAT on all paid plans, with direct submission to HMRC. This is essential for VAT-registered landlords and property businesses.
Cash Flow Forecasting and Budgeting
Cash flow forecasting is available on all Zoho Books plans including the free tier. Budgeting tools are available on Premium plans and above.
The Wider Zoho Ecosystem
Zoho Books integrates seamlessly with 50+ Zoho applications including Zoho CRM, Zoho Payroll, Zoho Inventory, Zoho Projects, Zoho Expense, Zoho Analytics, and more. For landlords or property investors who run a broader business, this makes Zoho Books a powerful hub within a unified business operating system. Zoho One — Zoho's all-inclusive bundle of 50+ apps — is also available for businesses wanting a complete operational toolkit.
Multi-Currency Support
Multi-currency transactions with real-time exchange rates are available from the Professional plan (£20/month billed annually). Invoices can be issued in any currency, useful for landlords receiving income from international tenants or managing overseas-linked financial relationships.
Zoho Practice — Free Accountant Practice Management
Zoho offers Zoho Practice, a free practice management tool for accountants and bookkeeping firms that integrates directly with Zoho Books. This enables accountants to manage unlimited clients, streamline workflows, and file MTD returns on behalf of clients — at no additional cost.
I-Powered Bank Reconciliation — February 2026 Update
Zoho Books' February 2026 update introduced AI Field Prediction, which auto-fills transaction data including categories, accounts, and vendor names during bank reconciliation. Zia, Zoho's AI assistant, can also detect duplicate entries and flag suspicious transactions in natural language.
Windows Desktop App
Zoho Books offers a dedicated Windows desktop application, giving users cloud-connected accounting from their familiar desktop environment.
CIS Support
Zoho Books supports Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) submissions on paid plans, which is valuable for landlords who also carry out property renovation or development work involving subcontractors.
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 Zoho Books?
Zoho Books is the better choice for:
Landlords Who Also Run a VAT-Registered Business
If your property portfolio sits alongside a VAT-registered sole trade or limited company, Zoho Books handles both VAT returns and MTD ITSA income tax reporting in a single platform — eliminating the need for separate VAT software.
Landlords Already Using or Planning to Use the Zoho Ecosystem
If you use or plan to use Zoho CRM, Zoho Projects, Zoho Payroll, Zoho Inventory, or Zoho One, Zoho Books integrates seamlessly across the entire suite — making it the natural accounting hub for a Zoho-centric business.
Cost-Conscious Landlords Who Need More Than Basic MTD Compliance
At £12/month (Standard, billed annually), Zoho Books offers excellent value for landlords who need automated bank feeds, cash flow statements, VAT support, and multi-user access beyond what the free tier provides.
Landlords with International Tenants or Multi-Currency Needs
Multi-currency support from the Professional plan (£20/month billed annually) makes Zoho Books a practical choice for landlords issuing invoices in foreign currencies or managing international financial relationships.
Landlords in Construction or Property Development
CIS support on paid plans makes Zoho Books suitable for landlords who carry out renovation, development, or building work involving subcontractors.
Sole Traders Wanting Best-in-Class General Accounting
If you are a sole trader who happens to also have rental income, and you want a modern, highly polished general accounting tool rated number one by independent experts, Zoho Books is an excellent and affordable choice.