Setting up RentalBux for the first time takes about 10 minutes if you follow the steps in order By the end, you'll have a fully configured account, your first property added, your bank connected, and your HMRC link in place ready to record transactions and file your first quarterly MTD update when the time comes.
Before You Start
You'll need:
An email address and a password you'd like to use
Basic details about your property address and rough monthly rent
Your HMRC Government Gateway user ID and password for the final step
That's it. No bank details required upfront, and no paperwork to dig out first. RentalBux will walk you through everything else during the setup wizard.
Choose Your Setup Path
Find your situation in the table below before starting — it tells you which steps matter most for you:
Your Situation | Your Path | Approx. Time |
|---|---|---|
Single property landlord, UK only | Path A | ~10 minutes |
Multiple properties, UK and/or jointly owned | Path B | ~15 minutes |
Self-employed only (no rental income) | Path C | ~10 minutes |
Both landlord AND self-employed | Path D | ~15 minutes |
Non-UK resident or overseas properties | Path E | ~10 minutes |
Step 1 — Sign Up and Verify Your Email
Go to rentalbux.com and click Get Started or Sign Up. Enter your name, email address, and choose a password. You'll receive a verification email — click the link to confirm your account, then click Log In.
⏱ Under 1 minute
Step 2 — Complete the Setup Wizard
When you first log in, RentalBux walks you through a three-screen setup wizard. This configures your entire account — take a couple of minutes to read each option carefully, as your choices determine which modules and features are enabled for you.
⏱ Approx. 3 minutes
Screen 1 of 3 — Choose your entity type
Pick the option that matches your ownership structure:
Option | Who it's for |
|---|---|
Individual | Sole owner or joint ownership. For landlords and self-employed individuals filing under their own name. Includes MTD submissions. |
Partnership / LLP | Multiple partners sharing income. For partnerships and LLPs. Property management and accounting without MTD. |
Limited Company | Property held through a company. Full accounting features without the MTD module. |
Most landlords and sole traders will select Individual. Click Let's Set Up to continue.
Screen 2 of 3 — Select your income sources
Choose all the income types that apply to you, RentalBux will enable the right modules for your setup:
Option | What it covers |
|---|---|
UK Property | Rental income from residential or commercial property in the UK |
Self-Employment | Income from your self-employed trade, profession, or business |
Foreign Property | Rental income from property held outside the UK |
Select all that apply. A landlord who also works as a contractor would tick both UK Property and Self-Employment. You can add more income sources later if your situation changes. Click Continue.
Screen 3 of 3 — Choose how you'll use RentalBux
This sets the feature level for your account:
Option | What's included | Best for |
|---|---|---|
Property and bank (Recommended) | Properties, bank feeds, transaction categorisation, MTD submissions | Most landlords who want MTD compliance without full bookkeeping |
Property, bank, and accounting | Everything above, plus invoicing, bills, tenancies, bank reconciliation, and chart of accounts | Landlords who want a complete accounting toolkit alongside MTD |
HMRC bridging only | MTD submissions only — no property management, bank feeds, or accounting | Users already managing records elsewhere who just need to submit to HMRC |
Note: You can change your feature level at any time from your account settings. Click Continue to finish the wizard and land on your dashboard.
Step 3 — Add Your First Property
Click My Property from the sidebar, then Add New Property. Enter:
Property name and address — e.g. "14 Oak Street" and full postcode
Property type — detached, semi-detached, terraced, flat, or other
Unit details — each lettable unit within the property. Most buy-to-lets have one unit; HMOs will have more
Ownership details — 100% if you own it alone, or the correct percentage split for each co-owner
Mortgage details, if you have a buy-to-let mortgage on the property
Compliance documents — EPC certificates, gas safety certificates, etc. You can return to this later
Click Add Property. Your property now appears on your dashboard and is ready for income and expense tracking.
⏱ Approx. 2 minutes
Step 4 — Create Your First Rent Invoice
⏱ Approx. 2 minutes
Go to Accounting > Invoices and Bills and click Add Invoice. Then:
Select the client name and property details
Set the due date and amount
Choose the income category
Click Save and Close
Your invoice will now appear on your dashboard as outstanding or upcoming, and will feed directly into your accounting records.
Step 5 — Check Your Dashboard
⏱ 1 minute
Go back to your dashboard. You should now see:
Your property listed in the portfolio
Your first invoice showing as outstanding or upcoming
Your profile completion tracker updated (you'll likely be at 60–80% complete at this point)
Your MTD status showing your next quarterly period
If anything's missing, the profile completion tracker will tell you exactly what still needs doing.
Step 6 — Connect Your Bank Account
Connecting your bank means RentalBux can automatically import your transactions, saving hours of manual entry and keeping your records current. You have two options:
Method | How it works |
|---|---|
Automatic (Open Banking) | Connect securely using Open Banking. RentalBux imports new transactions whenever synced. Your bank credentials are never stored. Supported banks include Barclays, Lloyds, HSBC, NatWest, Santander, Nationwide, Monzo, Starling, and most UK banks and building societies. |
Manual (CSV or Excel upload) | Download a statement from your bank and upload it to RentalBux. Useful if your bank isn't supported for Open Banking, or if you prefer to control exactly what's imported. |
⏱ Approx. 2 minutes
Step 7 — Connect to HMRC
This is the step that makes your quarterly MTD submissions possible. You'll need your HMRC Government Gateway user ID and password.
Go to MTD > Setup
Enter your National Insurance Number (NINO)
Click Continue, then Authorise with HMRC — you'll be redirected to the HMRC Government Gateway
If you're not yet registered for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, follow the on-screen link to register before returning
Sign in with your Government Gateway credentials and grant RentalBux permission to submit on your behalf
You'll be redirected back to RentalBux — your connection status will show as Active
Don't have a Government Gateway ID yet? You can complete steps 1–4 first and return to this step when you're ready. HMRC connection is required before your first quarterly submission, but not before you start recording transactions.
⏱ Approx. 2 minutes
Your Setup Checklist
Tick each item off as you go:
Step | Task | Done? |
|---|---|---|
1 | Signed up and verified email | ☐ |
2a | Wizard — selected entity type (Individual / Partnership / Limited Company) | ☐ |
2b | Wizard — selected income sources (UK Property / Self-Employment / Foreign Property) | ☐ |
2c | Wizard — chose how you'll use RentalBux (feature level) | ☐ |
3 | Added at least one property with address, type, and ownership details | ☐ |
3 | Added units to the property | ☐ |
4 | Connected bank account (auto or manual) | ☐ |
5 | Connected to HMRC via Government Gateway | ☐ |
Within your first week:
Task | Done? |
|---|---|
Create your first rent invoice | ☐ |
Upload compliance documents (EPC, gas safety, etc.) | ☐ |
Add full tenant details to your tenancy records | ☐ |
Install the RentalBux mobile app | ☐ |
Invite your accountant (Settings > User Management > Add Users > Accountant Role) | ☐ |
What to Do Next
Once your core setup is complete, spend a few minutes exploring:
Create your first rent invoice — go to Accounting > Invoices and Bills > Create New Invoice. See how it appears in your accounting records and on your dashboard
Scan a receipt — use the mobile app or the OCR button on the website to snap a photo of any recent expense and watch RentalBux extract the details automatically
Review your dashboard — check what the income, expense, and MTD deadline widgets are showing you
Upload compliance documents — add your EPC, gas safety certificate, and other required documents to each property record
Switching From Spreadsheets?
If you've been managing your finances in Excel or Google Sheets, switching to RentalBux is straightforward:
Export your existing records from your spreadsheet as a CSV file
Use the Opening Balance function (Settings > Accounting > Initial Opening Balance) to enter your current financial position — assets, liabilities, and any outstanding invoices
Upload historical bank statements to bring your records up to date
From that point, all new transactions flow through RentalBux automatically
Important: Spreadsheets cannot submit MTD updates to HMRC and will not be compliant from April 2026. The sooner you make the switch, the more comfortable you'll be with quarterly reporting when your deadline arrives.
Stuck?
If anything doesn't make sense or you can't find a particular screen, book a free 15-minute demo and someone from the RentalBux team will walk you through it personally.