Hammock – What You Need to Know
An in-depth look at Hammock — features, strengths, limitations, and who it's best for.
At a Glance
Key facts about Hammock at a glance.
| Feature | Hammock |
|---|---|
| Software Type | Property Platform |
| Target Users | Landlords, Property Investors |
| Income Sources Supported | UK Property + Foreign Property only |
| Free MTD Software Plan | 30-day free trial only |
| MTD Quarterly Updates to HMRC | Yes |
| Final Declaration | Yes |
| Bank Reconciliation | Yes |
| Automated Bank Feeds | Yes |
| Invoice Creation | Yes |
| Receipt Capture (OCR) | Yes |
| Expense Auto-Categorisation | Yes |
| Property Portfolio Management | Yes |
| Tenant Management | Yes |
| Joint Ownership & Profit Sharing | Yes |
| Payroll | No |
| HMO Unit-Level Tracking | Yes |
| HMRC SA105 Box Pre-Mapping | Yes |
| Spreadsheet Import/Export | Yes |
| Platform | Web, iOS, Android |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
What Is Hammock?
What Is Hammock?
Automated MTD Bookkeeping Software for Property Investors
Hammock is a UK-based fintech platform that provides automated bookkeeping, property tax statements, and investment insights specifically for landlords. Founded in 2019 and backed by $5.5m in funding, Hammock positions itself as the first landlord software recognised by HMRC as compatible with Making Tax Digital.
Hammock's core strength lies in automation: once a landlord adds their properties and tenancies, the system automatically identifies recurring rent payments, categorises expenses against HMRC SA105 categories, and generates a running property tax statement.
Where Hammock distinguishes itself from RentalBux is in investment analytics: it provides real-time metrics including loan-to-value ratios, rental yields, occupancy rates, and per-tenant arrears balances.
Strengths
- First landlord software HMRC-recognised for MTD
- Real-time automated bank reconciliation via open banking
- Strong buy-to-let investment analytics (yields, LTV, arrears)
- FCA-registered for secure open banking connections
- Excellent Trustpilot reviews (5 stars, 64+ reviews)
- Dedicated mobile apps for iOS and Android
- Compliance document alerts (gas safety, insurance, EPC)
Limitations
- No sole trader income support — property income only
- No chart of accounts, journal entries, or formal P&L
- No AI-powered features or OCR receipt scanning
- No MTD submission during your trial
- Paid-only from £5/month after 30-day trial
- No agent filing on behalf of landlords
Making Tax Digital Compliance
How Hammock Handles MTD
Hammock covers UK property for MTD purposes, with quarterly updates and final declarations supported. Its property tax statement maps transactions against SA105 categories in real time. However, Hammock does not support sole trader income or agent filing. Landlords who also run a self-employed business would need a second piece of MTD software to cover that income stream. Hammock also does not support agent filing - the landlord or their accountant must submit directly through the platform.
| Feature | Hammock |
|---|---|
| HMRC Recognised (MTD ITSA) | Yes |
| MTD Quarterly Updates | Yes |
| Final Declaration | Yes |
| Digital Record Keeping | Yes |
| Digital Links Compliant | Yes |
| Sole Trader Income | No |
| UK Property Income | Yes |
| Foreign Property Income | No |
| Multiple Income Streams | No |
| Agent Filing on Behalf | No |
Property Management
Hammock: Property Tracking & Investment Insights
Hammock provides property portfolio management, tenant management, rent tracking, and property expense allocation. Where Hammock excels is investment analytics: it delivers real-time yield calculations, loan-to-value ratios, occupancy rates, and per-tenant arrears balances.
| Feature | Hammock |
|---|---|
| Property Portfolio Management | Yes |
| Tenant Management | Yes |
| Rent Tracking | Yes |
| Property Expense Allocation | Yes |
| Multiple Property Support | Yes |
| HMO Property Support | Yes (per-unit/tenant) |
| Joint Ownership/Profit Sharing | Yes |
| Maintenance Tracking | No |
| Tenant Screening | No |
| Compliance Document Alerts | Yes |
| Arrears Tracking | Yes (per-tenant balance) |
Bookkeeping, Accounting & Digital Record Keeping
Hammock: Automated Transaction Matching
Hammock takes a lighter bookkeeping approach: it supports cash basis accounting and automated bank feeds via FCA-regulated open banking, with real-time reconciliation. Transactions are automatically categorised against SA105 categories. However, Hammock does not offer a chart of accounts, journal entries, or accruals basis accounting.
| Feature | Hammock |
|---|---|
| Cash Basis Accounting | Yes |
| Chart of Accounts (Pre-built) | Pre-Built |
| Journal Entries | No |
| Bank Reconciliation | Yes |
| Automated Bank Feeds | Yes (FCA-regulated Open Banking) |
| Open Banking Integration | Yes |
| Double-Entry Bookkeeping | No |
| HMRC Box Pre-Mapping | Yes |
| Multi-Currency Support | No |
| Digital Record Storage | Yes |
| Spreadsheet Import/Export | Yes |
Invoicing, Expense Tracking
Hammock: Real-Time Transaction Matching
Hammock's expense management is powered by real-time automated transaction matching. Once bank feeds are connected, Hammock automatically identifies recurring transactions and matches them to the correct property and tenant. Receipts can be attached manually but there is no OCR or AI categorisation.
| Feature | Hammock |
|---|---|
| Invoice Creation & Sending | Yes |
| Invoice Customisation/Branding | No |
| Online Payment Collection | Yes |
| Payment Tracking/Reminders | Yes |
| Expense Tracking | Yes |
| Receipt Capture (OCR/Photo) | No |
| Expense Categorisation | Yes |
| AI Auto-Categorisation | No |
| Automated Transaction Matching | Yes |
| Mileage Tracking | No |
Reporting & Tax Forecasting
Hammock: Buy-to-Let Investment Analytics
Hammock's insights dashboard delivers real-time buy-to-let metrics: per-property profit & loss, loan-to-value ratios, rental yields, occupancy rates, and per-tenant arrears balances. The platform provides a running tax estimate so landlords can save for their tax bill throughout the year.
| Feature | Hammock |
|---|---|
| Profit & Loss Report | Per-property via Insights |
| Balance Sheet | No (on demand for Ltd Co) |
| Trial Balance | No (on demand for Ltd Co) |
| Dashboard/Overview | Yes |
| Real-Time Financial Data | Yes |
| Cash Flow Reporting | Yes (partial) |
| Tax Estimate/Forecast | Yes |
| AI-Powered Features | No |
Collaboration & Mobile Apps
Hammock: Open Banking-First, Mobile-Led, with Accountant Access
Hammock is built around a mobile-first experience, reflecting its fintech origins. The iOS and Android apps are central to how landlords interact with the platform day-to-day — reviewing real-time transaction feeds, checking rental yield figures, and monitoring portfolio performance from their phone. Because Hammock connects directly to bank accounts via open banking, the mobile experience is tightly integrated with live financial data rather than requiring manual transaction entry.
| Feature | Hammock |
|---|---|
| Accountant/Advisor Portal | Yes |
| Multi-User Access | Yes |
| Agent Filing on Behalf | No |
| Bank Integration | Yes (Open Banking) |
| Platform | iOS, Android |
| Web Browser Access | Yes |
| FCA Regulated | Yes |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
Ease of Use, Support & Security
Hammock: Mobile-First Design
Hammock emphasises its mobile-first design and real-time push notifications that require minimal manual input. It holds an excellent 5-star rating on Trustpilot with 64+ reviews, with users consistently praising its responsive customer service and clear how-to guides. Hammock offers live chat support (9am–5pm, Monday–Friday) and email support.
| Feature | Hammock |
|---|---|
| Phone Support | Yes |
| Chat Support | Yes |
| Email Support | Yes |
| Help Centre/Knowledge Base | How-to guides |
| FCA Regulated | Yes |
| Enterprise-Grade Security | FCA-regulated Open Banking |
Hammock Features
Buy-to-Let Investment Analytics Dashboard
Real-time loan-to-value ratios, rental yields, occupancy rates, and per-tenant arrears balances per property. These metrics help investors monitor portfolio performance and make informed decisions about acquisitions, disposals, or rent adjustments.
Real-Time Automated Transaction Matching
Hammock automatically identifies recurring transactions via open banking and matches them to the correct property and tenant in real time, with instant push notifications. This requires virtually no manual input from the landlord.
Tax Bill Estimation & Savings Feature
Hammock provides a running estimate of the landlord's total expected tax bill throughout the year, with an option to set aside funds progressively. This prevents the common problem of surprise tax bills at year-end.
Who Hammock Is Best For
Hammock is a strong fit if you:
Buy-to-Let Investors Focused on Returns
Yield analysis, LTV ratios, occupancy rates, and arrears tracking are unmatched among landlord MTD software.
Landlords Who Want Minimal Manual Input
Hammock's fully automated real-time transaction matching via open banking means very little hands-on bookkeeping.
Property-Only Income Landlords
If you only earn from UK and/or foreign property and don't need sole trader support, Hammock is perfectly focused.
Landlords Who Want Tax Bill Planning
Hammock's running tax estimate and savings feature helps you set aside funds throughout the year.