LetSentry vs RentMerchant

LetSentry is a web platform for UK landlords that handles property records, reminders, tenant maintenance and rent collection. It tracks gas, EICR, EPC, Legionella and HMO certificates or licences and sends expiry reminders. Landlords can record income and expenses for Self Assessment exports, though LetSentry says it is not HMRC-recognised MTD software. Tenants can submit maintenance requests through a portal, where response times are tracked; damp and mould timers align with Awaab's Law. Rent collection uses GoCardless Direct Debit, with payments sent to the landlord's nominated bank account. LetSentry says it does not hold tenant rent or other client money. E-signing records a SHA-256 fingerprint, IP address and timestamp, but the service says it is not a qualified trust service provider. Paid features include AI scanning of receipts and certificates, maintenance triage, repair estimates and Compliance Copilot. Its compliance logic is built for England, with Scottish short-term let licensing supported; full tenancy law for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is not modelled. Plans range from Free at free to Enterprise at £49.99 a month, billed monthly.

RentMerchant provides online rent collection and property management for independent landlords, with web and iOS access. Tenants can pay by bank transfer or debit and credit card, either once or through autopay. The system sends monthly recurring invoices, payment reminders, and automatic late fees. A tenant portal supports payments, payment-history and ledger viewing, and repair requests. Landlords can collect online applications and obtain electronic lease signatures with an audit trail. Property owners can receive read-only logins showing collections, fees, and net amounts. Reports include CSV and Schedule E exports, and landlords can import properties in bulk from CSV. Payments are processed by Stripe; RentMerchant says it does not store raw card or bank numbers, and accounts can use two-factor login. The Free plan costs nothing and supports up to three properties. Pro costs $15 a month billed annually for unlimited properties and units, while month-to-month Pro costs $20 a month. ACH payments on Free cost 0.8% capped at $5 plus a $2 RentMerchant fee; the $2 fee is waived on Pro.