What the spreadsheet includes
The workbook has three sheets. Two grey example rows at the top of the rent tracker show how a part payment looks; overwrite or delete them.
- Rent tracker: one row per month from April to March, with rent due, rent received, the date it arrived, a balance and notes, plus totals.
- Expenses: date, property, category and amount, with a running total.
- How to use: the steps below and the expense categories, so the workbook still makes sense when you come back to it.
How to use it
- Save a copy for each tax year, and duplicate the Rent tracker sheet for each extra property.
- Enter the rent due for each month when the tenancy starts or the rent changes.
- Record each payment on the day it arrives. A positive balance means rent is owed.
- Log every expense with its date, keep the receipt, and use the categories on the How to use sheet.
Tax and record keeping
The UK tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April, which is why the tracker starts in April. The first £1,000 of property income is tax-free under the property allowance, and you can deduct it instead of your actual expenses.
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax applies to landlords and sole traders with qualifying income over £50,000 from 6 April 2026 and over £30,000 from 6 April 2027, and the government plans to bring in those over £20,000 from 6 April 2028. If it applies to you, you need compatible software; a spreadsheet only works alongside bridging software.
As a landlord you must keep your records for at least 5 years after the 31 January submission deadline for the tax year they relate to.
Frequently asked questions
- When does the landlord tax year start?
- On 6 April, ending on 5 April the following year. Online Self Assessment returns for the 2025 to 2026 tax year are due by 31 January 2027.
- How long should landlords keep rent records?
- At least 5 years after the 31 January submission deadline for the tax year. Letting property counts as carrying on a trade for record keeping, so the business period applies.
- Is a spreadsheet enough for Making Tax Digital?
- Not on its own. If Making Tax Digital for Income Tax applies to you, you need compatible software; a spreadsheet can only be used with bridging software that sends the figures to HMRC.
Sources
Checked on 10 October 2026.
- Find out if and when you need to use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (GOV.UK)
- Renting out a property: paying tax (GOV.UK)
- Tax-free allowances on property and trading income (GOV.UK)
- Business records if you're self-employed: how long to keep your records (GOV.UK)
- Taxes Management Act 1970, section 12B (legislation.gov.uk)
- Self Assessment tax returns: deadlines (GOV.UK)