Understanding Tax On Rental Income: A Guide For Landlords

Do landlords pay tax on rent? The simple answer is yes. There are approximately 2.86 million landlords in the UK, declaring over £55.5 billion in property income. With a shifting tax landscape, MTD requirements, potential tax rate increases, and new regulations like the Renters' Rights Act, understanding rental income tax has never been more critical.

And true to fashion, the HMRC, whilst publishing a fair amount of documentation on the topic, have not made it entirely clear. That's why we've created this guide covering everything you need to know about landlord tax in 2026/27: what counts as taxable rental income, how much tax you'll pay, which expenses you can deduct, and how to prepare for MTD. We'll also show how Landlord Studio's MTD-compliant software simplifies tracking and reporting—so you can focus on your portfolio, not paperwork.

Whether you're wondering "how much tax do landlords pay" or calculating your liability, let's ensure you pay exactly what you owe.

Note: This guide is general information, not tax advice. The figures below are current for the 2026/27 tax year and each one links to its source on GOV.UK. Your own position depends on your circumstances, so check it with HMRC or an accountant before acting on it.

Contents

• What Taxes Do Landlords Need to Pay?
• What Counts as Rental Income?
• What Are The Rental Income Tax Rates?
• How To Calculate Tax On Rental Income
• How And When Do You Pay Tax Due On Rental Income?
• Buy-to-Let Allowable Expenses And Tax Relief
• What Qualifies As A Deductible Expense For Rental Income?
• What Happens With Income From Multiple Properties?
• How To Track Allowable Expenses And Reduce Tax On Rental Income
• Reducing Landlord Tax Through A Limited Company
• Filing Your Self-Assessment as a Landlord
• Rental Income vs Trading Income
• Declaring Losses On Rental Income
• Paying Capital Gains Taxes When You Sell A Rental Property‍
• Landlord Tax: Final Thoughts

Landlord Tax: What Taxes Do Landlords Need to Pay?

Landlords must pay income tax on any rental income earned from their investment properties. This tax for landlords has many names such as landlord tax, property income tax, buy-to-let income tax. However, all of these refer to the same thing.

At the end of the year, landlords must declare the total net income from all their income sources.

Tax on rental income is owed on the net rental income (which is the overall profit that you make in that year). To calculate the net profit and owed landlord tax, you need to first calculate your gross profit, this is the total income received from the properties in your portfolio, and then subtract the total allowable expenses.

Since Making Tax Digital for Income Tax began on 6 April 2026, landlords with qualifying income over £50,000 have had to keep digital records and send quarterly updates using compatible software. HMRC lowers the threshold to £30,000 from 6 April 2027 and to £20,000 from 6 April 2028.

IMPORTANT: Landlord Studio is HMRC-recognised and MTD-ready. Learn more about Landlord Studio for Making Tax Digital here.

What Counts as Rental Income?

Essentially, any income from your rental property is taxable at your standard income rate.

Your rental income is primarily the rent you receive. However, it more broadly covers all payments from tenants – even if they are expenses and you make no money from them.

For example, you might offer a cleaning service that you outsource but the tenant pays through you. In this example, you would have to log the tenant payment as a rental income and then expense the cost.

Aside from the rent itself, rental income could include any of the following costs or fees associated with:

• furniture usage
• cleaning of communal areas
• hot water
• heating or other utilities
• repairs.

All of the income from these classes needs to be declared at the end of the year. However, many of these can be deducted as allowable expenses. So, it is important to keep accurate and detailed records of all the income, where it came from, and track rental expenses with a tool like Landlord Studio to make sure that you do not end up overpaying your taxes.

If you charge a non-refundable deposit, this also will need to be counted as income as will any money that is kept to cover damages at the end of the tenancy from a returnable deposit. You will then add the costs of damages to your expenses afterwards.

Read: A Landlords Guide to Fair Wear and Tear and Replacement of Domestic Item Relief

What Are The Rental Income Tax Rates?

The landlord tax that you pay is determined by the rate at which you can pay your regular income tax for that year. Often, as a landlord, you will receive income from a variety of sources such as your regular job as well as investments, and your buy-to-let properties. You need to be meticulous when you calculate your total income if you want to work out exactly how much tax is due.

The income tax rates and thresholds for your rental income are the same as those of your personal income. However, be aware adding your net rental income to the other income you receive may push you over your usual tax threshold and into a new entire band.

Note: Income tax thresholds are frozen at their current levels. At Budget 2025 the freeze was extended to 5 April 2031.

What Rental Income Is Taxable?

An example:

A landlord charges £1,000 pm in rent. This includes the tenant’s utility bills of £50/pm. This whole amount, despite a portion of it being paid straight to utility companies, would need to be logged as taxable income.

The costs to utility companies would then be added to your expenses and deducted at the end of the year.

If at the end of the tenancy, the tenant agrees for £500 of their deposit to be used to cover repairs to the property, this would also count towards the rental income.

So the rental income might be £12,000 for the year. But you would include the utilities they pay of £600 annually, plus the deposit that is kept to cover damages, in this case, £500. Making the total income you would declare for that tax year £13,100.

You would then deduct the utilities and repair costs as expenses against this declared income.

How to Calculate Tax on Rental Income

Working out your tax liability on rental income is straightforward once you understand the process. You're taxed on your net rental profit—not your gross rental income—at your marginal income tax rate.

UK Income Tax Rates 2026/27

Your rental income is added to all other taxable income (employment, pensions, investments) and taxed according to these bands:

Source: GOV.UK Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances, 2026/27 tax year.

Important: Your personal allowance reduces by £1 for every £2 earned over £100,000, creating an effective 60% tax rate between £100,000-£125,140. Above £125,140, you lose the personal allowance entirely.

A Simple Tax On Rental Income Calculation Example

How And When Do You Pay Tax Due On Rental Income?

You must declare your rental income after the end of the tax year. The tax year runs from the 6th of April to the 5th of April.

The deadline for making a paper tax return is 31 October. For an online return the deadline is 31 January the following year.

The HMRC has made the process of declaring and paying tax for your buy-to-let property reasonably simple and it can all be done online. How exactly you need to go about it though depends on the amount of taxable income you receive.

• Earn less than £1,000 a year in rental income then you don’t have to report it to HMRC
• Earn between £1,000 and £2,500 a year in rental income then you need to contact HMRC
• Earn between £2,500 and £9,999 after allowable expenses, or over £10,000 before allowable expenses, then you need to register with HMRC and complete a tax return that includes your rental income, as part of your yearly self-assessment

Rental Income Tax Under MTD

This changed on 6 April 2026, when Making Tax Digital for Income Tax started for landlords and self-employed people with qualifying income over £50,000. Anyone in scope keeps digital records and sends quarterly updates alongside a final declaration at the end of the year.

Buy-to-Let Allowable Expenses And Tax Relief

As we’ve mentioned already, landlords are taxed on the net rental income. The HMRC has strict tax rules regarding income from rental properties, and whilst there are several landlord tax relief's available, such as the Replacement of Domestic Items Relief, there are limits as to what you can claim as an allowable expense.

The first thing to bear in mind is you have a £1,000 tax free property allowance. If you have less than £1,000 in rental income you don’t have to declare. If your rental income amounts to more than £1,000 though you must complete a self-assessment tax return.

You must also choose between receiving the property allowance or deducting the allowable expenses from your rental income. Where allowable expenses come to more than £1,000, deducting them leaves less taxable profit than claiming the allowance. Where they come to less than £1,000, the allowance leaves less taxable profit. HMRC lets you use one or the other, not both.

Find out more about Landlord Studio for income and expense tracking →

What Qualifies As A Deductible Expense For Rental Income?

There are five main categories of allowable expenses for buy-to-let property that can be leveraged to reduce landlord tax. Landlords need to accurately track these records throughout the tax year to maximise their claims and increase ROI. Landlord tax deductible expenses include:

• General business expenses, such as your travel costs, including mileage, your phone and broadband marketing and letting agent fees.
• Professional fees, such as your accountant fees, or the cost of surveyors to analyse.
• Property service fees, such as cleaning, decorating, or gardening costs.
• Repairs and maintenance. It’s important to note that any work on the property that improves the value of the property is not deductible.
• Property charges, such as council tax and utility bills if you the landlord are paying for them.

Whilst many of the costs incurred running your rental property are allowable expenses, not all are some that aren’t include:

• Improvements, as we have just mentioned, any work that improves the value of the property is not deductible.
• Restoration. This is when you buy a property and restore and restore it into a rentable condition. The cost of restoring it are not allowable, as they are seen as akin to improvements.
• Interest payments on financing loans. Under the 2017 section 24 tax changes, you are no longer allowed to claim tax relief on the interest of financing for buying a buy to let property. Instead, you get a tax credit of 20%.

Related Articles

• Tax Deductible Expenses for Landlords
• Top 5 Allowable Expenses Missed By Landlords
• A Guide to Section 24 Tax Change For Buy-to-Let Investors

What Happens With Income From Multiple Properties?

If you have more than one property, all rental income and expenses can be lumped together. So expenses on one property can be deducted from the income as a whole, not just against that property.

This becomes important if you declare a loss on a property. However, it’s important to note, that if you own properties personally, as well as a share of a company that profits from letting out properties these will be treated as separate rental businesses. You won’t be allowed to offset the costs of one against the other.

Similarly if you own properties overseas these will be treated separately too. There’s a separate section in your tax return for declaring profits from overseas property.

The Best Way To Track Allowable Expenses And Reduce Tax On Rental Income

In order to accurately declare your net rental income for the year you need to have a good system in place to track your income and allowable expenses. Additionally, using a digital system like Landlord Studio will not only allow you to understand your taxes better but to gain a deeper, more nuanced overview of your financials as a whole, allowing you to optimise profitability and cash flow.

Landlords Studio is a property management software designed to help landlords track income and expenses. With it, you can connect your bank accounts and reconcile the income and expenses directly from your bank feed.

Plus, securely store and organise supporting documents like receipts using the built-in receipt scanner. And instantly generate any of over 15 customisable reports including a Profit and Loss statement, as well as a range of financial and property management summaries.

Keep accurate and up to date digital records of your rental property finances, ensure compliance with strict landlord regulations including the MTD requirements, and make tax time easy. Create your free Landlord Studio account today.

Reducing Buy-to-Let Taxes Through A Limited Company

There are some ways to reduce your tax burden, one of which is by setting your properties up under a limited company. Before doing this make sure to consult with a financial advisor to ensure that this will actually save you money as setting up a limited company comes with a variety of responsibilities and expenses.

When you set up a limited company for your rental income you no longer pay income tax, instead, you pay corporation tax. The HMRC doesn’t take your personal income into account when determining the rate at which you’ll be charged corporation tax as it’s a fixed rate.

The main rate of corporation tax is 25% for the financial year beginning 1 April 2024 (previously 19% in the financial year beginning 1 April 2022). In addition, from 1 April 2023 onwards, a 19% small profits rate of corporation tax was introduced for companies whose profits do not exceed £50,000.

There is also a little bit more flexibility with the expenses that you can claim on a limited company buy-to-let since it’s considered a business rather than an investment.

Read: Should You Invest In Property As A Limited Company

Filing A Landlord Tax Self-Assessment

Landlords are required to file a self-assessment tax return at the end of the year and declare all of their income and claim all of their allowable expenses, the HMRC will then use these figures to determine how much tax you need to pay, and how much National Insurance.

You must keep all the receipts and documentation for any claimed expenses or work you’ve had done on a property as the HMRC may request to view it. This system has already changed. HMRC rolled out Making Tax Digital for Income Tax from 6 April 2026 for landlords with qualifying income above £50,000.

You can learn more about Making Tax Digital here.

Rental Income vs Trading Income

If you provide a service that isn’t normally offered by a landlord this may be counted as a trading service. For example, you offer:

• Room cleaning service
• Laundry services
• Meals

This income will be treated separately to the rental income.

If you run a B&B or Hotel then the whole of your income will be treated as a trading income. You can find out more here.

If you rent out a furnished room in your own home you can claim rent-a-room relief (even if you’re trading). Find out more about rent a room relief here.

Declaring Losses On Rental Income

If you declare a loss on your property’s income you can set that against future rental income tax.

For example, if, due to various deductible expenses and vacancies, your rental income comes to £6,000 for the year 2023-24, but your expenses come to £8,000 meaning you can declare a loss for the property of £2,000.

The next year, 2024-25, you have increased occupancy and after expenses make a profit of £4,000. You could deduct the previous year’s loss from that income meaning you’d only have a total of £2,000 in taxable rental income for that year.

If in this example, you only made £1,000 of profit for the tax year 2024-25, you could carry the remaining £1,000 of losses over to the next tax year, 2025-26.

Paying Capital Gains Taxes When You Sell A Rental Property

When you sell a rental property you will usually have to pay capital gains tax (CGT). Different rules apply if the property has been your home.

The sale of your rental though will be treated in the same way as the sale of any other asset. As it stands you'll currently either pay 18% (if you're a basic-rate taxpayer) or 24% (if you're a higher or additional-rate taxpayer).

You will need to pay tax on any profits. For example, you bought a house in 2010 for £150,000. And sold it in 2018 for £200,000, you would be liable to pay CGT on the £50,000 of gains made.

However, capital gains taxes on the sale of property are expected to change yet again over the coming years so it’s a good idea to keep a close eye on this in the coming years.

Capital Gains Tax on a UK residential property sale must be reported and paid within 60 days of completing the sale. This is separate from the 31 January Self Assessment deadline for your rental income. For more details on capital gains tax, read our guide to capital gains tax on rental properties

Landlord Tax: Final Thoughts

There are several other tax considerations when dealing with your buy to let properties. These include

• Stamp Duty Land Tax. When you purchase a property in the UK valued above a certain amount you will be required to pay stamp duty. UK stamp duty is a one-off cost at the time of purchase and you pay the same stamp duty on a second home as you would on a buy to let investment property. the surcharge for Stamp Duty Land Tax for second homes and investment properties was increased in the 2024 Autumn budget from 3%-5%.
• Council Tax. As a landlord, you will only pay council tax for your properties when they are vacant. Generally, it is the tenant’s responsibility. You can have a claim council tax as an allowable expense when you complete your self-assessment tax return.
• Capital Gains Tax. This will be due upon the sale of a buy to let property. If you never sell your property, then you won’t have to worry about capital gains tax.

Reducing Landlord Tax With Landlord Studio

Staying ahead of tax obligations is a crucial aspect of being a successful property investor. With Making Tax Digital (MTD) live since April 2026 for landlords with qualifying income over £50,000, financial compliance is more demanding. Landlord Studio is a powerful landlord software designed to help you navigate these changes and maximise your tax efficiency.

With powerful features like bank feeds, you can effortlessly track income and expenses, ensuring you never miss an allowable deduction. The receipt scanning and digitisation tool makes it easy to store and organize proof of expenses, meeting HMRC’s requirements for digital record-keeping. These tools not only save time but also reduce the risk of errors that could lead to penalties.

By leveraging Landlord Studio’s advanced functionality, landlords can not only stay compliant with landlord tax regulations, but the ever evolving regulations around health and safety and tenant management as well. Whether you are managing a single property or a portfolio, Landlord Studio simplifies tax preparation, making it easier to focus on growing your investments. Take control of your finances and ensure compliance with MTD, create your free Landlord Studio account today.

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Tax on Rental Income FAQs

Do landlords pay tax on rent?

Yes, landlords must pay income tax on all rental income received. The first £1,000 per year is tax-free under the property allowance. Above this, you must declare rental income to HMRC and pay tax on your net profit at your standard income tax rate (20%, 40%, or 45%).

How much tax does a landlord pay?

Landlords pay income tax on rental profits at their marginal rate: 20% (basic), 40% (higher), or 45% (additional). For example, £10,000 rental profit taxed at 20% = £2,000 tax owed. Your rate depends on total income from all sources including employment, pensions, and property.

What tax do landlords pay?

UK landlords pay three main taxes:

• ‍Income Tax on rental profits (20-45%),
• ‍Stamp Duty Land Tax when buying (5% surcharge on second homes),
• ‍Capital Gains Tax when selling (18-24% on profits). No National Insurance is due on rental income.

How much rental income is tax-free?

The first £1,000 of rental income per year is tax-free under the property allowance. Additionally, your £12,570 personal allowance applies to total income. If rental income is your only income and you earn £15,000, only £2,430 is taxable.

Do you have to declare rental income?

Yes, declare rental income to HMRC if it exceeds £1,000 annually, or if gross income is over £10,000 before expenses. Register for Self Assessment by 5th October and file by 31st January. Failure to declare can result in £100+ penalties and interest charges.

What counts as rental income?

Rental income includes monthly rent, advance payments, utility bills paid by tenants, late fees, pet charges, and early lease termination payments. Even non-cash payments like services provided by tenants count. Security deposits only become income if you keep them for damages.

When do landlords pay tax?

The tax year runs 6th April to 5th April. File your Self Assessment return by 31st January following the tax year end. Payment is due the same day. From April 2026, landlords earning over £50,000 must file quarterly digital updates under Making Tax Digital.

Can landlords claim expenses?

Yes, landlords can deduct allowable expenses from rental income before calculating tax. These include repairs, insurance, letting agent fees, mortgage interest (as 20% tax credit), utility bills, and property management costs. Capital improvements like extensions cannot be deducted.

What is the property allowance for landlords?

The property allowance is a £1,000 tax-free rental income threshold. You can either claim this allowance OR deduct actual expenses—not both. Choose actual expenses if they exceed £1,000. If under £1,000 in expenses, take the property allowance for maximum tax savings.

Do landlords pay tax when selling property?

Yes, Capital Gains Tax (CGT) applies when selling rental property. Basic rate taxpayers pay 18% on gains, higher/additional rate taxpayers pay 24%. The first £3,000 of gains is tax-free. Report and pay CGT within 60 days of completion for UK residential property sales.

What is Making Tax Digital for landlords?

Making Tax Digital (MTD) requires landlords with qualifying income over £50,000 to keep digital records and send quarterly updates. It started on 6 April 2026. The threshold falls to £30,000 from 6 April 2027 and to £20,000 from 6 April 2028.

How do I calculate rental income tax?

Calculate gross rental income (all rent and payments received), subtract allowable expenses to get net profit, add this to other income, then apply your tax band. Example: £18,000 rent - £6,000 expenses = £12,000 profit. At 20% rate = £2,400 tax owed.

Is mortgage interest tax deductible for landlords?

No, mortgage interest is no longer fully deductible. Since 2020, landlords receive a 20% tax credit on mortgage interest instead of a full deduction. Higher rate taxpayers (40-45%) now pay more tax than before this change took effect.

Can I offset rental losses?

Yes, rental losses can be carried forward to offset future rental profits—not other income types. If you lose £2,000 in year one and profit £5,000 in year two, you only pay tax on £3,000. Losses cannot offset employment or pension income.

Should I use a limited company for rental property?

Limited companies pay Corporation Tax (19-25%) instead of income tax, and can still deduct 100% of mortgage interest. This suits higher rate taxpayers (40-45%) but involves extra admin costs, director responsibilities, and potential CGT charges when transferring properties into the company.