Best when you are confident building the process yourself.
You keep maximum control and cost down, but reminders, records, letters, evidence and legislative updates are yours to organise.
Compare your options
Do it all yourself, use Landlord Buddy, or hand over full management.
The useful comparison is not a giant tick-box table against anonymous competitors. It is which operating model gives you the right balance of control, support and ongoing cost.
| DIY alone | Landlord Buddy | Full management | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control of day-to-day decisions | High | High | Shared / lower |
| Software and structured workflows | You arrange it | Included | Agent systems |
| Your own tenancy evidence record | You build it | Built as you work | Depends on agent access |
| Human help when something goes wrong | You source it | Available when needed | Part of the management relationship |
| Ongoing cost | Lowest software cost, highest personal input | Fixed membership + optional extras | Usually a percentage of rent + extras |
| Who runs the routine | You | You, with the tools behind you | Agent |
Best when you want to self-manage without doing everything from scratch.
Use the workspace for the routine, keep the evidence as you go, then buy support or move to management only when you actually need it.
Best when you do not want to run the day-to-day tenancy.
A letting agent takes on more of the routine for an ongoing fee. For some landlords that convenience is exactly the point.
Compare the cost with your own rent
The percentage looks very different once you put a real monthly rent against it.
Use the calculator rather than relying on a headline percentage. Add your actual management fee and extras, then compare that with the Landlord Buddy plan and one-off services you would realistically use.
Open the management cost calculator →Keep controlUse software when things are normal.Add supportPay for help when the facts need it.Hand it overMove to full management if that becomes the better option.
The third option