Accountants for Landlords & Property Owners
If you own rental property, the numbers can become complicated quickly.
Multiple properties, different mortgages, repairs, changing rules and ownership structures all need to be handled properly.
Most problems do not come from anything unusual.
They come from records being inconsistent, expenses being treated incorrectly or the structure not being thought through.
That is what we prevent.
Who this is for
We work with established landlords and property owners across the UK.
Typically, our landlord clients are:
- Individual landlords with one or more rental properties
- Portfolio landlords with several houses or flats
- Owners holding property personally or through a company
- Past the first buy-to-let stage and operating on a consistent basis
Many of our clients are based in London and the South East.
They use us because the work is structured, does not require a local presence, and benefits from a clear, experienced approach rather than a high-cost, city-based service.
If you are regularly collecting rent and filing tax returns – and want the property side handled properly – you are in the right place.
What we do
Rental accounts and tax returns
At a basic level, rental income and expenses need to be recorded properly.
In practice, this is where most issues begin.
We:
- Prepare rental accounts for inclusion in personal or company tax returns
- Ensure income and costs are captured consistently across properties
- Apply property tax rules correctly
- File returns on time
This gives you a clear view of performance and a compliant position.
Getting expenses and interest right
For landlords, the detail matters.
We:
- Distinguish between repairs and improvements in a practical way
- Apply mortgage interest restriction rules correctly
- Ensure allowable expenses are claimed properly
- Explain treatment in plain English
The aim is a position that is correct and defensible – not stretched.
Personal vs company ownership
This is one of the most common questions.
There is no standard answer.
We:
- Review your portfolio, income and plans
- Explain the real differences between personal and company ownership
- Highlight when incorporation may help – and when it may not
- Support changes where they are genuinely worthwhile
This avoids following trends that do not suit your situation.
Dealing with changes in the portfolio
Property portfolios evolve.
We:
- Track performance across properties
- Deal with capital gains and disposals
- Reflect refurbishments correctly
- Keep an eye on overall gearing and cash flow
This keeps the numbers under control as things change.
A real example – when the “obvious” structure wasn’t right
MR owned a portfolio of around 20 rental properties.
He approached us with a clear question:
Should he move everything into a limited company?
On the surface, the argument looked strong.
Lower corporation tax rates. Interest relief within a company. A widely discussed “better structure”.
But the detail told a different story.
We carried out a full review of his position.
We:
- Analysed rental income and financing across the portfolio
- Modelled the tax impact of incorporation
- Factored in Stamp Duty Land Tax on transfers
- Considered capital gains tax on moving properties into a company
The outcome was clear.
While there were some potential income tax advantages, they were outweighed by the immediate costs and longer-term implications.
Incorporation would not improve his position.
In fact, it would likely make it worse.
So we advised him not to proceed.
That is often the right answer.
Not a new structure. Not a complex plan.
Just avoiding a decision that would have cost more than it saved.
How we work with you
The approach is steady and structured:
- We agree how records will be kept
- We prepare and review the figures
- We highlight anything that does not look right
- We explain the tax position clearly
Most of this is handled remotely, which suits landlords across the UK.
You get experienced support without needing your accountant to be local.
A quick word from the team
Property tax is often presented as more complicated than it needs to be.
In reality, most issues come from inconsistent handling rather than complexity.
As Fiona puts it:
For most landlords, the key is consistency.
Once income, expenses and structure are handled properly, the position becomes much clearer.
The problems tend to arise when different properties are treated differently, or decisions are made without looking at the wider picture.
That is where most of the work sits.
FAQ
Yes, particularly once you have more than one property. Consistent records and correct tax treatment are key to avoiding issues.
It depends. For some landlords it works well. For others, the costs outweigh the benefits. The decision needs to be based on your specific situation.
Generally, repairs, maintenance, management costs and certain running expenses. Improvements and capital costs are treated differently.
For personally owned property, relief is restricted. For company-owned property, interest is generally deductible – but other factors must be considered.
Yes. We act for landlords across the UK, including many in London and the South East.
Yes. We calculate gains, apply reliefs and ensure reporting is handled correctly.
If you are an established landlord and want the property side handled properly – without over-complication and without having to chase – we should talk.
Carter Collins & Myer
Accountants & Tax Advisors
Chichester House, 2 Chichester Street, Rochdale OL16 2AX
01706 868010
www.uk-ccm.com