Is it time to ditch the spreadsheet?

Spreadsheets. They’ve been around since 1979 and have served the property industry well since their inception.

However, with legislation like Making Tax Digital coming into play in 2026, we’re seeing Landlords slowly transition from using outdated equipment to more modern and purpose built solutions like Property Management Software.

So let’s talk about your spreadsheet and the reasons why you should probably consider leaving it in the past.

1 – They can be overwritten, lost or even corrupted

When managing spreadsheets, you can easily become mixed up with versions which leaves you vulnerable to accidentally overwriting critical information.

Spreadsheets have also been known to randomly corrupt, meaning vital data can be wiped out in a matter of minutes leaving you at square one.

Spreadsheets offer limited or no failsafes should your files fall victim to corruption or overwriting, prospectively costing you thousands of pounds worth of time and missing rental income.

2 – Feature limitations

Due to the standalone nature and feature limitations of apps like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets, some Landlords may find that they have to invest in other products or software just to get the job done.

You could be spending more and more money on apps which don’t communicate with one another, for example, we recently spoke to Tom Holliday (TWH Homes) who was using a collaboration of around 5 or 6 products for:

• Task Management
• Rental Tracking
• Accounting/Finance
• Record Keeping
• Document Storage

The problem Tom faced was that his bills were slowly racking up thanks to expensive subscriptions, as well as having to duplicate data input across different apps too.

Tom was able to consolidate multiple products into a single product called Alphaletz.

To learn more about Tom’s story, click here.

3 – Lack of portability

Another major flaw of spreadsheet software is that it often means you have to open it on a desktop or laptop to achieve full functionality.

This could be a problem of course for Landlords who find themselves on the move quite often.

Portfolio visibility is crucial more so now than ever before, due to the rising costs that Landlords have to face.

Most Landlord Apps have mobile applications by default, allowing you to keep up to date no matter where you are.

4 – They’re not easy to hand over

Most spreadsheets are built by the user in a way that only they understand and can become quite complex when more and more data is added.

A fair portion of Landlords hope to hand over their investment to their children or family members when they’re no longer around.

Not only that, some Landlords find themselves bogged down with the amount of work involved in property management, however, the idea of introducing and walking them through a spreadsheet you’ve built can be quite overwhelming.

Creating a system that can be easily shared is beneficial as it makes it easier to share access with those who might need it.

5 – They aren’t secure

Unless your spreadsheet is password protected and/or encrypted, anyone who has unauthorised access to your desktop, laptop or tablet can just waltz into a sea of confidential records, which is far from ideal.

Most property management apps are cloud-based and are held under a high level of data protection scrutiny, so they’re forced to ensure that your data is held in accordance with security standards.

Meaning that not only does moving away from a spreadsheet afford you extra time, but extra piece of mind as well!

6 – Making Tax Digital 2026

HMRC has confirmed that spreadsheets will be compliant with Making Tax Digital 2026 guidelines, however, spreadsheets will not (as a standalone product) integrate with HMRC systems and make the process any easier.

Making Tax Digital 2026 is rapidly approaching, and for those who seek to make life easier when the regulations tighten, you might want to go with a product that streamlines your tax processes.

LandlordZONE’s Exclusive Property Management Software Partner

If you’re looking for a property management solution, let us introduce you to Alphaletz.

Alphaletz is an all in one modern solution for Landlords and is the perfect platform to help manage your properties effectively.

With Alphaletz, you can efficiently manage compliance, track rental income & arrears, easily reconcile income & expenses and ultimately simplify the way your properties are managed.

Try Alphaletz free today or book a free product demo to see how it works.

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