SA105 UK Landlords 2026: Property Income Pages and What to Keep

IntroductionCopy link

If you let residential property in the UK and file Self Assessment, you almost certainly complete SA105 — UK property. It sits alongside the main SA100 return and captures rent, expenses, finance costs and profit from your letting activity.

HMRC does not care whether you use a spreadsheet, accountant or landlord software — they care that figures reconcile to evidence: tenancy agreements, bank statements, receipts, mileage logs and certificate invoices. This guide explains what SA105 expects in 2026 and how to keep a defensible pack through the tax year.

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What SA105 is {#what-sa105-is}Copy link

SA105 reports property income and expenses for a tax year (6 April to 5 April). Most individual landlords with a small UK portfolio file one SA105 covering all their lets as a single property business. Separate SA105 pages apply in some cases — for example furnished holiday lets or overseas property — which are outside this article's scope.

You declare:

• Rents and other income — including service charges you retain, forfeited deposits where appropriate, and insurance payouts tied to rental use
• Allowable expenses — repairs, insurance, agent fees, safety certificates, mileage and similar running costs
• Finance costs — with mortgage interest handled under Section 24 rules (see below)
• Net profit — which feeds your overall tax calculation on SA100

Official guidance lives on GOV.UK — Self Assessment tax returns. Always confirm box numbers on the current year's notes.

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Income and expenses landlords report {#income-and-expenses}Copy link

Income should match money received in the tax year. If a tenant pays January rent on 30 December, it falls in the earlier tax year. Accrual accounting is not the default for most small landlords.

Common allowable expenses include:

LandoraHub categories expenses as you go so your tax summary and SA105 pack build incrementally rather than in one January weekend.

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Section 24 and finance costs {#section-24}Copy link

Since 2020–21, residential mortgage interest is not deducted from rental profit. Instead you receive a basic-rate tax credit (20%) on finance costs. SA105 and the main return reflect this split.

Practical impact:

• Higher-rate taxpayers pay more tax on leveraged buy-to-lets than before 2017
• Remortgage fees and some loan interest may count as finance costs — confirm with your accountant
• Limited companies are outside Section 24 but face different tax rules entirely

Use our free Section 24 calculator for an indicative comparison — not a substitute for professional advice.

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Records that survive an enquiry {#records}Copy link

HMRC can open an enquiry up to 12 months after submission (longer if careless or deliberate errors). A credible pack includes:

1. Tenancy register — start/end dates, rent, deposit scheme reference
2. Bank statements showing rent credits (redact unrelated transactions if sharing)
3. Expense receipts tagged to a property and category
4. Mileage log — date, miles, purpose, property
5. Certificate PDFs — gas, EICR, EPC with expiry dates
6. Mortgage statements showing interest split if not obvious

The LandoraHub dashboard tax year pack progress bar tracks expenses, categorisation, paid rent rows and mileage so gaps show before 31 January.

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Link to Making Tax Digital {#mtd}Copy link

Making Tax Digital for income tax requires digital records and quarterly updates for landlords over the income threshold. Even below the threshold, quarterly habits reduce errors:

• Log expenses when paid, not from a shoebox in April
• Reconcile rent received against tenancy schedules monthly
• Export CSV or Excel from Analytics for year-over-year comparisons

Read our Making Tax Digital guide for timeline and software expectations.

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Next stepsCopy link

• Complete your tax year checklist inside LandoraHub
• Compare year-over-year expenses and rent when you have two years of data
• Book an accountant review before filing if you had void periods, refinances or capital works

This article is general information only — not tax advice. Confirm your position with HMRC guidance and a qualified adviser.