Is there an AI that can help run a UK letting agency?

Guide for your tradeUKChecked 29 October 202632 primary sources8 min readUS version

The short answer

Yes. Greymill gives a UK letting agency 16 AI specialists who share one memory of the business. They build a compliance spreadsheet for each property's gas, electrical, deposit, Right to Rent and licence dates, list your fees with VAT shown, and draft landlord and tenant letters for you to send. Greymill files and sends nothing until you press Send yourself.

What changed for letting agents on 1 May 2026?

In England, the Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolished section 21 and turned assured shorthold tenancies into assured periodic tenancies, and a tenant can leave on at least 2 months' notice (As of Oct 2026).

For a new tenancy the landlord gives a written statement of the prescribed terms before it is entered into, and an agent contracted to ensure that shares the duty, with penalties up to £7,000 (Housing Act 1988, ss.16D(8) and 16I) (As of Oct 2026). Rent rises only by a section 13 notice on Form 4A, at most once a year, with 2 months' notice (s.13). Adverts state the asking rent and nobody may invite or accept offers above it, with penalties up to £7,000 (Renters' Rights Act 2025, ss.56 and 57), and turning away families or people on benefits is unlawful (Part 1, Ch 3) (As of Oct 2026). The government's landlord database opens region by region from 15 December 2026 (As of Oct 2026). See the Academy lesson on agreements and on replacing renewal fees.

Do I need client money protection and redress?

Yes, in England. Every letting or management agent belongs to an approved redress scheme, and an agent holding client money belongs to a client money protection scheme and displays its certificate in the office and online.

Fines reach £5,000 for redress (SI 2014/2359) and £30,000 for client money protection (SI 2019/386), and a fees list with VAT and both statements must appear in each office, online and on portal listings, or face up to £5,000 (Consumer Rights Act 2015, ss.83 to 88) (As of Oct 2026). Lets at £10,000 a month or more bring anti-money laundering duties and HMRC supervision (Money Laundering Regulations 2017, reg 13) (As of Oct 2026).

What are the deposit and tenant fee rules?

In England a deposit is capped at 5 weeks' rent where annual rent is under £50,000, or 6 weeks' at £50,000 or more, and a holding deposit at 1 week's rent (Tenant Fees Act 2019, Sch 1) (As of Oct 2026).

Protect the deposit and give the prescribed information within 30 days beginning with the day you receive it. Failure exposes the landlord to 1 to 3 times the deposit and blocks most possession claims (Housing Act 2004, ss.213 to 215). Referencing, admin, check-out and renewal fees charged to tenants are banned. Scotland caps deposits at 2 months' rent, lodged within 30 working days of the tenancy starting (Tenancy Deposit Schemes (Scotland) Regulations 2011, reg 3); Northern Ireland at 1 month's rent, protected within 28 days (Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, ss.4 and 5) (As of Oct 2026).

What Right to Rent checks must we do?

In England only, check every adult occupier before the tenancy starts, and for time-limited permission no earlier than 28 days before (Immigration Act 2014) (As of Oct 2026).

Follow up before permission expires and keep copies for the tenancy plus 1 year. A new code applies from 1 October 2026. Penalties are £10,000 per occupier, or £20,000 for a repeat, and an agent that accepted the duty in writing is liable (As of Oct 2026).

Which certificates must be in place before a tenant moves in?

A gas safety record from the last 12 months, given to the new tenant before they move in, an electrical report from the last 5 years, alarms checked on day 1, and a valid EPC before marketing.

Existing tenants get the gas record within 28 days (Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, reg 36). The electrical report goes to tenants within 28 days, remedials follow within 28 days, and the penalty reaches £40,000 (SI 2020/312, reg 11) (As of Oct 2026). England needs a smoke alarm on every storey with living accommodation and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance other than a gas cooker (Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015). An assured let must reach EPC band E unless an exemption is registered; band C from 2030 is proposed, not law (As of Oct 2026). See the Academy lesson on certificates and licences.

When does a property need an HMO or selective licence?

A property is an HMO when 3 or more people in 2 or more households share facilities as their main home (Housing Act 2004, s.254 and Sch 14). In England mandatory licensing covers 5 or more people in 2 or more households (SI 2018/221, art 4), and councils add additional and selective schemes.

A managing agent that receives the rent is a "person managing" (s.263) and can face a civil penalty of up to £40,000 per offence (s.249A), while the landlord risks a rent repayment order of up to 2 years' rent (Housing and Planning Act 2016, s.44), both since 1 May 2026 (As of Oct 2026).

How do Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland differ?

Each nation has its own tenancy law, separate from England's.

Wales uses occupation contracts: the written statement is due within 14 days of occupation, a no-fault notice needs at least 6 months (Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, ss.31, 173 and 174), and anyone doing letting or management work needs a Rent Smart Wales licence, renewed every 5 years. Scotland uses private residential tenancies, with evictions at the First-tier Tribunal on discretionary grounds and landlord registration every 3 years. Northern Ireland's notice to quit varies with tenancy length: confirm it before serving (Private Tenancies (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, art 14) (As of Oct 2026). See the Academy lesson on arrears, nation by nation.

Greymill

How Greymill helps

  • Rules & Licensing lists each property's certificate, licence and Right to Rent dates you must not miss, and your overnight brief raises renewals before they are due.
  • Cash & Profit checks a fee schedule with VAT shown covers your costs.
  • Contracts & Disputes marks up tenancy and management agreements for your solicitor.
  • Sales & Quotes writes landlord offers and follow-ups; Staff & HR checks commission pay against the minimum wage.

Greymill only changes your books when you press Approve, and an email goes only when you press Send. Greymill files nothing unless you send it yourself, owes no professional duty, and says when a regulated professional must sign something off. Try it free for 7 days with full Scale access, no card needed; plans start at £100 a month plus VAT. See pricing, property, and how to chase invoices, price a quote and follow up enquiries.

Start free trialHow it works7 days free with every specialist. No card needed.

Questions owners ask

Can we serve a Ground 8 notice as soon as a tenant falls behind?

Not in England until at least 3 months' rent is unpaid, both when you serve and at the hearing, with 4 weeks' notice (Housing Act 1988, Sch 2, Ground 8). Below that, Grounds 10 and 11 give a route. Never change the locks: possession runs through the court, and a solicitor should check the notice before you serve it.

Can Greymill protect deposits or serve notices for my agency?

No. Greymill files nothing unless you send it yourself and owes no professional duty. It drafts notices and letters for you to check, and says when a solicitor should confirm a notice.

How much does Greymill cost for a letting agency?

Plans start at £100 a month plus VAT. Starter has 4 specialists, Growth 10 and Scale all 16. Every account starts with a 7-day free trial on full Scale access, with no card needed.

Is tenant and landlord data used to train AI?

No. Nothing you share is used to train AI, and your conversations are not visible to other customers.

Sources

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