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What is Record keeping?
Last verified 31 October 2026
Record keeping is the duty to keep accurate figures and supporting documents for your rental income and expenses. GOV.UK lists rent books, receipts, invoices, bank statements and mileage logs as examples.
Why it matters to landlords
Keep records for at least 5 years after the 31 January deadline for the tax year they relate to. Under Making Tax Digital for Income Tax you also create digital records of each income and expense, with its amount, date and category. Original records or copies of supporting documents, such as bank statements and invoices, are still needed to prepare your return, so scanning a receipt does not replace keeping it.
All your UK properties count as one business, so you do not need a separate set of records for each. Keep furnished and unfurnished lettings separate, and record capital spending too, because it can reduce a later capital gain. If you use more than one software product, the products must be digitally linked before you send quarterly updates.
Example
Leila files her 2026 to 2027 return by the 31 January 2028 deadline. She must keep the records for that year until at least 31 January 2033. She stores bank statements, the agent's statements, receipts for a £640 boiler repair and her mileage log together in one folder for the year.
Sole Trader Bookkeeping for Making Tax Digital →