Latch vs Roost.
Complete delivered.

Roost has entered the UK landlord software market with a distinctive approach, combining a free tier for smaller landlords with genuinely innovative AI features. Its standout capability is Roost Autopilot — an AI-driven arrears management system that builds escalation strategies, generates legal notices (Section 8, Section 13, and Section 48), and provides AI risk scoring for tenants. For landlords dealing with rent arrears, this is a compelling and differentiated offering.

Roost also has strong UK compliance coverage. It tracks Gas Safety, EICR, and EPC certificates with 30/14/7-day expiry alerts, supports Right to Rent checks, Renters’ Rights Act 2025 compliance, and even council-specific HMO licensing requirements. The platform includes a maintenance request portal with photo and video uploads and a tenant portal designed for HMO properties. Rent-to-credit reporting through Experian and Equifax is a unique feature that benefits tenants directly.

Where Roost falls short is in financial management and reporting. There are no bank feed integrations, no automatic reconciliation, no MTD for Income Tax support, and limited financial reporting beyond basic rent roll and profit summaries. For landlords who need detailed per-property P&L reports, tax-category mapping, or MTD quarterly submissions, these are significant gaps.

Latch takes a broader approach to property management, covering the full landlord workflow from property listings and tenant onboarding through to rent collection, compliance monitoring, financial reporting, and MTD submissions. The AI assistant Matt handles rent chasing, tenant communication, and compliance monitoring, while e-signatures, digital tenancy agreements, and workflow automation streamline day-to-day operations. Roost’s AI Autopilot is strong for arrears specifically, but Latch provides wider AI coverage across the entire management lifecycle. Latch also offers a free plan, with paid tiers unlocking AI automation and advanced features.