The second MTD quarterly update of the year is due on 7 November 2026 (our guide to what it contains). This is the checklist we run ourselves before each one. It takes longer the first time and about fifteen minutes once the habit is there.
We are Vaibhav and Iwona, UK landlords and the couple who built Padlord. Everything below is checked against GOV.UK as of 13 October 2026.
Before the first update of the year
1. Confirm you are in scope. Add up your rent before expenses and any self-employment turnover from the relevant return. Over £50,000 on the 2024 to 2025 return means you are in for 2026 to 2027. For joint property, count only your share (GOV.UK).
2. Check you are actually signed up. Knowing about MTD is not the same as being registered. Sign-up is on GOV.UK, and it includes authorising your software.
3. Choose your software route. There are two:
- one MTD-compatible product that keeps the records and sends the updates, or
- your existing spreadsheet plus bridging software that reads it through a digital link.
HMRC's software finder lists recognised products, including free ones. Pick the one that fits how you already work. Lots of landlords we know run tidy spreadsheets; there is no need to abandon one that works.
4. Decide standard or calendar update periods. Standard periods follow the tax year (6 April to 5 April). Calendar periods end on month-ends (1 April to 31 March). The deadlines are identical. You must choose before your first update, and you cannot change for the year once one has been sent.
Every quarter
5. Records for the whole year to date. The update is cumulative, so the November one covers 6 April to 5 October. Gaps from earlier in the year still matter.
6. Every record has a date, an amount and a category. Those three are what GOV.UK requires. The categories are the same ones as Self Assessment (GOV.UK).
7. Rent reconciled, property by property. Compare rent received with what each tenancy should have produced. A missing month is far easier to chase in October than in January.
8. Mortgage interest separated out. Record the interest part only, or the full payment with an adjustment before year end. Even under simpler categorisation, residential landlords must flag restricted finance costs. Why it matters: Section 24 and MTD.
9. Repairs separated from improvements. Capital spend does not go in. If in doubt, see our MTD expense categories guide.
10. Joint property: decide income only or income and expenses. If you include income only, the expenses are added after year end by resending the fourth update. Solely owned properties always need both. More in MTD for couples and joint owners.
11. Digital links intact. If your figures start in a spreadsheet, they must flow to the filing software digitally: linked cells, CSV import, an API. Once a record has been sent, do not retype or copy and paste it elsewhere.
12. Send, then diary the next one. You can send from the day after the period ends. Even a quarter with no income and no expenses needs a nil update.
The dates for 2026 to 2027
| Update covers (standard) | Due |
|---|---|
| 6 Apr to 5 Jul 2026 | 7 Aug 2026 |
| 6 Apr to 5 Oct 2026 | 7 Nov 2026 (Saturday) |
| 6 Apr 2026 to 5 Jan 2027 | 7 Feb 2027 (Sunday) |
| 6 Apr 2026 to 5 Apr 2027 | 7 May 2027 |
| Tax return for 2026 to 2027 | 31 Jan 2028 |
A worked example of check 7
Say you let two flats at £1,100 and £950 a month. Six months to 5 October should show £12,300 of rent. Your records show £11,350. The £950 gap is one missing month on the second flat: either the tenant paid late and it landed after 5 October (fine, it goes in the next period if you are on the cash basis), or it was never recorded. Ten minutes now saves a resend later.
What happens if you are late
For 2026 to 2027 HMRC will not apply penalty points for late quarterly updates, but you still need to send them all before you can file your return. From 2027 to 2028, four points means a £200 penalty (GOV.UK).
Where Padlord helps
Padlord is not filing software and does not send anything to HMRC. We built it to make checks 5 to 9 painless: rent follows each tenancy, costs sit against the right property and category, and the compliance dates live in the same place. You bring the organised figures to whichever MTD software you choose. Try it free at www.padlord.co.uk.
General information, not tax or financial advice. Checked against GOV.UK on 13 October 2026.
