Three practical tools for the three jobs most landlords face before a let: testing the numbers, choosing where to buy and picking a tenant. Each one is a downloadable Excel workbook. Google Sheets: import the .xlsx; most features work. Every figure it uses is listed with its source and the date it was checked.
The kit is a planning aid. It is not financial, tax or legal advice.
What is in the kit
1. Buy-to-Let Yield Calculator
Gross and net yield, monthly cashflow, cash-on-cash and break-even rent on one dashboard. It works out 2026/27 purchase tax for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and lets you stress the interest rate and voids. See the yield calculator.
2. Tenant Screening pack
A scorecard that asks every applicant the same questions and scores them the same way, reference request letters in Word, and a Right to Rent checklist for lets in England. See the screening pack.
3. Area Comparison template
Compare up to four areas on one A4 landscape page, with gross yield and your own scored judgements for things like crime, schools and demand. See the area comparison template.
Buy together or separately
| Product | Price |
|---|---|
| Landlord Starter Kit (all three) | £36.99 |
| Buy-to-Let Yield Calculator | £17.99 |
| Tenant Screening pack | £12.99 |
| Area Comparison template | £9.99 |
£40.97 bought separately, save £3.98
If you only need one job done, buy that product on its own. The kit makes sense if you are working through a purchase from the start: area, then deal, then tenant.
Your first ten minutes
- Open the filled copies first. Each tool comes with a worked example labelled EXAMPLE DATA, so you can see how it reads before you type anything.
- Shortlist areas. Put up to four areas into the area comparison, with a typical price and rent for each, and score them on what matters to you.
- Test a deal. Take a real listing from your top area and run it through the yield calculator. Try a higher interest rate and a longer void.
- Get the screening pack ready. Set your weights and income multiple on the scorecard before you advertise, so every applicant meets the same test.
Each tool has its own quick start in the download.
What is not in the kit
- Not Making Tax Digital software. Nothing in the kit keeps MTD records or connects to HMRC. Our separate MTD landlord record keeper is coming soon, and it is a record-keeping workbook, not software that files with HMRC.
- Not a compliance or arrears tracker. Our separate Renters' Rights Act deadlines tracker for England is coming soon.
- Not a live data feed. The area template does not pull in prices or rents. You type them in from the sources it suggests.
- Not a credit check or a Right to Rent checking service.
Formats and updates
- Excel workbooks (.xlsx) for each tool, with a filled example copy and a blank copy.
- Google Sheets: import the .xlsx; most features work.
- Word templates (.docx) for the screening letters and notes.
- A quick start for each tool.
- A Sources tab in each workbook, with the date each figure was checked.
Each file carries a version number and a changelog. Free updates for the 2026-27 tax year. When we update a file, download the new version from your Payhip purchase link.
Disclaimer
The kit gives estimates and checklists, with their sources. It is not financial, tax or legal advice, and it does not replace a solicitor, an accountant or a mortgage adviser. Tax rates and rules change, so check the cited source before you rely on a figure.
FAQ
What is in the Landlord Starter Kit?
Three tools: a buy-to-let yield calculator, a tenant screening pack with a scorecard and reference letters, and a one-page area comparison template.
Does it work in Google Sheets?
Google Sheets: import the .xlsx; most features work. The screening letters are Word documents.
Does it cover Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
The yield calculator covers purchase tax in all four nations. The screening scorecard and letters work anywhere in the UK, but the Right to Rent checklist is for England only.
Is the kit Making Tax Digital software?
No. It does not keep MTD records or send anything to HMRC.
Is this financial or tax advice?
No. It is a planning aid that shows its sources. Check your own position with a qualified adviser.
Buy the kit
The Landlord Starter Kit is £36.99. Buy the kit on Payhip
Launch offer: code FIRST50 takes 20% off the bundle (£29.59) for the first 50 buyers.
Not sure where to start? Read our free guides on calculating rental yield, screening tenants and comparing areas.
Sold by Shane Stanford trading as Ashlar Ledger. Not financial, tax or legal advice. Back to home
Ashlar Ledger: figures you can build on.