What flatfair does

flatfair is a UK-based private proptech company, registered in England and Wales as Flatfair Limited (company number 10487576) and headquartered in London. Founded in 2016, the company provides a single cloud-based deposit management platform (app.flatfair.co.uk) that unifies traditional tenancy deposit administration with a 'No Deposit' alternative. The platform is distributed through a B2B2C model — 850+ letting agencies and Build-to-Rent (BTR) operators, including Hunters, Touchstone, Heimstaden, Greystar & Fizzy Living, Placefirst, Moda / Casa by Moda, Cording Residential, Spicerhaart, and regional independents — which introduce flatfair to landlords and tenants at the point of tenancy. The company serves the UK private rental sector exclusively.

The platform manages both traditional deposits, registered with government-approved tenancy deposit protection schemes (TDS, DPS, MyDeposits/RLA) on behalf of agents at no added cost, and the No Deposit alternative under which tenants pay a one-off non-refundable check-in fee equal to 28% of a month's rent (+VAT, minimum £120) in lieu of a five-week cash deposit, while landlords receive up to 10 weeks' cover for damages and rent arrears. Native CRM integrations via GlueDog into Street and Apex27, plus referencing integrations with Homeppl and Spike, automate deposit registration, charge submission, independent dispute resolution (adjudication), and payment recovery within 10 days of agreed charges. Module add-ons include Deposit Boost (up to five additional weeks of landlord protection), Tenant Guarantor (a service for non-traditional or international tenants), and Resolve (a free rent arrears negotiation app). flatfair is FCA-regulated in respect of its client money handling, GDPR-compliant, and is explicitly positioning for compliance with the forthcoming Renters' Rights Act.

Revenue is anchored by the one-off tenant check-in fee on each No Deposit plan, with a referral fee share paid to letting agents (calculated as a percentage of the tenant fee, set in the agent's Online Account and reviewed annually). Traditional deposit administration is offered free to agents and landlords as a loss leader that drives attach to the higher-margin No Deposit product. Additional revenue comes from tenant referencing services carried out by third-party providers. flatfair has raised approximately $13.2 million in disclosed funding across three rounds (a 2017 seed, a 2018 round, and a $11 million Series A in August 2019 led by Index Ventures with Adevinta Ventures and Revolt Ventures). 2025 operating metrics include £44 million of landlord protection extended, £18 million of cumulative tenant savings, ~£100,000 of appointed charges collected, and a 97% positive support rating across 45,000 handled tickets.

Name

flatfair

Legal name

Flatfair Limited

Website

https://flatfair.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

flatfair is a UK-based proptech firm providing a deposit management platform that unifies traditional tenancy deposit administration with a No Deposit alternative, distributed through 850+ letting agents and Build-to-Rent operators serving UK landlords and tenants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tenancy Deposit Management Platform (PropTech / Rental FinTech)

NAICS

Rental and Leasing Services (532), Residential Property Managers (531311)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Lease Administration & Tenant Services (BPAJAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Renters Insurance (FSAJACAB)

Keywords

• Tenancy deposit platform
• Deposit alternative service
• Rental administration software
• Build-to-rent solutions
• Tenant referencing service

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. No Deposit Check-in Fee (Tenant): Tenants pay a non-refundable one-off check-in fee equivalent to 28% of a month's rent (+VAT), split evenly between all tenants in the household. This is the primary revenue driver. The fee is paid once at the start of the tenancy and covers the full tenancy duration (up to 24 months, renewable). No renewal or recurring fees during the tenancy.
2. No-Deposit Referral Fee (Agent): flatfair pays letting agents a No-Deposit Referral Fee calculated as a percentage of the Check-in Fee paid by the tenant. The fee is set out in the agent's Online Account and reviewed annually. This incentivises agents to offer flatfair No Deposit to tenants and landlords. Payment is made monthly in arrears via invoice.
3. Traditional Deposit Administration: flatfair administers traditional tenancy deposits for agents and BTR operators at no added cost, registering them with the agent's preferred TDP. While no direct fee is charged to agents or landlords, this service attracts agents onto the platform and creates cross-sell opportunities for the No Deposit product.
4. Referencing Services: flatfair provides referencing services carried out by third-party providers. flatfair aggregates and makes referencing results available to agents through its platform, with revenue potentially derived from these third-party arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

flatfair provides UK letting agents and Build-to-Rent operators with an all-in-one tenancy deposit platform offering traditional deposit administration alongside a deposit alternative called No Deposit. Under the No Deposit product, tenants pay a one-off non-refundable check-in fee equal to 28% of a month's rent (+VAT, minimum £120) instead of a 5-week cash deposit, while landlords receive up to 10 weeks' protection for damages and/or rent arrears and charge recovery within 10 days. Supporting offerings include tenant referencing, Deposit Boost (additional landlord protection), Tenant Guarantor service, and the Resolve rent-arrears negotiation app.

Product overview

flatfair offers a modular deposit and tenancy administration platform consisting of three core products: flatfair No Deposit (deposit alternative), flatfair Deposits (traditional deposit management), and flatfair Referencing. These are supplemented by add-on modules including Deposit Boost (enhanced landlord protection) and Tenant Guarantor (guarantor alternative for international tenants). The platform also includes Resolve, a free rent arrears negotiation tool. The products work together to provide a unified tenancy workflow: agents and BTR operators can manage traditional deposits and No Deposit plans through a single portal, while referencing and guarantor services expand the tenant pool and support compliance with rental regulations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• No Deposit: A deposit alternative solution where tenants pay a one-off check-in fee equivalent to 28% of a month's rent (+VAT) instead of a traditional 5-week deposit.
• Deposits
• Unlock Deposits
• Referencing
• Deposit Boost
• Tenant Guarantor

Products and services

• flatfair No Deposit A deposit alternative service allowing tenants to pay a one-off check-in fee equal to 28% of a month's rent (+VAT, minimum £120+VAT) instead of a 5-week cash deposit, providing landlords with up to 10 weeks' protection for damages and/or rent arrears and charge recovery within 10 days, with Independent Dispute Resolution included. Sold to UK letting agents and Build-to-Rent operators who introduce it to tenants and landlords at the point of tenancy.
• flatfair Deposits An all-in-one tenancy deposit platform that streamlines traditional cash deposit administration for UK letting agents and BTR operators, allowing them to register and manage deposits with their preferred government-approved TDP (TDS, DPS, RLA, MyDeposits) through a single centralised portal, saving approximately 60 minutes of admin per tenancy at no added cost to the agent or landlord.
• flatfair Unlock Deposits A sub-product within the flatfair Deposits suite that allows landlords to unlock cash deposits and offer up to 10 weeks' protection for damages and/or rent arrears at no additional cost.
• flatfair Referencing A tenant referencing service carried out by third-party providers (Homeppl, Spike), aggregated and made available to UK letting agents and BTR operators through the flatfair platform to verify prospective tenants' suitability for rental properties.
• Deposit Boost An add-on protection layer providing landlords with up to five extra weeks of damage protection on top of the standard cash deposit, at no added administrative cost. Launched in 2025.
• Tenant Guarantor A referencing and guarantee service enabling international tenants or those without a traditional UK-based guarantor to secure a UK rental home, addressing affordability challenges and supporting compliance with regulations on upfront rent payments. Launched in 2025.
• Resolve (by flatfair) A free rent arrears negotiation app (resolve-app.flatfair.co.uk) that helps UK tenants and landlords reach transparent repayment plan agreements on rent payment issues quickly.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tenants save an average of £1,258 in upfront costs by choosing No Deposit over traditional cash deposit
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cording Residential Asset ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 May 2026Partnership to launch Tenant Guarantor Service aligned with the Renters' Rights Act. Cording Residential is a recognised name in BTR, delivering professionally managed rental homes. Collaboration delivers simplified move-in experience and greater flexibility for residents.
• FlatiesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 May 2026Partnership with Flaties announced May 2026, helping tenants access smarter, more flexible renting solutions. Partnership aimed at expanding flatfair's reach to individual tenant consumers through Flaties' platform.
• HeimstadencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2025One of Europe's largest residential landlords partnered with flatfair for referencing, deposit registration, and deposit alternatives. Integrations with Homeppl, Spike, and TDS (Tenancy Deposit Scheme) streamline processes. This partnership underscores flatfair's growing role in the BTR sector and signals potential German/European market expansion.
• Touchstone BTRcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020BTR operator partnership started in 2020. Touchstone's Build-to-Rent sites offer flatfair No Deposit and were early adopters of flatfair Deposits (traditional deposit management). 500 No Deposit plans created, 828 residents benefited, £517,638 saved by residents. Landlords protected for £1,381,805. 61.1% of tenants offered the choice chose No Deposit.
• HunterscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2019One of the largest independent networks of letting agents in the UK (89 branches, from Carlisle to London). Hunters offers flatfair No Deposit across all branches. Tenants saved £447,381 in upfront costs; landlords protected for £1,137,669. 50% of Hunters landlords use No Deposit, up ~25% year-on-year.
• Cording ResidentialcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTR operator partnership delivering digital tenancy workflow, deposit alternative offering, and risk mitigation tools. Residents benefit from simplified move-in and greater flexibility; Cording gains operational efficiency and improved resident satisfaction.
• PlacefirstcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvider of sustainable, community-focused rental homes. Partnership aligns flatfair's deposit alternatives with Placefirst's mission to improve the standard of renting in the UK. Tenants benefit from smoother, more flexible renting experience; landlords remain protected.
• Casa by Moda (Moda Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCasa by Moda is the Single Family Homes (SFH) division of Moda Group. flatfair's deposit alternative is integrated with Casa's resident-first tech stack (MyCasa app), reducing upfront cost while preserving landlord protections. Partnership exemplifies design-meets-function approach to modern BTR.
• Lang Llewellyn & CominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCornwall-based letting and property management agency. Partnership enables both traditional deposits and No Deposit via a single flatfair system, reducing admin for the agency and providing competitive differentiation in the local market.
• Sheldon Bosley KnightminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional letting agency that hosted flatfair on their property podcast (May 2025). Collaboration focused on educating landlords and tenants about deposit alternatives. Kate Gould (SBK) and Rebecca Dean (SBK Lettings Director) participated.
• HomepplcoreTechnology or IntegrationReferencing provider integrated with flatfair's platform for the Heimstaden partnership. Supports tenant referencing and credit assessment as part of flatfair's deposit alternative onboarding.
• SpikecoreTechnology or IntegrationReferencing and property management technology integrated with flatfair's platform for the Heimstaden partnership. Supports streamlined referencing workflows for BTR operators.
• GlueDog (GlueDog integration)coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology integration partner enabling flatfair's connectivity with Street and Apex27 CRMs. GlueDog's integration automates deposit and protection management workflows, enabling faster, smoother processes for agent and BTR operator partners.
• TDS (Tenancy Deposit Scheme)coreTechnology or IntegrationGovernment-approved tenancy deposit scheme. flatfair integrates with TDS to register traditional deposits on behalf of agents. TDS is one of three approved TDPs referenced on flatfair's homepage alongside DPS and RLA.
• British Property FederationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBPF membership logo displayed on flatfair's homepage. The British Property Federation is a key industry body for the UK property sector, and BPF membership signals flatfair's alignment with the BTR and property industry community.
• Street (CRM)coreTechnology or IntegrationCRM platform integrated with flatfair via GlueDog, enabling automated deposit and protection management workflows for agent and BTR operator partners. Integration went live in 2025.
• Apex27 (CRM)coreTechnology or IntegrationCRM platform integrated with flatfair via GlueDog, enabling automated deposit and protection management workflows for agent and BTR operator partners. Integration went live in 2025.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Canopy: Canopy provides a UK rental protection and referencing platform that includes deposit alternatives and rent guarantor services. It is a direct competitor to flatfair's No Deposit and Tenant Guarantor offerings, serving the same letting agent and tenant customer base.
• Zero Deposit: Zero Deposit is the most direct UK competitor, offering a similar deposit guarantee/replacement product to tenants and landlords through letting agents. Both companies compete for the same agent distribution and pitch the same core value proposition (replace 5-week deposit with a lower-cost alternative).
• Goodlord: Goodlord is a leading UK PropTech rental platform that bundles referencing, deposit registration, and tenant insurance into one workflow. It directly competes with flatfair's traditional deposit administration and referencing products, often sold to the same letting agent customers.

Broad incumbents

• Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS): TDS is a government-approved tenancy deposit protection scheme and flatfair's deepest integrated TDP partner. It represents the incumbent baseline alternative for traditional deposit protection and is the default scheme many agents and BTR operators use alongside flatfair's products.
• MyDeposits: MyDeposits is a government-approved tenancy deposit protection scheme operated by Propertymark. It is one of the three TDPs flatfair integrates with for traditional deposit registration and serves a similar agent-facing deposit protection role.
• Howden (Tyser/Howden Group Holdings): Howden is a large UK insurance broker with significant rental sector exposure (landlord insurance, rent guarantee). While not a direct deposit alternative, its rent guarantee and landlord insurance products compete for the same landlord risk-management wallet that flatfair No Deposit addresses.
• The Deposit Protection Service (DPS): DPS is one of three UK government-approved tenancy deposit protection schemes and a foundational infrastructure provider. It competes with flatfair on traditional deposit registration (free for landlords), and flatfair integrates with DPS as part of its traditional deposit administration product.

Emerging players

• Reposit: Reposit is/was a UK deposit alternative provider that allows tenants to pay a non-refundable fee in lieu of a traditional cash deposit. It is conceptually identical to flatfair's No Deposit and represents a direct but smaller-scale competitor in the deposit replacement category.
• Vouch: Vouch is a US-based renter insurance and deposit alternative provider that has expanded into the UK. It offers a similar deposit replacement model to flatfair No Deposit, targeting landlords and tenants in the rental market with insurance-backed protection.

Regional players

• PayProp: PayProp is an automated rental payments platform for letting agents, focused on the UK and other markets. It complements (and partially overlaps with) flatfair's deposit and tenancy workflow products, often sold into the same letting agent customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/getflatfair
• Facebookfacebook.com/flatfair
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/10986762
• Instagraminstagram.com/getflatfair

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about flatfair