Rentalize vs iHouse: Local Authority Housing Software Compared
Choosing housing software for a council or housing body in Ireland? Here is an honest comparison, including where we lose.
Two Platforms, Two Approaches
A quick overview of what each platform offers to local authorities and social housing providers in Ireland.
Property management software for Ireland and the UK, with the Irish statutory compliance engine built in on every plan. Manages 5,000+ units in production today.
Products: Select (lettings), Core (full management), 360 (landlord portal), Pay (rent collection)
The Integrated Housing System, the shared social housing system the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) provides to Irish local authorities. The LGMA supplies the social housing system to 27 of the 31 councils.
Focus: Housing applications, allocations and maintenance for local authorities
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
An honest look at what each platform offers across the capabilities that matter most to Irish housing organisations.
| Capability | Rentalize | iHouse |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Rental Scheme Workflows | Not today. On the roadmap | Ask the vendor for its current scope |
| AI-Powered Features | Yes: Talia on every plan; a document confidence score on Rentalize Select | Ask the vendor for its current AI features |
| Applicant Selection Engine | Yes, Rentalize Select | Ask the vendor how applicants are scored |
| Tenancy Management | Yes | Yes |
| Maintenance Ticketing | Yes | Yes |
| Rent Collection (Direct Debit) | Yes, GoCardless direct debit on Growth and above | Ask the vendor which payment methods are built in |
| RTB Registration and Renewals | Yes: one-click RTB registration export and renewal tracking, every plan | Ask the vendor what it produces for RTB filing |
| Regulatory Returns (AHBRA for AHBs, NOAC indicators for councils) | No prebuilt returns. Data exports and BI reports only | Ask the vendor which returns it produces today |
| Mobile Access | Browser, any device | Ask the vendor about mobile access |
| Open Banking Integration | Yes, Open Banking reconciliation on Professional and above | Ask the vendor whether Open Banking is supported |
| Differential Rent Calculator | Yes, published free tool covering all 31 council schemes | Yes |
| Landlord/PMC Module | Yes: Rentalize Core for agents and PMCs; Rentalize 360 for private landlords (pricing not yet published) | Local authority focused |
What Sets Rentalize Apart
Irish Compliance Built In
One-click RTB registration export and renewal tracking, rent review notices, rent cap calculations, HAP, BER and safety certificate tracking, Part 4 rights. The compliance engine is on every plan, not an upsell.
AI Inside Every Workflow
Document confidence scores on Rentalize Select, Talia over your live portfolio data, and predictive cash-flow forecasting. AI is part of how Rentalize works, not a feature you turn on.
Modern Platform Architecture
Cloud SaaS that runs in the browser on any device, Open Banking reconciliation on Professional and above, and a REST API on the Enterprise plan.
Where iHouse May Fit Better
No platform is the right fit for every organisation. Here is where iHouse may be a better match.
Established Track Record
iHouse is the national system most Irish councils already run, supplied and supported through the LGMA. If your council uses it, switching costs and that shared arrangement matter. Rentalize Select is built to run scheme applications, such as affordable purchase, alongside an existing housing system rather than replace it.
Regulatory Returns and Cost Rental
Ask the LGMA how iHouse supports NOAC performance indicator reporting and cost rental schemes today. Rentalize does not produce NOAC or AHBRA returns or ship cost rental scheme workflows yet, so if those are the reason you are buying, put the same question to both.
Frequently Asked Questions
See How Rentalize Compares
Book a demo to see Rentalize in action with your own data.