It’s That Time of Year
It’s with great excitement that we announce the next annual update to RENT+, Version 45, is now only two weeks away!
Annual Updates are always a team favourite at Focus Micro Systems. They give us the opportunity to bring together the enhancements made throughout the year, alongside brand-new features, into one complete package. And what a year it has been to do just that.
As always, this update is provided as part of our continued commitment to you and your team, at no extra cost. We believe that constant innovation is not only important, but essential. With new legislation, changing client expectations, growing compliance demands, and increasing workloads placing more pressure on property professionals than ever before, our job is to ensure you have the tools needed to tackle it all with confidence.
Just like RENT+, our team continues to evolve year after year, with new faces beginning their careers in the world of IT and long-standing members of the team taking on even more to keep the cogs turning smoothly.
In this post, we’ll take you through what we’ve been up to over the past year and give you a glimpse of what’s in store on the all-important launch date: 17/06/2026!
The Faces of Focus Micro Systems?
Since our last software update, Version 44, we’ve seen training sessions, group testing, on-site visits, webinars, team projects, and so much more. Each of these moments has given us the opportunity not only to share knowledge, but to involve those who are eager to learn how ideas move from discussion into action.
At Focus Micro Systems, we remain committed to nurturing fresh talent and supporting the next generation as they begin their journeys in the world of IT. Whether through hands-on experience, team collaboration, or guidance from those who have spent many years in the industry, we believe that giving people the chance to learn, contribute, and grow is essential to the future of our business.
Apprentices
In the summer of 2025, we welcomed Vincent Altamura as the latest addition to our Support Team. It never ceases to amaze us how much knowledge someone can absorb in the space of just one year, and Vincent has certainly continued that tradition.
From learning the foundations of RENT+ to supporting clients and developing his understanding of the wider business, Vincent has approached his first year with enthusiasm, focus, and a brilliant willingness to learn.
That same sense of achievement can also be seen in Harry Cork, who completed his apprenticeship with a Merit.
Throughout his apprenticeship, Harry took on an incredible amount of knowledge, all while keeping up with the demands of his coursework. His hard work has seen him progress into a fully fledged Support Technician, while also taking on infrastructure responsibilities alongside our Managing Director and external IT teams.
Both Harry and Vincent are fantastic examples of what can be achieved when fresh talent is given the opportunity, support, and encouragement to grow.
Development
As we said previously, we truly believe that constant innovation is not a nicety, but a requirement for any forward-thinking business.
The driving force behind many of our ideas is our brilliant Development Team, made up of Peter Haynes and Justin Adam. With a combined tenure of 45 years at Focus Micro Systems, it is fair to say they know RENT+ inside and out. Coincidence that this aligns with Version 45? We will let you decide.
Whichever it is, we take our hats off to them. Their year has not simply been filled with updates, fixes, and enhancements. Alongside continuing to build innovation into RENT+, they have also been working on the next steps forward, including brand-new software packages, web development, new documentation procedures, and much more.
If there was ever a dynamic duo behind the scenes, we think we may have found them in our office.
Administration
Of course, no annual update would be complete without recognising the people who help keep everything ticking along behind the scenes.
While the spotlight often falls on new features, clever coding, and the exciting changes coming to RENT+, the reality is that none of it happens in isolation. Behind every update is a great deal of organisation, planning, communication, and support, and that is where our administration team continues to shine.
Roxanne Patrick has once again been a brilliant example of dedication within the business. Whether she is supporting day-to-day operations, helping keep internal processes running smoothly, or taking on new responsibilities as the company continues to grow, Roxanne approaches each challenge with care, consistency, and a fantastic attitude.
With the continued guidance and support of our Financial Director, Kathy Samuel, our administration team remains a vital part of Focus Micro Systems, helping to ensure that both our clients and colleagues receive the support they need.
Support
With so many features included within RENT+, whether brand new or long-established, it is only natural that a helping hand can go a long way. For many of our clients, that guidance comes from our Support Team, made up of James Spyt, Zachary Johns, Harry Cork, and Vincent Altamura.
James has continued to play a central role in the team, sharing his knowledge of RENT+ and the wider property market while helping to train and support newer members of the department. Alongside this, he has remained heavily involved in business development, project management, on-site visits, and webinars. It is no small task, but James continues to bring the experience and consistency needed to make it all happen.
Zachary has also continued to support clients day to day while helping to drive the marketing efforts of the business forward. From digital campaigns and social media to printed publications and client communications, his work helps share not only what RENT+ can do, but also the people and personality behind Focus Micro Systems.
Harry and Vincent have both continued to make fantastic progress within the Support Team, taking on more responsibility and building their knowledge of RENT+, our clients, and the wider property industry. Their development has been brilliant to see, and they are already proving to be valuable members of the team.
Together, the team continues to support both our clients and the wider business, helping to ensure that RENT+ users have the guidance, resources, and reassurance they need.
Sales
Of course, we could not talk about the continued growth of RENT+ without mentioning our Chairman, Duncan Samuel.
Having been with Focus Micro Systems from day one, Duncan has seen the property industry change dramatically over the years. Through all of that change, one thing has remained consistent: his belief in the product, the team, and the service we provide.
For Duncan, speaking about RENT+ has never felt like a sales pitch. It is a conversation built on decades of experience, a genuine understanding of the industry, and a passion for helping agents find software that works for the way they operate.
Whether he is speaking with a long-standing client or introducing RENT+ to someone completely new, Duncan brings the same enthusiasm, knowledge, and honesty that have been part of Focus Micro Systems since the very beginning. And yes, for those wondering, he is still bravely navigating the world of LinkedIn.
Head at the Helm
At the heart of Focus Micro Systems is a leadership style built on experience, care, and a clear belief in what the business can continue to achieve.
As Managing Director, Callum Samuel continues to guide the company forward, balancing the day-to-day demands of running the business with the long-term vision needed to keep RENT+ evolving. From supporting product development and refining internal processes to exploring new opportunities for growth, Callum plays a key role in making sure Focus Micro Systems continues to move in the right direction.
But what truly defines Callum’s leadership is the time he invests in the people around him. Whether it is offering guidance, encouraging new ideas, or helping team members develop in their own roles, his approach has always been about bringing the best out of others. As we look ahead to another annual update, Callum’s leadership remains central to the progress we continue to make. Not just in the software we deliver, but in the team we are building behind it.
Version 45 – What’s Coming?
It’s been another busy year at Focus Micro Systems, but enough about us. Let’s give you a sneak peek at some of the features coming with the next update to our complete property CRM system, RENT+ Version 45.
Arrears Recovery – Clear Control When It Matters Most
Over the past year, we have spent time speaking with a range of our clients to understand what some of the most time consuming processes are in their day-to-day. One commonality across clients was chasing arrears and so we decided to do something about it.
With Version 45, RENT+ introduces Arrears Recovery. A smarter, more structured way to regain control of outstanding tenant debt, without adding complexity to your day.
This upcoming feature is designed to bring clarity and consistency to arrears management across your entire portfolio. Instead of juggling multiple processes for different charge types, Arrears Recovery brings everything together into a single, intelligent workflow. It helps agents clearly see what is outstanding, understand the full picture behind each balance, and take decisive action, all from one place.
Most importantly, Arrears Recovery is built around how agents actually work. It supports a wide range of charges and provides a structured approach to chasing debt, helping teams stay organised, aligned, and confident when dealing with what can often be a difficult conversation. The result is less time spent searching for information, fewer manual processes, and more time focused on protecting income and maintaining strong professional relationships.
Stronger, Smarter Job Files Across RENT+
Jobs rarely stay static. Instructions change, documents arrive at different stages, and conversations continue long after a job is first raised. Over time, we have seen how easily key information can become fragmented across emails, diaries and shared folders, making it harder to maintain clarity as work progresses.
With Version 45, we are introducing a set of enhancements that strengthen the Job File as the central place to manage maintenance activity throughout RENT+. Rather than a single change, this update brings together several improvements that collectively make job management clearer, more flexible and easier to audit.
These enhancements include:
- Improved visibility and handling of job related attachments, keeping supporting documents tied directly to the job
- Greater flexibility when emailing job details and works orders, allowing communication at the right time, not just at the point a job is raised
- Clearer recording of job related communication, ensuring instructions and updates are captured consistently
- Stronger diary records that provide a more complete history of what was sent, when and to whom
Taken together, these changes ensure that information which may previously have lived in inboxes or relied on team knowledge is now surfaced where it belongs. The Job File becomes a clearer reflection of what was agreed, communicated and completed, rather than just a record of when a job was logged.
A Clearer Calendar Experience
The calendar sits at the heart of day to day property management. It is where reminders, deadlines, and follow ups come together. Where clarity is essential to staying organised and responsive. Over time, we have seen how growing workloads and increasing volumes of activity can make it harder to rely on the calendar as a true reflection of what needs attention.
With Version 45, we are introducing a new calendar experience in RENT+, designed to provide a clearer, more consistent view of activity across the system. This update focuses on improving how information is presented and handled, helping agents trust the calendar as a dependable tool for planning and prioritising their work.
The new calendar is built to:
- Present activity in a clearer and more structured way, making it easier to understand what is scheduled and why
- Improve consistency between calendar entries and the records they originate from, reducing uncertainty and duplication
- Support smoother day to day navigation, helping teams move between tasks without losing context
- Provide a more reliable foundation for managing busy diaries and competing priorities
Rather than changing how agents work, this enhancement strengthens the tools they already rely on. The aim is to make the calendar easier to read, easier to trust, and better suited to managing the pace and complexity of modern property management.
Supporting Clients Through ITSA Change
Earlier this year, we introduced ITSA reporting in RENT+ to help agents respond to the implementation of Income Tax Self Assessment and the challenges that came with it. At the time, the priority was clear: provide practical tools quickly, even while official guidance continued to evolve.
As many agents experienced first hand, the guidance surrounding ITSA was not always as clear or as accessible as it needed to be. Throughout this period, we worked closely with our clients, listening to feedback, answering questions, and sharing real‑world experiences to help navigate the uncertainty together.
While there have been no further changes to ITSA reporting since its earlier release, Version 45 represents a natural point to reaffirm our commitment to supporting agents through regulatory change. The ITSA functionality available in RENT+ reflects the outcome of ongoing discussion, testing and collaboration with our client base, shaped by how the reporting is actually being used in practice.
Most importantly, we would like to thank our clients for the valuable input shared throughout this process. That feedback continues to play a vital role in how RENT+ evolves, ensuring that when change does arrive, agents are not facing it alone.
Renters Rights Information
As legislation continues to evolve, agents are expected to make confident, compliant decisions while managing increasingly complex portfolios. The introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act has placed greater emphasis on when, how and to whom certain communications should be issued, making clarity and control more important than ever.
With Version 45, we have introduced a set of enhancements across RENT+ that strengthen how the software supports Renters’ Rights compliance in day to day use. Rather than a single feature, these changes focus on improving visibility and decision making at key moments, helping agents act with greater confidence when issuing communications.
These updates include:
- Clear visibility of a property’s management status when preparing communications, helping agents quickly understand whether a property is Fully Managed, Part Managed or Unmanaged
- Stronger controls within Mail Merge and email workflows, supporting more informed decisions before information is sent
- Improved alignment between communications and internal policies, helping reduce the risk of issuing information inappropriately
- Greater reassurance that actions taken within RENT+ reflect the requirements and intent of the Renters’ Rights Act
Taken together, these enhancements help ensure that compliance is not treated as a separate process, but as something embedded naturally within everyday workflows. Agents are better equipped to pause, review and proceed with confidence, knowing that the information they need is clearly presented at the point of action.
Introducing the New Landlord Checklist
Checklists play an important role in helping agents stay organised, consistent and compliant, particularly when managing large numbers of landlords with differing requirements. Following the positive feedback we received after introducing the Tenant Checklist, it became clear there was an opportunity to bring the same structured support to landlord workflows.
With Version 45, we are introducing the brand new Landlord Checklist in RENT+. This feature is designed to act as a clear, reliable reference point within the Landlord File, helping agents keep track of key actions without disrupting how they already work.
The Landlord Checklist focuses on supporting consistency and visibility, quietly guiding agents through important steps and helping ensure that nothing is missed as landlord relationships are managed over time. Rather than introducing additional processes, it fits naturally into day to day workflows, reinforcing good practice without adding complexity.
Clearer Links When Paying Landlords
Paying landlords is one of the most important financial processes within RENT+. For years, the Update Ledgers routine has provided a truly dependable way to generate these payments quickly and accurately through both a single or batch routine.
With Version 45, we have built on this routine even further. Similar to how tradesman cheques are connected, you will now see an enhanced breakdown of the income and expenditure associated within each landlord payment directly within the transaction. This complimenting every future Update Ledgers routine you run within the RENT+ software.
This means that when reviewing a landlord payment, agents can more easily see how it has been constructed, with related transactions clearly linked behind the scenes. The result is swifter visibility when checking figures, answering queries, or reviewing account activity.
As with other areas of RENT+, this enhancement works seamlessly within the existing process, requiring no change to your Update Ledgers routine or workflow. Instead, it sits within the powerful routine further supporting financial tracking across the system, particularly when working with busy or complex portfolios.
What’s To Come
You’ve just had a sneak peek at Version 45, but this is only the beginning. There is still so much more to come with the full release, so be sure to mark your calendars. Version 45 will be released on 17/06/2026.
Alongside the updated software, you can also expect a series of webinars highlighting the new features, additions to our already extensive RENT+ Manual, and a full update letter detailing each enhancement. All of this is supported by a team of people who are genuinely excited to help you get the most out of RENT+ and support the growth of your business.
We truly cannot wait to share Version 45 with agents across the UK and are equally looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the future of RENT+. If you have any questions in the meantime, please give us a call on 08712 500 021 and speak to the team.
Thank you,
The Team at Focus Micro Systems