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Learn moreLeave on a high.
Want your tenanted property back? There's a better way.
You don’t have to evict, and you don’t have to discount. Umoja lets you pay your tenant to leave co-operatively, for vacant possession on a date you both agreed — whether you’re selling at full value, moving back in, or refurbishing. No eviction. No fight.
Free to join — you only pay once your tenant’s on board.
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Illustrative scenario
You don’t have to evict. You don’t have to discount.
Umoja gets you vacant possession with your tenant on side — to sell at full value, move back in, or refurbish. Pay them to leave on a date you both agree: no eviction, no void, no fight.
The landscape has changed
The economics of residential lettings have shifted. For many landlords, getting their property back — to sell, or to use differently — is simply the right decision.
1 in 4 landlords plan to sell within two years1
Relief is gone.
Section 24 restricts mortgage interest relief to a basic rate credit, significantly reducing net rental income for higher-rate taxpayers. This comes at a time when buy-to-let mortgage rates have risen from around 3.25% to over 5.5%, driven by the Bank of England base rate increasing from 0.1% to 5.25% between December 2021 and August 2023.2
Compliance is getting expensive.
All private rental properties must reach EPC Band C by October 2030. Over half of PRS properties are currently below this threshold, with average upgrade costs of around £5,400 per property.3 The new Decent Homes Standard — previously applied only to social housing — is being extended to the private rented sector for the first time, signalling a sustained increase in compliance costs for landlords.4
Possession is harder.
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 abolishes Section 21 “no-fault” evictions from May 2026.5 Landlords can still seek possession to sell under revised Section 8 grounds, but must now give four months’ notice and cannot use this ground during the first 12 months of a tenancy. The result: longer timelines, no guarantee of co-operation, and an extended void period between the tenant leaving and completing the sale.
Exit is taxed more.
The stamp duty surcharge on additional properties increased from 3% to 5% in October 2024, while the nil-rate threshold dropped from £250,000 to £125,000 in April 2025 — meaning a minimum effective rate of 7% for portfolio purchases.6 The annual Capital Gains Tax allowance has been cut from £6,000 to £3,000, and Furnished Holiday Let relief was abolished in April 2025.7 For many landlords, the tax arithmetic now favours selling sooner rather than later.
The cost of the traditional route
Gaining vacant possession through the courts is slow, expensive, and adversarial. Ministry of Justice data shows the average possession claim takes over 37 weeks from filing to repossession — and contested cases in London can exceed 12 months.8 During that time, landlords face lost rental income, legal fees of £2,000–£3,000,9 and an increasingly adversarial relationship with their tenant.
Even after vacant possession, an empty property carries its own costs. Local authorities can charge a council tax premium of up to 100% on properties empty for more than one year, rising to 300% after five years.10 A co-operative tenant who vacates on the agreed date eliminates the void period entirely.
With record numbers of landlords exiting the private rented sector, the buyer pool is shifting towards owner-occupiers — who typically pay higher prices but expect vacant possession. Umoja helps you meet that expectation without the cost and conflict of eviction.
Work co-operatively with your tenant.
Instead of forcing your tenant out, you incentivise them to co-operate. The result: a faster, cleaner handover — and, if you’re selling, a better price — in a process that works for everyone.
No eviction proceedings
Your tenant co-operates voluntarily because they receive a cash reward for doing so. No Section 21 notices, no court applications, no legal fees.
A faster, smoother process
When tenant and landlord are aligned, the whole process moves more easily — including viewings if you’re selling — and timelines are more predictable.
Vacant possession on the agreed date
Your tenant has a contractual incentive to vacate on time, so you get vacant possession when you need it. No void period, no empty-property surcharges.
Legally managed by Umoja
All agreements, contracts, and payments are handled through the platform. Transparent for all parties, fully documented.
How It Works
Three steps to vacant possession, with your tenant on side
List your property
Set a reward fund and list. Free to join — you only pay once your tenant is on board.
Your tenant co-operates
They earn a cash reward — the Karibu Award — for co-operating with the move and leaving on the agreed date.
You get vacant possession
On the agreed date — to sell at full value, refurbish, or move back in. No eviction, no fight.
Simple, fair pricing
Just two charges: a one-off Activation Cost to list your property, and a simple Service Fee when it goes ahead. We want you to reward your tenant as generously as possible — so the bigger the fund you set, the lower the Service Fee.
Activation Cost
£99
One-off payment to list your property and generate contracts
Service Fee
From 15%
The bigger the Umoja Fund you set, the lower your effective rate
If It Doesn’t Go Ahead
Nothing more to pay
Activation Cost forfeited. You can re-list the property at any time.
Ready to get started?
Create your free account in 60 seconds. No commitment, no upfront cost until you list your first property.
1 English Private Landlord Survey 2024, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. 31% of landlords reported planning to sell rental properties within two years, up from 22% in the previous survey.
2 Bank of England, Bank Rate history. Base rate rose from 0.1% (December 2021) to 5.25% (August 2023) across 14 consecutive increases. Average buy-to-let mortgage rates rose from 3.25% in 2021 to 5.53% in 2024 (Moneyfacts).
3 Domestic Private Rented Property: Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard, GOV.UK. EPC Band C required by October 2030 for all PRS tenancies. Government estimates average upgrade cost of approximately £5,400 per property, capped at £10,000. Over 52% of PRS properties are currently below Band C.
4 The New Decent Homes Standard: Policy Statement, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. The standard, previously applied only to social housing, is being extended to the private rented sector for the first time, including energy efficiency requirements aligned with MEES.
5 Renters’ Rights Act 2025, GOV.UK. Section 21 “no-fault” evictions abolished from 1 May 2026. Revised Section 8 Ground 1A (selling) requires four months’ notice and cannot be used during the first 12 months of a tenancy.
6 Stamp Duty Land Tax: Residential Property Rates, GOV.UK. Additional property surcharge increased from 3% to 5% from 31 October 2024. Nil-rate threshold reduced from £250,000 to £125,000 from 1 April 2025.
7 Capital Gains Tax: Recent Developments, House of Commons Library. Annual CGT allowance reduced from £6,000 to £3,000 for 2024–25. Higher-rate residential property CGT is 24%. Furnished Holiday Let tax relief abolished from April 2025.
8 Ministry of Justice, Mortgage and Landlord Possession Statistics, Q3 2024. Average 37.8 weeks from claim to repossession; contested cases in London courts averaged 9+ months for County Court bailiff enforcement.
9 Estimates based on court fees (possession order £355, warrant £130), bailiff or High Court enforcement (£400–£720), and solicitor fees. Excludes lost rental income during the process.
10 Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023. From April 2024, local authorities may charge a 100% council tax premium on properties empty for 1+ years, rising to 200% after 5 years and 300% after 10 years.