Question 1

Does Flatscope work for rentals?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Paste a Rightmove or Zoopla to-rent link and Flatscope runs a tenant report instead of the buyer one, with no toggle needed, the listing itself tells us it is a rental. The report checks the advertised deposit against the legal cap for the nation the property is in, five or six weeks of rent in England under the Tenant Fees Act 2019 depending on the annual rent, with different rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It then adds up the true move-in cost, shows the income a referencing check typically expects, and judges whether the rent is fair against similar lets advertised nearby. No portal shows you the deposit cap check.

Question 2

Does Flatscope check flood risk and Japanese knotweed?

Accepted Answer

Flood risk, yes. Every report in England includes the Environment Agency flood band for the property's postcode. Japanese knotweed, radon and ground stability are not part of the report today, so ask your surveyor and your conveyancer's environmental search about them. Flatscope leads with one clear check or flag signal so you read the verdict at a glance, then lets you open the detail. It never implies all clear on a check it did not run, and a missing record stays not stated rather than a fabricated zero.

Question 3

What is the 80-year lease problem?

Accepted Answer

Once a lease drops below 80 years it usually becomes more expensive to extend, because of an extra cost called marriage value that the freeholder can claim on a statutory extension. That rule comes from the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 and is being reformed by the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, so the current position is worth confirming with a solicitor. The practical takeaway is that a flat at 82 or 83 years is on a clock, and the cost to extend rises as it falls past 80. Flatscope flags any lease near or under that threshold and explains what it means for your offer, while leaving the binding valuation to your solicitor.

Question 4

Where does Flatscope's data come from?

Accepted Answer

Each report starts from the listing itself and adds public records, HM Land Registry sold prices, Environment Agency flood data, police.uk crime data and council tax bands, plus the Building Safety Fund register, planning records and Ofsted when they apply to the property. Every figure in every report carries a citation back to the source it came from, so you can check it yourself. We do not buy or resell private datasets and we are independent of the portals.

Question 5

Are these really AI research assistants, or just clever search?

Accepted Answer

Flatscope runs an eight-step agentic research pipeline, where each step is a focused job against a single public-record source. One model drafts the verdict and a separate model fact-checks every figure against its cited record, and anything that cannot be verified is flagged rather than stated as fact. The final score is a deterministic five-axis calculation, not a number a model made up. We do the reading and the cross-checking, and the decision stays with you.

Question 6

Can I share a report with my partner?

Accepted Answer

Yes, partner sharing is built in on every plan, including Free. You invite a partner by a revocable link and they get read access to your reports. It is designed to replace the shared spreadsheet you would otherwise keep between you, so you are both reading the same verdict on each property.

Question 7

Can I use Flatscope on WhatsApp?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Flatscope works on WhatsApp as the same account you use on the web, so you can research a property, compare your shortlist, or add a figure you learned at a viewing and have the score update, all by text. Send it a Rightmove or Zoopla link to scope a property, or ask which of your saved properties scores best and why, and it answers from your own reports rather than guessing, with a tap-through to the full breakdown. Anything you do on WhatsApp shows up on the web and the other way round, because it is one workspace. You can start a brand-new account straight from a WhatsApp message, or connect WhatsApp to an existing account from Settings.

Question 8

Is Flatscope financial or legal advice?

Accepted Answer

No. Flatscope is informational software that distils published public guidance and public records into one report, and it is not regulated financial or legal advice. You still need a solicitor for the legal work, a RICS-qualified surveyor before exchange, and a mortgage broker or lender for borrowing decisions. Where any rule or figure is uncertain, the report's standing line is to confirm the current position with your solicitor. We make that disclaimer plainly on every report.

Question 9

Is Flatscope affiliated with Rightmove, Zoopla or OnTheMarket?

Accepted Answer

No. Flatscope is independent, built in London, and not connected to any portal. We sit on top of public listings and add a research layer from government and public-record data, and we do not list properties, take agent commissions, or compete with the portals. That independence is the point, because it means the verdict is about the property and not about a sale. You can reach us at hello@flatscope.co.uk.

Question 10

How does Flatscope handle cladding history and building safety?

Accepted Answer

Flatscope cross-references the Building Safety Fund register and public sources, and notes EWS1 availability where it can be found. If a building's cladding or external-wall status cannot be verified from public records, the report says so clearly rather than implying the building is safe. Building safety on taller blocks sits under the Building Safety Act 2022, and the detail still needs to come from the managing agent through your solicitor. We surface the public signal so you know to ask the right questions before you commit.

Check and compare any listing.
Rule out the wrong places.
Make the right call.

A real Flatscope report.

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What gives pause

What holds up

The five leasehold risks the portals bury and a standard house report skips.

Too many listings, too little signal

Nothing lines up to compare

The issues that cost the most stay hidden

Service charge nobody flags

Value per square metre stays opaque

From a listing link to a scored decision in minutes.

Paste your shortlist

We do the scrutiny

Get the decision, not just the data

Screen the property before you pay for the survey.

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Comparing pass

Offer ready

Honest answers to the obvious questions.

Try it on a property you're actually considering.

Check and compare any listing.Rule out the wrong places.Make the right call.