UK Landlord Forum / Life

Hi I am new to this and want to rent our property out for a year.  We complete tomorrow and cannot decide what package to go for  with estate agent or what we should be careful of.

Is it worth paying the extra premium in case the tenants don't pay?  Should we go for the package where the Tenants pay the estate agent every month?  Is there an advantage.  We are not sure what to do as we have been told by people that if an estate agent markets your property they charge the money each month and take it whether they are paid or not.?  Also been told you are better off checking it yourself every 3 months as they don't check properly.

Want to be careful with what we do as don't want the house wrecked. 

Would be really grateful for any advice.

You complete on a buy to let house tomorrow?

Think about the question you're asking.

You're asking a bunch of strangers on the Internet whether they can recommend a good Letting Agent. You give no indication of where the property is located.

Yet you claim you want to be careful.

My advice is to be even more careful.

Yes Riptide. Not in a rush, doing a bit of work first. Had planned to use a certain Agent until this week and until we heard some bad press about them from a friend and have know had a rethink of our options.

Hippogriff  What can people do? No one knows me and as you say no- one knows where I live. I was just looking for some friendly advice.

You might have missed my point... how can someone recommend a Letting Agent to you when they don't know where the property is?

If it's in Blackpool then I might recommend Scarper and Co..

But if it's in Exeter then I would consider going with Incom. P. Tence.

That said... Glasgow and it's DepositStealing Lettings all the way.

This is friendly advice.

Thank you for your advice. It is in Birmingham.

No

No

There are not any good agents.

I would use an internet marketing Upad thing, and manage it myself.

They are only really tenant finders, and with Free Gumtree and Paid for Zoopla you can do that.

An agent will charge to take the tenants call, and then call you..... If the tenant just phoned you, you dont need an Agent.

Join a professional Landlord association ( in cornwall we have the CRLA) and they provide advice and proper paperwork, its £60 a year......

What ever you say, Yes but..... It wont matter, an Agent will not do any real work for you, they just wont....

Quote from: fishface on November 13, 2015, 01:16:36 PM
Thank you for your advice. It is in Birmingham.

And are you in Birmingham?

I use a Letting Agent for Tenant Find still.

I did try uPad earlier this year... the experience wasn't very good to be honest. It's a weird one, but I think prospective Tenants still seem to prefer having that first conversation with someone other than the Landlord. With uPad they just get your details (actually, sorry, you get theirs with a message) and the initial contact is then made direct.

I pay more to the real-life Letting Agent... actually it's one thing that works out quite well for me (so far). Finding one I can work with has taken a few years. I have done Tenant Find through about 5 different Agents in my area.

Additionally, when I first put a property on uPad a good proportion of the 'leads' were other Agents... so I had Agents calling me up, effectively ambulance-chasing.

Yes I live in Birmingham about 3/4 of a mile away and a good friend lives next door.

I would be tempted to manage it myself, even if I had no experience.

Just to add support to what has already been said...

1. If you live close by and have a friend nearby you are in the PERFECT situation to manage it yourself.  You will learn so much and whilst the journey will be painful it will be in your control and less painful than having an agent involved
2. Agents are only good for finding tenants (and even then only if you re-check everything) - I havent used UPAD so cant comment but I do agree with Hippo in that the human interface seems to be important
3. BobOff is totally correct ... do not use the agent if you can do it yourself, you will almost certainly be chasing the agent at some point and if the agent fails in meeting a legal requirement your head is in the noose (mostly). 
3.a But do clue yourself up quickly on your legal requirements (the BobOff suggestion on CRLA seems like a great idea)
4. You might consider getting the agent to help set up the contract but:
  A. Take the deposit yourself
  B. Get the tenant to pay rent to you not the agent
  C. Try not to tie yourself into a letting agreement that gives the agent power over you (tenant find only)

To answer OP original questions
Is it worth paying the extra premium in case the tenants don't pay? 
Huh? Please dont tell me you think the agent will pay you if the tenant doesnt pay?  Or is this an insurance product? Or a guaranteed rent service?
Should we go for the package where the Tenants pay the estate agent every month? 
NO!
Is there an advantage. 
NONE
We are not sure what to do as we have been told by people that if an estate agent markets your property they charge the money each month and take it whether they are paid or not.?
They usually take it all up front not monthly unless you negotiate that with them
Also been told you are better off checking it yourself every 3 months as they don't check properly.
No agent will do a decent check - what do they care?

Best of luck

Nothing new above but gives me an excuse to comment on "consider going with Incom. P. Tence." - brilliant 

Thank you all for your advice.  You confirmed what I was already thinking.  It just seems like easy money for nothing on the estate agents part.

Going to use one to do find tenant and write contract and do credit check but then we will deal with it, including the deposit  and putting it in a proper scheme. 

Quote from: fishface on November 14, 2015, 06:31:42 PM
Thank you all for your advice.  You confirmed what I was already thinking.  It just seems like easy money for nothing on the estate agents part.

Going to use one to do find tenant and write contract and do credit check but then we will deal with it, including the deposit  and putting it in a proper scheme. 

Be wary about using an agent to find 'a tenant' because that's what they'll find you.  You want a 'good tenant' if you can meet the prospective tenants yourself, after all you'll be managing these people going forward.

I am wary Riptide.  I have asked if I can meet the tenant before I take them on.  Both lots of estate agents are sending me copies of the checks they will do on the tenant and the application form before I make a decision on who I will take on.

Thanks for your help and everyone else that has replied.  I have done lots of reading on this site and it is very informative.

Quote from: fishface on November 15, 2015, 01:24:05 PMI am wary Riptide.  I have asked if I can meet the tenant before I take them on.

I always do the viewings myself.

Quote from: fishface on November 15, 2015, 01:24:05 PM
I am wary Riptide.  I have asked if I can meet the tenant before I take them on.

As griff says can you do the viewings yourself?  I find a 10 minute informal chat with loaded questions tells me alot more than any check via a form could.  I can even tell if I don't want them as tenants just from the cars they drive, the clothes they wear and the way they behave before they get to the house, someone late by 20 minutes and not having the decency to text or call did not impress me in the slightest.

Finding the best (potentially) tenant you can makes this 'job' a doddle.  Don't be in a rush, there is nothing more expensive than a bad tenant.

Agreed do the viewings yourself, I often bring my family along to an open viewing of a weekend, especially locally, they know the kids that come and can give me a "chav" factor score.

I go with whether I like them or not, any sense of the chip on the shoulder it's a no from me.

Thanks all for your advice, I  will do my own viewings.