|
 |
 |
ADVICE ON LETTING AGENTS |
|
> What are the pros and cons of renting off a letting agent |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
Using a letting agent is the favoured option
of the majority of rental home hunters. Using one should hopefully guarantee
a certain standard of service and you will always have the fallback of a
business with a professional reputation to uphold should there be any
dispute anywhere along the way. A good lettings agent will work efficiently
on your behalf, be professional and courteous in all their dealings, ensure
that the description of the property is accurate and make certain that the
property adheres to gas and fire regulations.
On the other hand, you will have to pay them an occasionally hard to justify
fee for the work they do, they are usually less flexible than a private
landlord (you will not normally be permitted to have pets in your home, for
instance) and not every agent is as professional as they might be. Follow
our advice below, and you should be able to avoid many of the traps and
tricks that catch some people out:
How to deal with Letting Agents
• Expect to leave your details with a fairly high number of agents and not
exactly be inundated with calls. They will only ever call if a specific
property comes on their books within a week of you leaving your details with
them.
• If they have nothing that's specifically right at that time, they'll keep
your details on file, but not for very long. They will expect you to have
found a place within a week and for you to contact them if you haven't, not
the other way round.
• Keep phoning them every day if you want to stay ahead of the competition.
• Sometimes landlords will accept offers if the property has been hanging
around with little interest.
• You may be able to get agent to reduce the price but only if it is by an
amount that makes it not worth their hassle showing more people round. Try
offering £5 less per £100 of weekly rent on the property. Be prepared for
rejection though - landlords are well aware that a small weekly reduction
adds up for the landlord over a long period of time.
Other Points
You should never be asked to pay to view information about, or the addresses
of properties, nor to register your interests and needs. According to the
Accommodation Agencies Act of 1963 this is illegal, but it is a practice
that still happens from time to time. If it does happen, contact your local
council, as they have the powers to prosecute.
When you use a lettings agent, there may be certain charges that you incur
before being able to move into a property. These may include referencing
charges, preparation of inventory, drawing up of tenancy agreements,
administration costs etc. Administration costs can include such things as
postage, phone calls, printing charges and so on. |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
No Coverage
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
