How to find good letting agents

A letting agent can not only find a tenant for you they can also manage your property too, which may be particularly useful if you live a long way away or simply don’t have the time.

USING A LETTING AGENT TO FIND A TENANT 

If the agent is just finding a tenant for you, you need to make sure that their ad for your property will be uploaded to all the big portals like Rightmove to maximise their marketing and reach the highest number of tenants.

You also need to check that they will be carrying out thorough reference checks. I know many landlords who got tenants from hell from letting agents who did not check out prospective tenants properly. 

So you simply MUST check that they are doing this part of their job by asking to see at least some of the references they have obtained and speak to the prospective tenant yourself before any let is agreed.

Check what you are paying the letting agency for. Will they be doing an inventory check when tenants move in or will they even be doing the inventory at all? Is there an extra charge for this service? How good is the inventory they are going to do? Ask to see a sample of one done in the past.  

LETTING AGENTS AND CONTRACTS 

Check the agent's contract carefully and negotiate on the renewal fees they charge if the tenants decide to stay on. 

If the tenants simply move onto a periodic tenancy at the end of the fixed term, there is really very little (if any) work for the agent to do so they should not be charging you extra for this (though many still "try it on" - especially in London.)