Important Guidelines for Selecting Good Letting Agents in the UK

There are many landlords in the UK who feel that a letting agent is absolutely necessary. While, there are others who would manage their affairs on their own.  There are quite a few landlords who would also entrust their homes or properties to real estate agencies. There are several important aspects that you will have to consider before you choose letting agents in Wakefield or any other area in the UK. First and foremost, you will have to see what services are being offered by the letting agents. Then, you will have to see which services you will need the most. 

The most comprehensive service offered by letting agents in the UK are generally termed as ‘full management’ services. With these services, you don’t have to move an inch�"the letting agent will do everything on your behalf. One thing to be noted here is that you will have to pay a higher amount for comprehensive services. 

Full management generally encompasses searching for tenants, drawing up contracts, collection of rent from the tenant, and dealing with issues such as repairs and maintenance. If the cost of letting agents services is too high, then you can cut down on the services. For example, you can only ask the letting agent to find the tenant and draw up the contract. The rest can be taken care by you. This is a good deal if you are prepared to collect the rent on your own and also take care of the maintenance problems. It is very important for you to understand the service fee structure of the letting agents in the UK. 

There are two main ways in which letting agents are charging customers these days. These two ways are: On a fixed fee basis or on a proportion of rent basis. Estate Agents in Milnthrope generally charge customers on the percentage basis. This percentage needs to be mutually decided and it would generally range between 8 to 10%. 

If there is any estate agent who is charging a higher percentage, that is more than 12%, he or she needs to be immediately discarded. If you are selecting the fixed mode of payment, then you will have to negotiate very well with the letting agent. For simple tenant finding services, you can offer a flat rate to the letting or estate agent in the UK. It is very important that you select a letting agent who is reputable and fair. You can check out if the letting agent is attached to any trade associations. For example there are three main trade associations in the UK that letting agents may sign up for. 

These are the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA), the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA), and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. When you get into a conversation with a letting agent, you can ask if he or she is affiliated or a member of the aforementioned associations. If yes, then you can easily do a background check on the letting agent by using references from the associations. Most trade associations have a code of conduct that needs to be signed by the members. So, you can be sure that there will be no malpractices or unfair practices with the affiliated letting agent.      

Author's Note

Move Now Properties is your local agent offering an experienced, professional and highly efficient service for both landlords and tenants. Estate Agents in Milnthorpe will help you in finding the better options for you.