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In general it is probably fair to say that the best landlord will produce a better value for money option than the best agent. However, the worst landlord could make your life far more miserable than the worst agent. Finding the right landlord could be very difficult unless you get lucky. We sincerely hope that the letting agents or landlords you deal with are honourable and professional. If in doubt seek professional advice.
An accredited agency - i.e. one that is a member of one of the main governing associations will usually mean that you have:
- Peace of Mind.
- Contracts that conform to legal requirements.
- Greater choice of properties.
- Better quality of properties - usually!
- Call out / emergency contact numbers for when things go wrong.
Fees for almost every thing you can think of!!!! Read our guide to hidden fees first!
BritBound Says - Although using a letting agent often means less chance of being ripped of, it does often mean you tend to pay more in rent and any amount of fees in the process. Finding a fair and honourable landlord can be a challenge but they do exist. So long as you judge well, know your rights and have an assessed contract in place, you could land yourself a more favourable arrangement.
Accommodation agencies are more often called letting agents or estate agents - every high street here in the UK is lined with estate agents - the property market here is huge and therefore there are agencies catering for every type of property hunter on the market. Letting agents are essentially private companies that let properties on behalf of landlords . Agencies can specialise in Sales or Rentals. More specialist smaller companies can be found to deal specifically with House & Flat Shares.
The main high street chains tend to have two sections, a 'Rentals' and a 'Sales' so you normally need to say which one you want if you call or visit them. Agencies are fee charging and usually charge fees to both the landlord and the prospective tenant - this is how they make their money.
- In a property finding capacity (signing you up for a house and then handing the tenancy over to the landlord).
- Manage your property acting as an intermediary between you and the landlord.
BritBound says - Read our guide to hidden fees so that you can question the various costs agents include.
When you find an agency you will need to ask them several questions before deciding whether they will be any help to you.
- Find out which area the agency deals with - agencies tend to cover a certain area - if they are part of a chain then they may refer you to a different branch if they can't help with your area.
- Ask them if they send out lists of properties - especially handy if you are still overseas.
- Find out about the costs involved, deposits, moving out costs, cleaning etc. Use our guide of fee charging areas to find out what their costs are going to be.
- Ask them to tell you what information you would need to provide if you decide to go ahead.
- Find out the minimum rental terms and the penalties incurred for breaking your contract.
- Whether they are accredited with any particular organisations.
On these websites you will find lists of estate agencies and also useful information about letting - what to look for / watch out for etc.
ARLA - www.arla.co.uk The Association of Residential Lettings Agents (ARLA) was formed in 1981 as the professional and regulatory body for letting agents in the UK . ARLA members are governed by the Code of Practice providing a framework of ethical and professional standards at a level far higher than the law demands.
NALS - www.nalscheme.co.uk National Approved Letting Scheme
ARMA - www.arma.org.uk Association of Residential Managing Agents
UKALA - www.ukala.org.uk The UK Association of Letting Agent
NAEA - www.propertylive.co.uk National Association of Esta
BritBound says - Your own house or flat needs careful planning & preparation - read the rest of this guide first!
The Yellow Pages - www.yell.com - The Yellow Pages is a huge directory of businesses supplying services to the trade and the public. A copy is delivered to every street address - private & business. From Plumbers & Taxis, Restaurants to Football clubs, you'll find a company to help in here. The directory is regional so your copy is for your surrounding area.
The website will require you to enter the area or postcode where you require the company to be based. So key in Estate Agencies and your town and you will get a whole list of companies in the area.
Local Agencies - www.newspapersoc.org.uk - An excellent site that will give you a list to all the websites of your local papers. Search to find them by region (you will need to know what county you are going to be living/working in first). Browse the papers on-line site to see if they have an on-line classifieds section where you can see the adverts placed privately and through agencies. If nothing else they will give you a good idea of what the approximate prices will be.
www.findaproperty.com
www.londonpropertyguide.co.uk
www.net-lettings.co.uk
www.intolondon.com
- When you call or visit an agency you will need to first register with them - remember that they cannot charge you to register with them. They will ask you questions about where you are looking and the price range.
- You can then specify how you would like to be contacted - phone / e-mail and then when properties come along that meet your requirements then they can inform you.
- If you are still overseas then try and join up to their e-mailing list so you get sent suitable properties that match your requirements.
- Once you have found a place that you would like more information on, then call them up for a viewing - they will accompany you to the property and you can have a look around. Many agencies will also take you by car to view a selection of properties so make sure you are happy to accompany them and always have someone else with you if doing this - the more observant one can be taking notes while the agent does his sales talk!
We are often quick to complain about using agencies, the fees they charge etc, however the reality is that they are central to a successful move and will offer the widest variety of properties and assistance with necessary arrangements.
Before approaching letting agents, demonstrate your commitment to finding somewhere by doing a little bit of research to establish what is available. In particular establish the following:
- Rent - what prices are typical, can you get what you think you want at the price you want.
- Type of Property - Do the agents actually deal with your type of property? i.e do not apply to them for a place in halls. Only the minority are interested in letting out rooms within houses.
- Specifics - If you desperately need a city centre flat with a garden, you may have to be more flexible on other issues. Make sure you explain to the agents what you can and cannot be flexible on.
- Length of Tenancy - most agents will expect you to sign a contract binding you for at least six months. Specifying a time shorter than this will significantly reduce the response you get.
- Apply at the Right Time Although it varies from area to area, agents are much more likely to be interested in you if you are looking to move in soon. We tend to find that anybody looking more than 2 months ahead of their intended moving in date does not get a good response from agents.
- Be Easy To Contact - Always do your best to help them out by giving them as many ways as possible to contact you. Return their calls and be flexible on viewing times. If you make life easy for them and demonstrate commitment to finding somewhere, they will invariably do their best to help you out. A phone number with an answering phone that kicks in when you are not available will definitely help your cause.
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