Are you a landlord who’s looking to sign up with a letting agent for full management? Or perhaps you’d like to take over the management yourself, or move to another agent, but you’re struggling to understand the terms of business and how much, if anything, it’s going to cost you to leave. Very few letting
Letting agent terms of business: termination clauses compared View Post »
With the Renters’ Rights Act having banned fixed term periods in tenancy agreements and adding considerably more complexity to letting property in England, many letting agents have revised their terms and conditions and also how they price services for landlords. However, it is important from both a legal and an ethical point of view that
Letting agents and the law on unfair terms in contracts with landlords View Post »
One of the most important decisions landlords make is whether to use letting agents to find tenants and/or manage the property once the tenants have moved in. Great letting agents and property managers can totally transform the experience for landlords and tenants alike. I’ve personally had two fantastic letting agents who helped me enormously and
How landlords can make a complaint against letting agents View Post »
I receive more emails and messages about unfair terms and fees in letting agent contracts than almost any other topic. The pattern is nearly always the same: the landlord signed the terms of business without reading the small print, and only found out what they’d agreed to when they tried to leave, or when an
Letting agent contracts: small print to check before you sign View Post »
There may be many reasons why a landlord wishes to terminate their property management services with a letting agent. Their circumstances may have changed, and they wish to self-manage, or maybe they’re unhappy with the letting agent. Some agents will take this on the chin and agree to release the landlord without much fuss. However,
How to a terminate property management contract with letting agents View Post »
Did you know almost anyone can set up shop as a letting agent? Unlike solicitors, accountants, and chartered surveyors, agents don’t need qualifications or previous experience. To make matters worse, it’s very easy for someone to set up as a fake letting agent. All they need is a website, access to images of properties, and
How to avoid being scammed by rogue or fake letting agents View Post »
The death of a landlord raises questions on both sides of the tenancy. The family of the deceased may not have had any involvement in renting out the properties, and need to know what they need to do. The tenants need to understand whether anything has changed for them. As for any letting agent who
When a landlord dies: legalities and practicalities View Post »
When Jas Athwal, one of the new cohort of Labour MPs, was confronted by the BBC with allegations that he was in breach of many of his legal obligations as a landlord, he responded: “My properties are managed by an agency, selected for their quick response times and excellent customer service”. Yet, within a short
Why and how landlords must manage letting agents View Post »
Times are challenging for letting agents. The rise of online agents like OpenRent has made it simple for landlords to advertise directly on Rightmove and Zoopla, bypassing traditional agents. OpenRent are the biggest letting agent in the UK, with almost 13% of the lettings market in 2023, and they’re still growing. I’m one of their
