Approaching a Letting Agent to Rent

MorecambeChris

Hi,

I am moving out of my parents therefore i am looking to find somewhere to rent.

There are many properties in the area but they are all by different estage agents.

My question is will they charge me to walk through the door. As i don't want to be stuck with one agent waiting till a property comes available, incase another comes available under a different agent, but i have already paid to register with the first.

Thanks, Chris

fiodyl

Ive never paid a fee to be registered with an agent.

Usually I would look on right move to find a place Id like to rent then contact the agent to arrange a viewing first.

First exchange of money would be a holding fee, then admin/credit check fees, and finally deposit and rent in advance once the tenancy agreement is signed.

chewmylegoff

MorecambeChris wrote: »

Hi,

I am moving out of my parents therefore i am looking to find somewhere to rent.

There are many properties in the area but they are all by different estage agents.

My question is will they charge me to walk through the door. As i don't want to be stuck with one agent waiting till a property comes available, incase another comes available under a different agent, but i have already paid to register with the first.

Thanks, Chris

just to add to the above, the holding deposit is usually 1 week's rent.

admin / credit check fees can vary wildly, ask the agent right at the start to give you a full run down on what they will charge you to move in - avoids a nasty surprise later. also make sure you ask whether they have included VAT as all their charges are vatable but some of them quote you the price net of VAT.

last tenancy i signed i had to pay something like £150 in charges - that was in london, it probably isn't as bad elsewhere.

if anyone asks you to pay a registration fee then walk away.

register with as many agents as possible so you get the widest choice of property to look at.

Lil2002

Remember, they want you! If I were you, I would call a few and find out what they charge. Ask specifically about any and all charges. Some agencies charge only the credit referencing fee, some charge a whole lot more for not quite sure what, lol!

This way, instead of falling in love with a property, and then feeling ripped off when the agency starts listing fees, you can stick with the ones with lower costs from the beginning.

Jo_R_2

At the agency where I rent the house I'm in now, they required:

*a holding fee when you found a house you were interested in, which 'reserved' the house for (I think) three or so weeks whilst the agency acrried out credit checks

*a referencing fee for them to carry out credit checks, IIRC there is a one-person fee and a two-or-more fee depending on how many want to be tenants

*a deposit equivalent to one month's rent and a month's rent up front

Never had to pay a fee to 'register.'

From renting a handful of different houses in my area for a while, this is a rough guide. Some agencies, for example, request higher deposits, and then there might be some extras such as if you choose their contents insurance (I've never done this but it is always required.)

I also heard the agenct I'm with at the mo ask for an amount 'on top' of the usual deposit for a house if someone wishes to have pets. Something I overheard about the extra costs incurred through cleaning when a tenant leaves, if their pet leaves fleas or whatnot. Never had pets so don't know if this is a usual thing!

Tassotti

If the LL is local, meet him and neotiate without the LL finding out.

Saves fees on both sides.

I didn't say tat by the way

Jo_R_2

Tassotti wrote: »

If the LL is local, meet him and neotiate without the LL finding out.

Saves fees on both sides.

I didn't say tat by the way

It's funny you should say that, although the house I'm in now is through a letting agency, it was only the initial stages. I pay my rent directly to my LL, whereas before letting through an agency the DD has gone directly to the agency. The agency also instructed me to deal directly with the LL with any queries about anything, whereas before I had to call the agency.

chewmylegoff

Jo_R wrote: »

It's funny you should say that, although the house I'm in now is through a letting agency, it was only the initial stages. I pay my rent directly to my LL, whereas before letting through an agency the DD has gone directly to the agency. The agency also instructed me to deal directly with the LL with any queries about anything, whereas before I had to call the agency.

that's because letting agents offer two different services:

1) managing the property - they do everything: find the tenant, collect the rent, arrange repairs etc. they usually charge the landlord 10% of the rent or even more for this, and of course make money off fees charged direct to the tenant when you move in.

2) finding a tenant - they charge the land lord a lower fee (not sure what, maybe a flat fee or 1% of the rent or something) but all they do is find a tenant and do the reference / credit checks.

MorecambeChris

Thank you very much guys.

Really appreciate it.

I will be going round them all looking for a property now.:beer:

Notlob

It is illegal for agents to charge a registration fee.

They can only apply charges when you have found a property.

Lots of property websites have auto email facilities. Don't rely on the agents to keep you posted, register also with the various websites.

Notlob

tbs624

MorecambeChris wrote: »

My question is will they charge me to walk through the door. As i don't want to be stuck with one agent waiting till a property comes available, incase another comes available under a different agent, but i have already paid to register with the first...

:eek:
It is illegal for an LL or a LA to charge a non-specific “registration fee” to anyone who is looking for somewhere to live, ie to simply put you “on their books”.

Please report any LA/LL who tries to use this practice to the local Council's Private Sector Rentals Team.

An LA/LL may charge a fee to cover their admin, legal and references costs but only when, and if, you are actually entering into a tenancy agreement. They can ask you for a holding deposit if you have agreed to take a specific property but have yet to sign the contract.

If you are asked for any fee by a LL or a LA always get info on the full amount payable for everything, exactly what the fee/deposit is for, and confirm that it is returnable if you do not proceed with an agreement. Get this info in writing as part of the receipt. If the tenancy agreement includes clauses about renewal fees , you *can* negotiate since renewals involve very little work by a LL/LA.

Rather than using LAs you could try going via the local LL Association (Google, Yellow Pages or local Chamber of Commerce for contact number) or have a look on vivastreet, letalife etc for LLs who self manage their properties. That way you are likely to only have to cover the cost of the “credit check” rather than fees for this, that, & much more besides (plus VAT)


Edit - for further info on illegality of some "registration fees"- see http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/family_parent/housing/finding_accommodation.htm#accommodation_agencies
and http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/advice_topics/finding_a_place_to_live/renting_privately/letting_agencies