Is it worth going to a letting agent?

AdamB

Whilst renting, I've never used a LA to find a place, always used local paper. Generally speaking, where does everyone find the better places/landlords? Through LA or by local newspaper/ads in shop windows?

Pupnik

I found mine online but it is through a large local letting agent who manages a lot of properties. If I were looking through private ads the thing I would be wary of would be landlords who don't do things by the book, such as not securing the deposit and not using a thorough inventory system. That isn't to say there aren't plenty of private landlords who are very good, but be sure to ask the right questions and get all the right paperwork.

Cuckoo1

I would always use a letting agent. We do and they have never let us down. The letting agent we use has private contractors that they send out if anything happens with the house eg: boiler breaking. They're always very prompt and we've never had a problem.

My brother rents privately and his boiler broke on Christmas day. The private landlord took almost 3 weeks to get it replaced (saying he couldn't find contractors over Christmas - but clearly wasn't willing to pay premium call out charges).

We used Rightmove to find our rental property.

Hope that helps a little.

Benji

It really depends on your finances. If you can afford an agents fees, and have nothing to fear from credit checks or references, then I would say that agents give you much more choice and the properties on a 'decent' agents books will always be up to a certain standards.

Remember, not all properties on an agents list will subsequently be managed by that agent - most offer a 'find only' service to landlords as well as a management service.

If you can't afford the fees, or the credit check is a problem, then you are going to have to find a landlord advertising privately. Increasingly, these landlords do (and charge for) credit checks too.

I do not usually use an agent, but a warning about 'private advertisers'. It is in the interests of the landlord to get the best tenants possible. If the landlord isn't prepared to spend money on finding a good tenant (for his benefit) how likely is he to be keen to spend good money on repairs for the tenants benefit? For this reason I would always be cautious of properties advertised on 'free ad' type sites / papers. There are excellent landlords on these sites, I am sure, but beware.

FATBALLZ

I've always used letting agents but if I ever have to rent again I'll be taking a good look at private ads first. It used to be you could apply through a LA and if you were successful you'd pay your deposit and first months rent and move in. Now you have to shell out hundreds in dubious referencing and credit checks and if they decide not to take you on you're left skint and with nothing to show for it. They've been piling on the charges over recent years and it has gotten to ridiculous levels. Not to mention they sell themselves to landlords on the basis of 'frequent inspections', which generally means harassing the tenants every 3 months and intruding on their home life.

tbs624

Strangely, s ome Ts feel that they are getting a better property or a "safer" deal if they use an LA, who has a shiny office and a couple of red mini coopers.However, there is no guarantee than going via an LA means that ( a) your deposit will be dealt with as it should be and/or (b) you'll get a quicker repairs service. Anyone can set up in business as an LA - no quals or training required. What a T can certainly be sure of , as Fatballz says, is that they will get slapped for some very hefty "admin" charges.

Many "professional" LLs never use LAs and advertise & manage their own properties efficiently. A local LL association should be able to give you contact info and/or the local Council's private sector housing officer may hold a list of "accredited" local LLs.

It's also worth Ts placing their own "accomodation wanted" ads in their preferred areas.