High Street ea V online ea

fishpond

I am going to rent out a property.
I have ample time to conduct viewings+doing ref checks, etc.
Do you good people recommend High Street ea's or online ea's as I am
failing to see why I, and a prospective tenant, have to pay a HS ea silly amounts of money to do what?
My last experience with a HS ea was not a happy one.
Any thoughts or experience on the subject most welcome.

daisygirlmac

There's good and bad for both options:

High street EA:
Some (not all) are very good, and can help guide you through anything which needs doing. You get good local exposure as well as online advertising, they may have a list of people who have registered as looking for properties. Some areas get very good results from advertising in the local paper, this is usually included as part of your package. It creates distance between you and any potential tenants - you wouldn't need to be the one who said no if someone was unsuitable. Most LAs will prep all the paperwork as well, eg a tenancy agreement, prescribed information, an inventory.

Online:
You can find a cheap package so very moneysaving. You get to meet and vet any potential tenants.

I think it depends on how confident you are that you can deal with it. Would it be worth asking an agent to just find you a tenant then you manage the tenancy? You'd get all the advertising and paperwork but then would be able to keep all your rent. You need to decide what you actually need...if you don't need a LA then just put your property online! Just make sure you are familiar with the regulations (EPC, gas cert etc) as well as the deposit legislation.