They’re letting agents that don’t have shop-fronts, they operate purely online. The most reputable (and recommendable) online agents have a fully-dedicated support team which can be easily contacted via phone or email, so you’re not just dealing with a dormant website and automated responses- you actually are dealing with real people with experience in the field.

Online agents will market a landlord’s vacant rental across several (if not hundreds) of the biggest UK property portals. The landlord simply needs pay a small fee, upload their rental property details onto the agent’s website, and they will then Advertise Your Rental On Rightmove and various other property portals. The aim is to generate as many enquiries as possible for the landlord. When a prospective tenants makes an enquiry, the landlord will receive that enquiry and is then expected to arrange a viewing.

It used to be a model which catered best for landlords that wanted to take care of the management side of letting; the online agent’s role was to purely source the leads. However, a lot of online agents have evolved their services by offering a fully-managed package, which includes overseeing rent collection and maintenance issues. Having said that, I would probably only use an online letting agent if I wanted the tenant-only service, and I’ll explain why a bit later on.

So if you’re a landlord looking to find tenants, and willing to manage the property, then I would highly recommend using an online letting agent. It’s a much cheaper option than using a high-street agent.

List of online letting agents

Here’s a list of online letting agents, along with the fixed cost for their “tenant-only” service and the portals they’ll market the vacant property on:

What are the differences between a high-street letting agent and online letting agent?

These days, in terms of services, online letting agents can offer most of the services high-street agents can. However, they differ in the following ways (in my awesome opinion):

Local knowledge – high-street agents operate locally out of their shop-front, while online agents operate nationally (so lack local knowledge of specific areas) from an office. High-street agents pride themselves on local knowledge, and feel they have an extra edge with that useful information. Granted, local knowledge is useful in some ways, but in this internet driven world, the importance of local knowledge is declining by the day. Moreover, most agents generate most of their leads from property portals like Rightmove anyways, and local knowledge isn’t even required for a tenant acquisition sourced by Rightmove.

Shop-front / Face-to-face service – high-street agents can offer a face-to-face service. So, for example, if you get really pissed off with their service, you can storm into their shop and punch your agent square in their stupid-looking face (assuming the intoxicating scent of their Old Spice aftershave doesn’t choke you to death first. Only joking). With an online letting agent, you’re limited to communicating via phone and/or email- assuming you’re not a psychotic maniac and prepared to track down your agent, the biggest threat in your arsenal is a string of harsh words, like, “you’re a cunt, mate!”

Price – high-street agents have massive overheads in comparison to online agents, so they NEED to charge more for their services, and that they do! That’s a fact. Those fabulous multi-coloured Mini Coopers don’t pay for themselves.

Enquiries / Viewings – from what I’m aware, this is the one of the few services that online letting agents don’t/can’t offer, and that’s the whole procedure of enquiry handling and taking viewings. High-street agents will receive all the enquiries and arrange/take the viewings, and show the prospective tenants around the property. When you use an online agent, the enquiries are directly sent to the landlord for him/her to take action upon (e.g. arrange viewings). So if you reduce into a wheezing, nervous, anti-social hermit when you’re around strangers, you’re probably going to need the presence of a physical agent.

Inspections – bringing us onto the second feature online letting agents can’t offer, and that’s inspections of the property. Most high-street agents include a quarterly inspection with their fully-managed service. Inspections are imperative, as they can weed out any distasteful practises shown by the tenants at the early stages of the tenancy. Alas, a lot of agents methods of inspecting has yet to be desired- they may as well have walked in with a blindfold on. On the flip-side, it really isn’t much hassle for a landlord to arrange an inspection- plus, you’d probably be more thorough when inspecting your own property.

The tenant-only package is where it’s at!

Currently, the average price for using an online letting agent to generate enquiries across the biggest property portals is £45. Last time I checked, my local high-street agent wanted to charge me £500 for a tenant-find service. And seriously, they are a bunch of inbred wankers, so I would have begrudged giving them money anyways. I’ve personally saved thousands by using this kind of service from online agents. It’s a no-brainer.

As said, I would only use an online letting agent if I was a landlord that wanted to fully-manage my own property, which would mean I would arrange the viewings, take control of collecting rent and handling any maintenance issues. In the defence of high-street agents, if I wanted to use a third party to manage my property, I would want the peace of mind of knowing that I could strut into an office and discuss any issues face-to-face if I was having real issues with my tenant and/or the agents service, so an online agent wouldn’t cut the mustard. Additionally, I’d like to think that a high-street agent would be prepared to physically engage with the tenant if shit really hit the fan, because often a physical presence of an agent can be fearsome.

Either way, from my experience, even when a problem has occurred with one of my properties/tenants, there’s never been a scenario which has been out of my means to resolve. As long as you’re vigilant when screening a tenant, problems should be minimal. It’s never a case of being unable to resolve a situation, it’s a case of whether you can be bothered to resolve it or not. If you ever run into problems, there are plenty of resources online to help you, websites like LandlordZone are brilliant for problem-solving. I would say you could always contact me directly for advice, but i’d be lying- but by all means, make use of my landlord forum, because there are some really cool and knowledgeable folks creeping around in there. If you can’t be bothered with the whole problem solving aspect, use a high-street agent and snap up their fully-managed package. If you slip them a fiver, they’ll probably wipe your arse for you as well.

Ignore the cynics. Online letting agents are awesome

I read an amusing article last week over at ‘Estate Agent Today’ about angry high-street letting agents bitching about online letting agents.

How ridiculous, right? Right.

Essentially, you have a bunch of high-street letting agents complaining that Online Letting Agents (e.g. Upad and LettingAproperty) shouldn’t be able to advertise their properties on Rightmove. I don’t really understand the argument. I’m not even sure there is a problem, beyond the fact that high-street letting agents aren’t able to compete with the low prices online letting agents are charging. But that’s tough shit. They should either change their business model so they can compete; focus on building their “fully-managed” package….or roll over and die.

The consumer (landlord) should be able to choose whether they want the service of a virtual or physical letting agent. Despite common misconception, neither service is better than the other and they shouldn’t be compared, because they’re different services all together, designed for different types of landlords.

So, comments like this, “Some landlords will always be prepared to cut corners and avoid paying a good letting agent. In my experience, many live to regret it” are the remarks muttered by a petulant child. If I don’t need the extras that come with a high-street agent, why the hell should I bloody pay for one? It’s genuinely not a case of “cutting corners”, it’s a case of assessing my needs, and choosing a service based on them. Go figure.

You can ALWAYS use both an online agent and high-street agent

When people talk about online agents and high-street agents, I always get the impression they think it’s an either/or situation. That’s definitely not the case. Actually, I’ve probably given that impression myself. For anyone that’s reluctant about using an online agent, but wants to give it a whirl by ditching a high-street agent and their fees, I would recommend doing the following…

Use an online letting agent- invest £45 into their service, and see if you can bag yourself a tenant. At the same time, use a high-street agent to find tenants. May the best method win. Most agents don’t charge unless you actually USE the tenant they sourced (but double check that with your agent). If the high-street agent sources the tenant, then the worst case scenario is that you invested an extra £45, which in the grand schemes of things, isn’t a big loss. If not, you saved yourself a few hundred quid- go buy yourself a bag of weed, and get high as maaafucker!

But let me expand on how you can still use both online and high-street agents together. If you manage to find a tenant through an online agent, and take on the fully-managed role, but then realise taking on the responsibility isn’t suited to your lifestyle, then you can easily just approach an agent to take over the management. It really isn’t a case of either/or.

On that note, I hope everyone had a good Christmas. I’ll see you in the New year. Have a good one :) xxx

Related posts:

10 Reasons Why You Should Use Letting Agents
Is This Online Letting Agent Advert Distasteful?
An Example Of How Much Extra Letting Agents Charge

I’m no legal bod, but I will quickly go over the basic differences. Hopefully I’ll cover enough of the basics to help you identify which one you should be serving to your tenant.

What is the difference between a Section 8 and Section 21?

Simply, a section 8 notice should be served when a tenant is in breach of contract (e.g. the landlord has grounds for possession). The most common ground for eviction is rent arrears. As long as the landlord has a legitimate ground for possession, he/she can serve the notice at any point during a tenancy. Here’s a more detailed look into Section 8- Notice To Quit Form

A section 21, also known as a ‘Notice of Possession’, should be served to end a Tenancy Agreement so the landlord can regain possession at either the end of the fixed date specified in the tenancy agreement, or if the tenancy has rolled into a periodic tenancy. Unlike when serving a section 8, a landlord does not any reason for serving the notice to regain possession of the property, other than he/she simply wants the tenant to vacate. Here’s a more detailed look into Section 21 – Notice of Possession Order Form.

So basically, a Section 8 should be served when a tenant has done something wrong e.g. fallen into rent arrears. A Section 21 should be served when the landlord simply wants the tenant to vacate the property at the end of the tenancy or during a periodic tenancy.

Some times it’s better to serve a Section 21, even when a tenant has breached their contract

This is a bit of personal tip, something which I’ve learned from experience. While I have said that you should serve a section 8 notice when a tenant is in breach of contract (e.g. the landlord has grounds for possession), there is, as always, an exception, in which it might be worth serving a section 21 notice instead.

If you have valid grounds for serving a section 8 notice, and the current term of the tenancy has either rolled into a Periodic Tenancy or with in or close to 2 months of the tenancy from reaching it’s end date, it’s probably better to serve a Section 21 instead.

The reason for this is because there is a lot less legal hassle and implications when serving a section 21. As said, when serving a Section 8, a ground for possession is required, which can be disputed by the tenant in court, which may prolong the eviction process, and consequently allow the tenant to remain in the property. The landlord will also need to prove to the court that the tenant has breached a condition in the agreement. Whereas with a section 21, as mentioned, a landlord does not need any reason for regaining possession. Even if the tenant refuses to vacate after a section 21 is served, providing the court is satisfied that it has been correctly served; then they are required to grant the landlord possession.

Does anyone else have anything else to add? :)

Related posts:

Section 8 Notice To Quit Form- Evicting Tenants
Section 21 – Notice of Possession Order Form
Notice Of Rent Increase Form – Section 13

A lot of landlords make the fatal mistake of accepting the first tenant that comes along because their primary concern is focused on filling the vacant property as quickly as possible. While that may make the most financial sense to a simpleton, it can actually bear the most cost.

Problematic tenants can be expensive in so many ways. I’d personally rather keep my property vacant a little longer if it means I’ll gain tenants that make me feel at complete ease. I can swallow paying a month’s mortgage out of my own pocket because that WILL be cheaper than harbouring problem-tenants that have no qualms with wiping their arse on the carpet, and other deviant acts that will irritate my aura.

Sadly, a landlord can never be sure how good or bad a tenant is going to be until they actually move in and take tenancy for a few months. That risk factor will always be there, regardless of how genuine the tenants initially seem. However, there are steps a landlord can take to ensure they’re minimizing their risk of harbouring shitty tenants, which brings me to the issue of referencing tenants.

Methods of Referencing Tenants

I’m sure many landlords have their own methods of referencing tenants that differ from mine, but below are a few of the precautions I take as part of my “tenant referencing” protocol.

Gut instinct

I personally believe that one of the greatest tools to identity a rogue tenant is by relying on gut instinct.

I’m sure a lot of landlords have shown prospective tenants around their property and thought, “Hmm I’m not sure I want these people living here”, I know I’ve thought that on many occasions. From my experience, if it looks like a chav, smells like a chav and walks like a chav, it’s probably a chav.

Unless I’m completely comfortable with my prospective tenants, I don’t bother wasting time on trying to convince myself they’ll result in being good tenants.

If your prospective tenants make you feel uneasy, it’s probably for a good reason.

Ask for I.D

Before you even start the process of deciding whether someone is a potential tenant or not, make sure they’re actually who they say they are.

If the prospective tenant seems interested, and you’re also feeling a good vibe, then ask for I.D. I always ask for photo-proof to confirm identification- password or driving license will do nicely.

Use Tenant Credit Check Service

Credit checks are often neglected by self-managing landlords, and that’s a sin if ever I’ve seen one.

I never used to run credit checks on my tenants, but as I gained more experience I realised the quantity of undercover scammers are quickly multiplying like a plague. Granted, credit checks aren’t bulletproof, they won’t guarantee “perfect tenants”, but they will reduce a potentially large risk.

Credit checks basically look into the financial history and current state of an individual. They are relatively cheap, and in my opinion, worth the investment.

In order to perform a credit check, you will need permission from the perspective tenant. The applicant will need to sign a release form, authorizing the landlord/agent to perform the check. Most credit check companies will provide landlords with a form online.

Here is a List Of Tenant Credit Check Services For Landlords. Discount letting actually offer a FREE credit check service for landlords, so it’s not even like cost has to be an issue. There really are no excuses.

Whichever credit check service you decide to use, make sure you know what kind of security checks they’re going to do for you. Some are just pointless.

Tenancy Application Form

I always make prospective tenants fill in a Tenancy Application Form before or during a viewing. It requires the tenant to provide the following:

• Tenancy details: property address, rental period, number of applicants, proposed tenancy start date.
• Tenant’s personal details: tenant’s name, contact details, and time at current address.
• Current Landlord: details about current landlord.
• Referee / Guarantor Details: details about guarantor
• Employment details: current and past employment details, and details regarding salary
• Details about occupiers: details about all the people that will occupy the property
• Other details: details such as smoking status, pet status

The form is useful because it provides details of employment and previous/current landlords. That will allow me to follow up their references and make sure they’re legitimate and have a good track record. Additionally, if I have a vacant property which is receiving interest from several prospective tenants, I will have a neat list of all applicants with all their details. It makes it much easier to manage the applicants details, and determine which applicant is most desirable, which will effectively help me choose the better tenant. For example, I can easily see which applicant has a greater salary and stronger rental history.

You can download and/or find out more details about a Tenancy Application Form.

Assessing Affordability

Regardless of whether your tenant is in receivership of Housing Benefit or a salary from full-time employment it’s important to assess whether your prospective tenant can actually afford your property.

Based on your tenants total monthly income (remember to check recent pay slips), assess whether or not you think they can realistically afford your property and all its added expenses, taking into account a budget for life’s social events.

I’ve seen it happen many times before, where a tenant gets totally excited by the prospect of renting a house which they’ve fallen in love with, and not realising that they can’t realistically afford it. Some times as a landlord, you need to do the maths for the tenant and make a calculated decision. Tenants are often ruled by their heart, neglecting their head. I guess it’s the same when it comes to women and shoes.

If after crunching the numbers, it seems unlikely your tenant will be able to pay the rent for the long haul, it maybe something to seriously think about.

Facebook

Ahh the wonder that is Facebook; probably one of my favourite and potentially most entertaining methods of referencing tenants.

Basically, when someone applies to be my tenant I always look them up on Facebook, by searching for their name and/or email address . 7 times out of 10 (I pulled those odds out of my arse, but they seem realistic enough), the applicant has a Facebook profile, giving me the opportunity to get a snapshot into their life. If lady luck is on my side, the profile will be completely insecure, allowing me to view the entire visual catalogue of the applicant’s life.

I’ve actually refused a tenant in the past based on what I saw on their Facebook profile. You can read about that delightful story here, The Results Of Referencing Prospective Tenants On Facebook.

Conclusion

As said, doing all of the above doesn’t take long at all, and it’s well worth the minimal effort it requires. Moreover, you can do all of the above for FREE. There really are no excuses.

Out of curiosity, does anyone else have any other weird and wonderful methods of referencing? I’m always looking to develop the ways of how I can harass prospective tenants.

Related posts:

Landlord Guide On Protection Against Bad Tenants
The Results Of Referencing Prospective Tenants On Facebook
Landlord Guide On Evicting Tenants

In many cases, letting agents will collect rent from tenants on behalf of landlords and have the money deposited in their own company account, and then pass on the agreed amounts to the landlords. That’s how it typically works anyways. But as the letting agents close down, they’re still able to seamlessly collect rent from the tenants, but fail to make the final few payments to the landlords. Convenient that, innit?

It’s been a growing a problem, and I’ve seen this incident being reported regularly. That is exactly why a new mark/badge called “Safe Agent” has been introduced. The mark/badge makes it easy for tenants and landlords to identify agents who are in a Client Money Protection insurance scheme. The mark/badge exists to encourage landlords/tenants to only use letting agents that are part of a scheme. Look out for the Safe Agent mark/badge when dealing with a letting agent…

What is “Safe Agent”?

Coming at you straight from the Safe Agent website…

SAFE – Safe Agent Fully Endorsed – is a mark denoting firms that protect landlords and tenants money through client money protection schemes.

There are several schemes* in the sector operated by ARLA/NFOPP, the Law Society, NALS and RICS to which agents voluntarily belong. The scope of these schemes varies and you should contact your agent for full details of the scheme of which they are a part.

Landlords and tenants often make decisions based on cost but it is important to ensure you ask your agent for details of the organisation they are regulated by and whether or not they are covered by a client money protection scheme. All agents regulated by ARLA/NFOPP, the Law Society, NALS and RICS maintain and operate separate designated client accounts where your money is held completely separate from the operating funds of the firm. If the agent you are using cannot provide you with the assurance of knowing they are covered by a client money protection scheme the question you need to ask is why not?

So basically, ARLA/NFOPP, the Law Society, NALS and RICS, are all Letting agent regulatory bodies. If an agent has voluntarily joined one of those bodies (they have NO reason not to), then they are covered by a Client Money Protection insurance schemes. Each scheme varies and you should always ask your agent for full details of the scheme of which they are part of. But the important thing is that landlords ensure that they only use letting agents that are part of a Client Money Protection insurance scheme, especially if they use letting agents that is going to handle/control any money.

Finding letting agents that are registered with Safe Agent

You can search for letting agents that have registered with Safe Agent on the Safe Agent website. But bear in mind, just because an agent hasn’t registered with Safe Agent, it doesn’t mean they’re not part of a client money protection scheme, so it’s always best to ask.

If you’re a letting agent that is part of a client money protection scheme but haven’t registered, you may want to register now.

Further reading on finding good letting agents

• Only Use Letting Agents That Are Members Of Regulatory Bodies
• Guide On Picking The Right Letting Agent

Have you registered?

I know a lot of letting agents read my blog, so I’m just wondering if you have registered? If so, when? And if not, here’s a *kick in the nuts/vagina*, and now proceed to explain why…

Related posts:

Is Your Letting Agent Holding Deposits Or Failing To Pass On Rent?
Only Use Letting Agents That Are Members Of Regulatory Bodies
Avoiding Rogue Letting Agents

Landlord Legal Obligations to Electrical Safety

There is currently no law that states a landlord must perform annual electrical safety checks (or any checks at all), so it’s not quite as cut and dried as Gas Safety regulations in rental properties, which stipulates the landlord is legally obligated to get an annual Gas Safety Certification. However, there are various regulations that do apply, but in nearly all cases their requirements only state that systems and equipment must be safely installed and safely maintained.

Failure to provide safely installed and maintained electrical appliances can lead to prosecution as it is a criminal offence. Possibly penalties for failing to comply are as follows:

• Your property insurance may be invalidated
• A fine of £5,000 per item not complying
• Six month’s imprisonment
• The Tenant may also sue you for civil damages
• Possible manslaughter charges in the even of deaths

These regulations are enforced by the Health & Safety Executive. To avoid legal prosecution, it is advisable for landlords to have periodic checks done by a qualified electrician.

Electrical Saftey Regulations

As said, there is no statutory obligation for landlords to have professional checks carried out on the electrical system or appliances. However, under Common Law and various statutory regulations: The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, The Housing Act 2004, The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994, and the Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994, both of which come under the Consumer Protection Act 1987, there is an obligation to ensure that all electrical equipment is safe.

Moreover, under Part P of the Building Regulations, it is a requirement that certain types of electrical work in dwellings, garages, sheds, greenhouses and outbuilding also comply with the standards.

In all cases, a competent electrician must carry out the work. In order for the landlord to perform DIY electrical work, he must belong to one of the Government’s approved Competent Person Self-Certification schemes or submit a building notice to the local authority before doing the work himself.

Electrical Safety measures landlords should take:

The rule of thumb with any safety aspects in a rental property is, manage your property well and the risks are minimal, but manage it badly and risks are high.

Landlords are advised to make visual inspections and have periodic checks carried out by a qualified electrician.

Here are a few safety procedures that should be followed:

• Keep supplied appliances to a minimum.
• Ensure that all fuses are of the correct type and rating.
• Make sure appliances supplied are complete and in working order – keep purchase receipts.
• Ensure that flexes are in good order and properly attached to appliances and plugs.
• Ensure that earth tags are in place.
• Make a note of all fuse ratings on the inventory.
• Ensure that plugs are of an approved type with sleeved live and neutral pins.
• Ensure that plugs and sockets conform to BS1363 or BS1363/A for heavy duty uses.
• Pay particular attention to second hand equipment – always have these items checked.
• Ensure that operating instructions and safety warning notices are supplied with the appliances.
• Make sure that tenants know the location of and have access to the main consumer unit, fuses and isolator switch.

Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) in rental accommodation

Portable Appliance Testing (commonly known as PAT or PAT Inspection or PAT Testing) is a process in which electrical appliances are routinely checked for safety. The correct term for the whole process is In-service Inspection & Testing of Electrical Equipment.

• If the property is an HMO (Houses in Multiple Occupation) you are required by law to provide yearly PAT (portable appliance testing) certificates for all appliances.
• Any second hand equipment MUST be PAT tested by law. That’s why charity shops no longer accept electrical goods – it would cost them too much to administer!
• Technically, any equipment returned from service or repair MUST be PAT tested and carry the requisite sticker

Extra notes

On a final note, it’s always strongly advised that every landlord should make absolute carertainty they are complying with the appropriate electrical safety regulations to ensure that all electrical equipment supplied is safe. Get periodic inspections of electrical equipment by a qualified electrician.

Related posts:

Gas Safety Certificate For Landlords
Landlord Health And Safety Precautions
What Landlords Should Know About ‘White Goods’

Over the last few years I’ve written crazy amounts of blog posts about how landlords, even the most novice, can successfully find a tenant without using letting agents for the purpose of saving £1000′s on fees. I’ve dedicated an entire section on this blog to Marketing & Finding Tenants. But now, I want to comprehensively discuss “why” landlords should consider taking matters into their own hands.

Why should landlords should consider going it alone

A common misconception is that letting agents provide us with a skill set which can’t quickly and easily be duplicated by the average person/landlord. We assume that they have an advantage over us by having all the trade tools and resources. In reality, that’s just a smokescreen perception. All agents provide us with is a service which we don’t know enough about to confidently duplicate. But when you break it down, it’s not really that difficult or time-consuming to learn the essentials, which will enable us to find and manage tenants for ourselves.

As long as you stuck to the golden rules of buying a BTL, which simply consists of buying a suitable property in a suitable area, there is no reason why a letting agent should be vital in your Landlording crusade.

I think the main edge agents have over regular folks is “local knowledge”, but I genuinely believe that’s not as powerful or useful as once before, especially in the modern world, where the Internet has become such a dominant provider in daily life. Most agents rely on widely available internet services to find tenants. They use tools we can all tap into; we just need to be shown where and how. Consequently, “local knowledge” has become redundant in a sense, especially when the enquiries are flooding in via the means of online marketing.

I’ve seen high-street agents charge between 8%-15% of the rental return for their services, depending on the type of service. The most basic service agents’ offer is typically a “tenant-only” service, which is where an agent will find a tenant and leave the management role up to the landlord. On top of that, most “novice” landlords will buy the legally required extras from the agent (e.g. Energy Performance Certificates (EPC’s) and Gas Safety Certificates) simply due to ease and ignorance. Using letting agents for those extra services is not the cheapest option because they subcontract other companies to provide them, and most agents add their own premium to make money from the referrals. So it’s easy to see how and where the costs add up.

Let me show you how the figures stack up with a real example:
Let’s assume an agent has found me a tenant willing to sign a 12 month agreement. The rent is £1000 per month. Based on the lower end 8% fee, an agent would charge £960 as a fixed annual fee for their service. On top of the regular service charge, most agents charge a renewal fee, which means I would need to pay an additional annual fee if I wish to keep the same tenant after the 12 months expires. As you can see, the cost can easily escalate, and it usually does.

Over the past 3 years I’ve not used an agent once, and my cost for finding tenants has been £0 – £100.

So, it’s your call, you can either spend £1000 on an agent, or learn how to do it yourself and spend £0 – £100. It’s a no-brainer for me. Remember, a buy-to-let investment is a business, so it’s about keeping costs down.

Of course, my example only took into consideration the “tenant finding” aspect. There’s more money to be saved when independently looking for companies to provide you with an EPC and Gas Safety Certificate, as opposed to going through an agent to acquire those legal documents.

Agents can get it wrong, and they often do!

One very important point to remember is that just because agents charge a fee to find tenants, it doesn’t mean the prospective they find will be any better than then one you can find yourself. I’ve had an agent charge me &pound750 only to find me a tenant that fell into 2 months worth of arrears almost immediately. I eventually had to evict her, which was an added cost.

If you think you’ll always get a better quality of tenant from an agent, you’ve been grossly mislead. Most agents do standard reference checking on their applications. Clearly, the referencing isn’t bullet-proof, regardless of how it’s done.

My point is, going It alone can be just as risky as using a letting agent in respects of the return in tenant quality.

Tenancy Agreements and Landlord legal responsibilities

A lot of landlords get scared away of going it alone because of the complications behind Tenancy Agreements and other landlord legal obligations. Again, this is a common misconception, because it really isn’t that complicated.

You don’t need a specialise solicitor/lawyer to draw up any contracts. There are hundreds of reputable Tenancy Agreement vendors online. All you need to do is download one and fill in the missing spaces. Most of it is self-explanatory. Same applies with Tenant Guarantor Forms.

I do stress though, it’s important you get the correct documents from reputable sources.

Regarding the other legalities, here’s a list of Landlord Obligations / Regulations.

Resources which may help landlords find tenants

As mentioned, I have written a whole heap of resources which covers this topic in depth. But I quickly want to mention a few of the most relevant/useless which I think you should definitely check out…

• Complete Guide For Landlords That Don’t Want To Use Letting Agents- this guide covers all the steps a landlord should typically take if they want to go it alone. I highly recommend this resource. Everything is listed in order, all you need to is stick to the path.
• A Guide to finding tenants – a long list of ways to find tenants quickly and cheaply, including how to Market your rental on Rightmove (by far the best way to find tenants, in my opinion. It’s also how most agents find the majority of their tenants).
• eBook – Death Of The Agent – Ultimate Guide On Finding Tenants Without An Agent – I wrote this eBook last year and it’s been updated several times with fresh content to keep up with the changes. It’s the most comprehensive guide I can offer you on how to find tenants and handle all the legal issues. Everything I discussed in this blog post is explained in more detail. I’m not just saying it for my own benefit, but it’s definitely worth purchasing (£3.99). Don’t blame me if it sucks, though.

Hold on though, letting agents maybe perfect for you!

I’d just like to clarify that letting agents aren’t perfect for everyone, but at the same time, they might just be perfect for someone.

Letting agents have their uses, which I won’t and can’t deny. For example, if you’re the type of landlord that doesn’t want to deal with the chore of finding or managing your own property, then letting agents are perfect (if you don’t mind paying the premium).

But I warn you, while you may feel like you’re taking a back seat position when employing the services of a letting agent; reality can often have an entirely different agenda for you.

Letting agents will take care of the day-to-day management, but remember, if your tenant turns rogue and defaults on rent, the responsibility and stress will always fall back onto the landlord’s lap. That is unavoidable.

I’m not trying to take anything away from letting agents here. They know their industry and they know how to find tenants. They’re trained at their jobs and know the shortcuts. However, I just want to make it clear that there are other options.

Related posts:

Techniques Tenants Can Use To Avoid Letting Agent Fees
Finding Tenants Using A Letting Agent
Finding Tenants Without A Letting Agent- Mission Accomplished (Part 5)

Before I decided to have a clear out this morning, I had over 200 webpages bookmarked. As I was sifting through the pages I couldn’t fathom why I had bookmarked half the pages that I did. However, on a few occasions, I was reconnected with some nice articles, one of which I’m going to share right now…

I read the article on the Lovemoney website over a year ago. Admittedly, I’m not an avid reader of the website. Albeit, fate connected me with this particular article. It’s nothing amazing or ground breaking, but I liked how such a simple and practical idea was put across. It’s the simple things, innit?

The article is quite long, and I only really liked one section of it (I didn’t dislike the other sections, but this one bit just stood-out), where the author explains the difference between the value of a pound and the value of a percentage, and how we get it wrong.

Let’s say you want a DVD. In the shop down your road it costs £20, but with a short drive into town you’ll have it for £10, saving a massive 50%. So you decide to drive into town.

The next day, you want a new TV. On your street it costs £1,000, and in town it’s £990. At £10 less, that’s just a 1% saving, so this time you don’t drive into town.

Somewhere, you’ve made a mistake. The saving in both cases is £10. So do you want that £10 or don’t you?

Love it. I want that £10! I just needed reminding.

This analogy applies to every consumer (which is all of us). Somewhere along the line we forget the real value of the pound, didn’t we?

I don’t like buying cheap junk, whether it’s for myself, or any of my buy-to-let properties. However, I do like the idea of saving money where it can be saved. I’m pretty sure if we put the value of a pound before the value of a percentage, overtime our balance sheets would look a lot healthier.

This is probably a pointless blog post to most of you, but it’s a nice reminder to myself, so I thought I’d quickly jot it down. However, I hope it reminds at least one of you out there what the real value of a pound is, even when purchasing something as basic as a toilet seat.

Related posts:

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What are break clauses in Tenancy Agreements?

A Break clause is a clause in tenancy agreements provide an opportunity for the tenant and/or the landlord to give notice (typically 2 months notice) during the fixed-term of the tenancy to end the tenancy early. Essentially, either party can “break” the tenancy before the end date, as long as the correct procedures are followed.

However, it’s important to note, even if the tenancy does include a break clause, the Housing Act 1988 prevents the court from awarding possession to a landlord until six months into the tenancy has passed from the beginning of the agreement, unless the landlord is using one of the seventeen statutory grounds for possession, in which case the landlord has rights to evict the tenant and should serve a Section 8 Notice. So, break clauses typically stipulate that they can only be enforced 6 months into the fixed term of a tenancy.

Here is an example of a break clause (please do NOT use it, this may not be valid):

20 Mutual breaking clause
Any time after six months of the initial fixed term of this tenancy either party may invoke this break clause by providing a minimum of 60 days written notice to the other (such notice to expire on the last day of a rental period of the tenancy). At the end of such notice the tenancy shall end and all obligations and responsibilities shall cease; subject nevertheless to any claim by either party against the other in respect of any breach of any of the terms and conditions of the agreement.

Giving notice

The landlord is required to provide at least two months notice to the tenant if they wish to enforce the break clause by serving a Section 21 Notice. So for example, if the tenancy starts on 1st of January, the landlord should serve notice on April 1st, which means the tenant should vacate on June 1st (6 months from when the tenancy began).

If the tenant wants to enforce the break clause, they must also give 2 months notice to the landlord by serving a written notice (not a Section 21) after 6 months into the tenancy. The tenant should serve a written document with signature, surrendering the tenancy.

Please note, the correct party should receive the notice before or on the day of those dates.

Why the break clause is used

Break clauses really are about flexibility for both tenant and landlord. They provide landlords/tenants the opportunity to break a tenancy if personal circumstances change. This could include scenarios such as relocating for work related purposes, or even because the relationship between the tenant and landlord turned sour.

The reason I don’t use break clauses

As mentioned, I don’t use break clauses in my tenancy agreements, the reason being is that they don’t seem convincingly reliable (from what I’ve read and been told), which makes them kind of scary to me. Let me explain…

Assuming that the landlord has enforced the break clause by serving the tenant notice after 6 months into a 12 tenancy agreement. If the tenant stays in the property after the expiry, the landlord will need to issue Court proceedings and ask a Judge to order possession. The Judge will then look at the break clause to see if it is valid. If the Judge is not happy with the clause the landlord will not get possession.

The break clause is one of those clauses that can be drafted and interpreted in many ways (apparently). If the clause is clearly drafted and equally fair to both parties, the landlord will have a better chance of getting possession. However, if the clause is poorly drafted and deemed unfair (e.g. if it is in the favour of the landlord), it is very unlikely that it will be valid. Unfortunately, when the landlord has got to this stage they will have incurred a Court fee of £175 and possible Solicitors costs.

To be fully enforceable in law, break clauses need careful drafting with a high degree of legal expertise – these agreements should be drafted by a solicitor or barrister, or obtained from a known reliable published source.

The preferred alternative to a break clause

Personally, I’d rather just issue my tenant with a 6 month tenancy agreement. That way, even if the tenant fails to vacate after 6 months, the Judge should give me possession immediately because the tenancy has expired, no questions asked.

If after the 6 months tenancy both parties are happy to continue the tenancy, then the tenancy can either roll onto a Periodic Tenancy or a new tenancy agreement can be issued.

Issuing a 6 month tenancy just seems much safer and reliable because there’s little margin for error in comparison.

Surrendering a Tenancy

If a tenancy agreement does not contain a break clause, but both landlord and tenant want to break the tenancy earlier than the fixed date, then they can both surrender the tenancy. This can just be a written document that states both parties agree to terminate the tenancy early, with both parties signatures.

If the landlord does not agree to the surrender, the tenant will be contractually obliged to pay rent for the entire length of the fixed term. If it is the landlord wishing to have the property back, the tenant is entitled to remain in “quiet enjoyment” of the property and the landlord is obliged to follow the statutory termination provisions at the end of the term.

Do you use break clauses?

Do you use a break clause in your tenancy? If so, I’d be interested to see what it says. Would you mind copy/pasting it? Also, has anyone ever enforced the break clause?

Related posts:

Can My Tenant End A Tenancy Agreement Early?
Tips On How To Check If Your Tenancy Agreement Is Any Good
6 Tenancy Agreement Facts That Are Bullshit

Last week a tenant of mine moved out. On his last day, we did a final inspection of the property together. I was left pleasantly surprised. Everything actually looked in good condition, besides from a few scuffs, which was marked off as “wear and tear”. I also let a few other issues slide (e.g. nail polish stains on the carpet), but nothing major.

On the basis that the property seemed acceptable, I returned my tenant’s deposit (of course, it was held in a Tenancy Deposit Scheme).

Now, during the inspection I thought I had covered all the pivotal stop-points. Apparently not. DOH!

Before I go into details, I’d just like to make it clear that tenants are expected to return the property in the same condition that they received it in, minus any wear and tear!

The area I forgot to check…

Oven & Extractor Fan

I only went and forgot to check INSIDE the oven and under the extractor hood, didn’t I? It was only during one of my viewings that I noticed how FILTHY the appliances were. Fortunately, the prospective tenants didn’t notice, I managed to swerve them away from the hazard.

When my ex-tenant started renting the property, the oven and extractor was newly fitted so I knew they were clean as a whistle. However, a year later, and the oven is smothered in thick, greasy, donor kebab residue. It actually looked like the oven was used as a bird aviary because it looked like a flock of birds had shit all over the place. The extractor was glazed with a similar coating but with added layers of thick dust and lint that had stuck to the congealed mesh on the air vents. It’s amazing people can live like that. It genuinely makes me sick to the stomach. It also makes me question their personal hygiene, a topic of discussion which I don’t particularly want to go expand on.

Here are some pictures I took on my low quality camera-phone so you can get a rough idea of what I’m talking about. Although, these images really don’t do justice to the degree of filthiness I was subjected to:

Would you really cook food using those appliances? The thought of making dinner in that oven literally makes me want to rip my stomach out via my throat. It looks like bird shit, I wasn’t wrong, right? Regarding the extractor, you can actually see a trial of grease, where at some point, grease was clearly dripping down from the hood. Even the buttons are buried in grease. Tragic.

You know what’s most concerning about this situation? My tenant is a headchef. Un-fucking-believable. Some of you may remember last year, when I blogged about another greasy sly-fuck tenant that left the entire kitchen smothered in congealed goose fat and God knows what else, and he was a Surgeon. This time round, the situation wasn’t as bad because it was only the oven and extractor fan, but it’s still worrying when someone with a professional obligation to carry high levels of hygiene standards can’t be bothered to maintain those standards after working hours (i’m praying to God they’re maintained during working hours. Benefit of the doubt).

Anyways, the thick grease was so prominent in the oven and extractor that I had to hire a professional oven cleaning company to handle the situation. They came around, took the extractor hood and oven apart and got to work. The service cost £59, and they were there for 3 hours. That included oven, extractor and three racks and grill pan cleaning. It’s cheaper if you just want the Oven cleaned alone.

Oddly enough, I didn’t even know there was such a thing as a “Professional Oven cleaner” for domestic ovens before this incident occurred. I was actually contemplating the idea of replacing the entire oven because I didn’t think it could be restored to its former glory. However, I’m a Google/Internet fiend, so naturally my instincts forced me to enquiry into “Professional Oven Cleaners” To my surprise, I discovered that there are tonnes of companies out there that offer the service.

If I had spotted the condition of the oven and extractor during the inspection, I would have made my filthy tenant clean the oven and extractor himself. Oh well, lesson learned.

Pro oven cleaner at work…

The end result

Looks like new, right? I was genuinely impressed with the service. I never thought for one second the end result would be so sparkly. And for £59, I thought that was good value considering how long the process took.

The areas I usually check (and did check this time)…

Outside/Inside Bins

Always check that the bins are completely empty. It should be the tenants responsibility to dispose of all rubbish before they vacate the property.

It’s common for properties to remain vacant for weeks during the viewing process. During that time, if there are unpleasant products left in the bins, it could kick up a stink (especially in the summer) and attract wildlife. That’s not exactly the most welcoming situation to present to prospective tenants during a viewing.

It’s also worth noting that while the property is vacant, landlords can apply for council tax exemption (I ALWAYS do this- even if it’s for a few days). During the exemption period, the garbage men aren’t meant to empty your wheelie bins. So I would ensure the wheelie bins are also emptied if you’re planning on being exempt from council tax.

Make sure storage units are empty

Kind of a no-brainer, but still worth mentioning. Tenants often have a habit of leaving junk behind (at least from my experience). Most of the times it isn’t intentional, but a lot of the times it is because they’re too lazy to do it themselves.

Check all storage areas for hauls of junk, like drawers, cupboards, garage, loft, and attic. Make sure everything is removed, otherwise the new tenants will only make you do it.

Removing items like furniture and boxes of junk is time-consuming, boring, and can some times be costly. Don’t take on the added responsibility. Disposing of tenants items (even after they have vacated) without consent can also land the landlord into legal battles.

Furniture

Check furniture
If you’re providing a furnished property, make sure every item is still there (it’s easy to forget what came with the property some times) and in working order. You should have an Inventory Form to assist with the process.

Check around and under furniture
Oh man, the amount of times I’ve had tenants try and strategically place furniture in an attempt to cover up shit stains on the carpet is unbelievable.

Ensure to check around and under all furniture because you never know what could be hiding.

Moving out furniture
A lot of damage is often caused when moving furniture in and out of a property. So don’t contemplate doing a full inspection and/or returning a deposit until ALL the tenant’s furniture is removed from the property.

Drains

A few years ago one of my tenant’s left me with a blocked drain. I actually didn’t pick up on this until the new tenants complained. Basically, the old tenants had blocked the outside drain by pouring ungodly amounts of fat and rice grains down the sink during their 3 year tenancy.

That was NOT a cheap fix. I had to call Dyno Rod (notorious for being expensive), and it cost me like £150 to resolve the issue, as the blockage transpired from 15feet below.

Ensure all plumbing in general is working properly.

Windows/Doors

Check to see if all doors and windows are in the condition they were given in. Particularly check to see if all doors and windows open and lock properly. A few years ago a tenant of mine tried to get away with this shizzle:

You can read the full story here: I’ve Fallen Out With My Ex-Tenant Over Her Security Deposit – in retrospect, that was amusing.

White goods

Check to see that all appliances that were provided with the property still work. Do NOT take your tenants word for it. Physically switch all items on to test they still work.

Keys

Make sure you have all sets of keys returned before returning the deposit. Don’t accept excuses like, “oh, I only have one set of keys with me, I’ll drop the other set off next week”

They’re unlikely to drop it off if they’ve already got their deposit back. Getting keys cut is annoying and an unnecessary expense.

Take meter readings

On the final day of your tenant’s departure, it’s a good idea to take ALL meter readings (gas, electricity and water) together so you have the same figures.

Tenant’s usually contact all their service providers, providing them with the final meter readings. But it’s always a good for the landlord to follow through with a phone call to ensure that firstly, the tenant has informed the appropriate companies they’re vacating, and secondly, the meter readings are correct.

Final note

Remember, as soon as your tenant’s vacate the property and the deposit is returned, it’s extremely difficult to claim back any damages you notice after. So it’s imperative to check everything thoroughly during your final inspection. I also can’t stress enough how vital an Inventory Report is to help assist with this process.

Each rental package is unique, so each property may have a unique checklist, which the landlord should appropriately adhere to. However, most aspects I listed above should apply to most rental situations.

Finally, does anyone else have anymore tips/stories to share?

Related posts:

Letting Agent Or Landlord Responsible For Securing Deposit Into A Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme?
I Haven’t Protected My Tenants Deposit Into A Scheme With In 14 Days
Check Behind And Under The Furniture

Lettingaproperty.com Discount Code

Lettingaproperty.com are currently offering propertyinvestmentproject.co.uk readers £20 off their most popular silver package. The normal price is £79 (VAT INCLUDED), but you can get it for £49 + VAT.

Simply sign up to Letting A Property’s Silver package and enter their DISCOUNT CODE: PIPWEB20.

Enjoy :)

I recently used the website lettingaproperty.com to advertise a vacant BTL property to find tenants. Letting A Property is one of those websites that will take your property details and market it across the UK’s biggest property portals like Rightmove, FindAProperty, Primelocation, Property Finder etc. If you want to get massive exposure to your vacant BTL, those are the websites you want your property advertised on- there is no substitute.

The problem with those property portals is that they don’t deal directly with private landlords, they only deal with letting agents. An individual landlord won’t be able to go onto one of those portals and market their property directly. Fortunately, such things as “online letting agents” (e.g. lettingaproperty.com) exist, and they act as a gateway, allowing landlords to upload their property onto those portals.

What these “gateway” sites allow you to do is upload your property onto their own site, and then they will export your vacant property details, along with hundreds of others they are currently marketing, onto the bigger portals.

Most high street agents use websites like Rightmove and Findaproperty to market their properties, and a lot of the times, that’s how they generate their leads. So actually, by using one of these “gateway” websites, you’re harnessing one the strongest marketing tools a high street agent uses. It’s no secret.

Most of the gateway websites charge an average fee of £50-£60 (fixed rate) to distribute your property onto the bigger sites, which is still extremely cost effective in comparison to using an agent. Agents typically take a percentage of the rent achieved for a “tenant find” service, and they usually end up charging hundreds (top-end of the hundreds).

There are several websites that offer similar services, each with their unique list of features. I’ve already tried a few of them. Here’s a full list of websites that allow Landlords To Advertise Rentals On Rightmove And Other Property Portals. If you’re a landlord and don’t mind taking the viewings yourself, I would definitely recommend using this alternative, as opposed to a high-street agent.

My thoughts on, and experience with Letting A Property

I agreed to give lettingaproperty.com a complimentary spin on the basis that I was allowed to give a full review to my readers, even if that entails pulling their website apart and dragging their good name through a sweltering pitt of diarrhea. The Director, Jonathan Daines, was more than happy to agree to those terms because he’s always trying to better the service. Based on customer feedback, he’s already made several changes this month. I like that.

I previously used Upad’s Find A Tenant Service and wrote a similar review of My experiences with Upad’s Tenant Find Service. I remember how impressed I was with their setup, so I was intrigued to see how Letting A Property would compare. On a side note, I’ve heard from the grapevine that Upad are currently in the process of overhauling their entire website, and it’s one to watch out for. Interesting.

Cool. Game on, so let’s go…

Did I find tenants with their service?

Yes, I certainly did. I found suitable candidates with in 2 weeks of the advert going live. Not bad going.

How many enquiries did I receive?

I received 17 enquiries in exactly 1 month. I think that’s pretty good. I certainly received a healthy amount of interest.

Granted, a few of the applicants weren’t suited, but that’s going to happen regardless. For example, a few of the applicants couldn’t move in for another month or so, and that was way too long for me. I didn’t want the property vacant for longer than 2 weeks. However, this is all subjective and has no reflection on the service Letting A Property provided.

Pricing Overview

Letting A Property offer 4 different packages.

It’s not entirely clear on which websites your property will get listed on for the £9 package (they should state that), but I’m assuming it’s only on their website (lettingaproperty.com), and not on the major portals. Personally, I wouldn’t bother with that package. I wonder how many people actually opt for that package and have any luck.

I personally tried the Silver package, which costs £69.

What I liked about Letting A Property

• It works
  Obviously, the service worked. After loading my property onto the Letting A Property website, my advert was exported to hundreds of property portals with in 24 hours. I received plenty of enquiries, and I found suitable tenants.
• Free tenant referencing
  They offer a FREE tenant referencing service. Basically, you can instruct them to reference your prospective tenant. They will contact their employer, current landlord and carry out a 6 year credit check. There is no charge to the Landlord for this service.
• Enquiry notification
  Every time an enquiry came through, I got an email and a text message. I liked that. This is particular useful for those that don’t have smart phones which receive emails.
• The information provided in the enquiry emails were quite useful. They included:
  • Tenants name
  • Tenants Contact Number
  • Tenants Email Address
  • Tenants Employment status
  • Details of whether they have pets
  • When the tenant is looking to move
  • Preferred viewing time for tenant
  • Best time to call tenant

  I thought that was all pretty useful because in some cases there was enough information to tell me whether the applicant was suitable or not, even before contacting them and/or giving them the opportunity to view the property. Avoids a lot of time-wasting.

• Customer Service
  I had a personal customer service rep that was always informative and contactable (this makes a big difference). Oh, BIG shout out to my rep, Thomas. He was always friendly and useful! He actually contacted me on a regular basis, I didn’t have to contact him. That was cool shit.
• Enquiry handling
  Another feature I liked about Letting A Property is that they handle all the calls from a call centre, and then send the applicants details to the landlord in an email. That way I knew what the tenants credentials Were beforehand, and it allowed me to contact them in my own time. Other services I’ve used attach a unique 0845 number to the adverts that got redirected to my mobile, which meant I had received and handled all the calls. That also meant I had no information on the prospective tenant calling. Personally, I prefer the email method. Obviously, some landlords may prefer getting the calls direct. So this is more of a personal preference of mine, as opposed to a “positive”. Going forward, maybe the landlord should have the choice of how they want to receive their leads. That would be a neat feature.
• 24 hour Appointment line
  This is pretty self-explanatory, but it’s a good feature. Prospective tenants can make appointments during any time. This also continues from my previous point, landlords won’t receive calls at ungodly or inappropriate times, because they’ll always go to the call centre.

What I disliked about Letting A Property

Ahh this is slightly irritating. While I was playing around with their system, I wrote down a list of faults (there were quite a few), or at least aspects which I didn’t like. But now, when I log back into their system, I see they have had a revamp and improved the interface and user ability by 10-fold. They actually fixed a lot of the problems I had highlighted in my notes. Good for them, but kind of disappointing because now I have only a few negative things to say. Shame.

• Listing bug
  I assume I experienced a bug (it may have been resolved with the revamp) when I loaded my property details onto their system. For some bizarre reason their admin control panel was showing that I had loaded the same property twice (when I didn’t). I then deleted one of the entries thinking it would resolve the problem, but for some reason, that deleted both of the listings. I was mega confused. I couldn’t fathom what was going on. But on the plus side, their system picked up that I was struggling to load the property because during the battle, my customer service rep called me and asked if I needed assistance! He then did something at his end and listed the property for me, so I didn’t have to enter the details all over again.
• “Unknown number”
  Where are my fellow players that HATE answering “Unknown number” calls? Raise your hands up in ‘ere!!! I’m genuinely scared when I see “Unknown number” flash up on my mobile screen, consequently I rarely answer them. No one in the history of time has ever called from a withheld number carrying good news.

  On several occasions, my customer service rep tried contacting me from a withheld number, so I ended up missing a lot of the calls. I just think it’s slightly unprofessional to withhold a number. I like knowing who is calling me. Maybe that’s just my personal gripe though. Either way, it was one of the most irritating features about the service.

• “Pause” functionality
  Like so many other of these websites I’ve reviewed, they lack a “pause” button (unless I completely missed it- in that case, they should make it more obvious).

  A pause button would be useful in an event of a deal collapsing. For example, I may have found a tenant, so I may want to stop the advert to prevent further enquiries coming through. However, for many reasons, deals don’t always work out because the tenant/landlord may change their mind. So the landlord may need to try and find a tenant again. Currently, you can’t pause an advert, all you can do is completely terminate an advert. If a deal collapses after terminating an advert, I would have to pay another fee to get the same property listed again. Just seems unfair and a waste of money to have to do that. These should be a pause/unpause feature so you can relist the same property. Obviously certain restrictions would need to apply, so landlords don’t start taking the piss by trying to scam the system, but that’s easy enough to implement.

• The price
  Actually, saying I dislike the price is a bit harsh and inaccurate. I don’t dislike it at all. The service is definitely worth the price, and you can see where the money is spent. However, there are cheaper alternatives which allow landlords to advertise on Rightmove and the alike. Granted, the cheaper alternatives probably don’t provide the extra trimmings like a 24/7 appointment booking service or tenant referencing. But I know from experience they DO work.

Would I pay to use Letting A Property?

Yes. For shizzle.

As stated, I initially struggled to load the property onto their system. However, the fact they picked up the problem and contacted me for assistance was impressive. Secondly, the overall service I received after I loaded the property more than compensated for the initial hickup. Moreover, as stated, that particular bug I experienced may have been squashed during the recent revamp.

Letting A Property’s slogan actually states that they’re “The UK’s No1 Online Letting Agents” – would I agree with that? I honestly can’t answer that, but they’re pretty damn good.

Thanks to Letting A Property

I’d like to give a big thank you to Letting A Property for giving me the opportunity to try out their service. I’d especially like to thank the Managing Director, Jonathan Daines, and my customer service rep, Thomas Foley, for all his assistance. We had a good thing going on.

The best way to find tenants

I would recommend EVERY landlord to use a combination of the FREE landlord marketing services I’ve previously mentioned and Websites That Allow Landlords To Advertise Rentals On Rightmove And Other Property Portals (there are cheaper, but not necessarily better alternatives to Letting A Property), to find tenants.

For a complete guide on how to find tenants without a letting agent, you may want to purchase my Ebook – Death Of The Agent, The Ultimate Guide On Finding Tenants without An Agent.

Has anyone used Letting A Property or any other similar service?

If anyone has used any other service like Letting A Property, or even Letting A Property itself, please tell me how it worked for you. Additionally, if you have any suggestions on how to improve Letting A Property’s service, or these types of services in general, I encourage you to speak up!

By the way, does anyone plan on using a website like Letting A Property in the future?

Disclaimer

I’d just to clarify, just because Letting A Property worked for me by generating enquiries, it doesn’t mean it will work for everyone!!

If anyone has any questions about Letting A Property or any of other websites that offer the service, fire away!

Related posts:

My Experience With Upad.co.uk To Find Tenants
My Experience With Discountletting.co.uk To Find Tenants
My Experience With Letmatch To Advertise A BTL On Rightmove