Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Choosing the Best Letting Agent: A How-To Guide

The work of a letting agent involves helping one to find the perfect property to let even though the property is owned by a private landlord. It is the responsibility of letting agents to take care of all business dealings between the proprietor and the tenant as well as manage various properties that are in their custody. As a result, a huge group of tenants never liaise with their landlords personally but instead go through the letting agents.  Here are the facts you need to keep in mind as you register with a letting agent:


The best letting agencies are registered with self-regulating trade bodies


Many experts will advise you to use letting agents in Banbury who are members of an independent trade organization. Before a letting agent can become a member of an independent trade body, they must provide some form of money protection plan as well as procedures of dealing with conflicts and complaints. This will cushion you against loses if the letting agency closes its doors to the public. Sometimes letting agents may not be members of independent bodies but participate in various undertaking such as nationwide letting schemes. Complaint procedures that are designed to protect the tenant are just a few amongst these standards. As a tenant, you can also trust letting agents who have the Safe Agent mark.


Things that a letting agent from Hamptons lettings shouldn't ask a tenant to pay for


Before signing the contract with a letting agency, it is important to understand some of the things you should never pay for. No legitimate letting agency should ask you to pay for registering with them, obtaining a catalogue of available properties or asking for a refund if you don't get suitable accommodation. It is a criminal offence to ask for these charges. If some seemingly legit letting agents asked for any of these charges and you gave in because you didn't know better, it is time you contacted Trading Standards and get your money back.


Letting agent fees



Legitimate letting agents are open about charges like the administrative fee, which takes care of small things like checking references, tenancy agreement preparations and making inventory. Most (if not all) letting agents will also charge you to renew an expired tenancy agreement. It is important to keep in mind the fact that housing benefits that you receive won't pay for these fees. With some comparison shopping, you can find an agency that does not have these charges. Some letting agents will ask you to pay an unspecified amount of money the moment you sign the tenancy contract. Until you agree to tenancy, a letting agent must never charge you.

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