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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