Services That Letting Agents Provide and Whether You Should Take Advantage of Them

There are some letting agent services that are universal. Many agencies also offer other services, though, that property owners find very useful. All agents advertise the properties they represent. They will create a text description of the property and take photographs for potential tenants to see. The advertisements will be published in various locations. Usually, an agency has this information posted in their offices and on their website. Additional ad placement may also be part of their services.

Rent collection is another service that most agents offer. This can include going to the property to collect the rent in person or it may involve handling money sent to the agency by the tenants. Depositing the rent money for you is also usually part of this. At some agencies, you may be able to decline this service, but others may require it. Regardless, many people choose this service for the convenience.

Full-service agencies will offer a range of additional services that may be part of the early or late stages of the process. Some agents offer a lot of pre-rental help, such as advice on upgrading the property to make it more desirable to tenants. This may be limited to advice or may include having the agent hire the contractors to do the work, as well. If you intend to let a furnished property, the agent may provide decorating and furnishing services to help you. Click here to learn more.

Some agents offer to vet tenants for their clients as well. This will include receiving applications and checking references, including credit ratings, to make sure that the tenants are appropriate for the property. Some property owners leave the entire process to the agent, including selecting the tenants. Look at the Battersea letting agent here.

After the property has been rented, an agency may also offer property management services. If you ask your agent to do this for you, they will handle all of the regular maintenance on the property. They will answer calls from tenants for services, for example. When the property is vacant, the property manager will handle the work of getting the property ready for new tenants, including making repairs and improvements and arranging for thorough cleaning.

The amount of services you should have an agent handle for you depends on several factors. If you've let properties in the past, then you may feel more comfortable handling these aspects of the business on your own. If you have no desire to work as a landlord full time, though, you may wish to work with an agent for all of these services, regardless of your experience level.