Are you a landlord and are unhappy with your letting agent? Many landlords choose to put up with poor service from their letting agent rather than having to deal with the hassle of switching agents in the middle of a tenancy. Most will wait for their current tenancy to end and will then make a move. Others won’t even do that fearing that all letting agents are the same and that changing will be more hassle than it’s worth. This apathy is what bad letting agents rely upon but it doesn’t need to be that way.
Not all letting agents are the same! I believe that a letting agent should be providing you with excellent service, expert knowledge, professionalism and helpful advice from when they first start finding you a tenant to when that happy tenant leaves.
I believe that happy tenants make happy landlords as the happier your tenant is with their home the more likely they are to stay longer thus avoiding any rental voids and the more likely they are to take good care of your property.
If you are unhappy with your letting agent’s service then it is highly likely that your tenant is too.
So what can you do? The first thing is obviously to talk to your letting agent. Discuss your concerns and ask them how they will be dealing with these and what they will be doing in future in order to avoid these concerns arising again. This conversation may be enough to alleviate your worries. Just remember that actions speak louder than words. If you feel you are simply being placated each time you raise an issue then it may be a sign that it is time to change agents.
Before that though you will need to check the contract that you have signed with them. Is there a notice period that you need to give or a fee you have to pay in order to cancel the agreement mid-tenancy?
Once you have found this out everything else is easy. Choose the new letting agent that you would like to take over managing your property. Don’t forget to check reviews and get recommendations from people you trust.
Once you have informed your current agent that you intend to change agents your new letting agent can take over. They can collect all the paperwork and arrange for the name of the managing agent to be changed on the tenancy deposit scheme.
If you are changing your agent in the middle of a tenancy you should give your tenants a call to assure them that it won’t affect their occupancy at all. Then your new agent can pop around to meet your tenant, do a quick property inspection, ensure that all paperwork is up-to-date and give them the new bank details that they will need to start sending their rent to.
That’s it, all changed. It’s much easier than most people think it will be. Then you can relax knowing that your property is being looked after and you no longer need to worry about it.
If you are a landlord and are not 100% happy with the way that your letting agent is managing your property then give me a call on 01245 202 579 and I will be delighted to discuss how I can help you to make renting out your property stress-free.
