Letting Agencies & Property Services

Letting agencies act on behalf of landlords, some finding tenants for properties whilst others manage properties themselves so that the landlords never have to deal with the tenants. Letting agencies are generally easy to find, the majority advertising online or in local papers as well as most local advice centres such as the Citizens Advice Bureau having a list of agencies available.

Many people would say that when at all possible, you should avoid going through a letting agency when finding a property to rent, principally due to extra commission costs and copious amounts of paperwork. However, if your search is very detailed, or you have specific requirements and do not mind these extra commission costs and paperwork, then going through a letting agency may be the best idea; sometimes it might even be necessary to go through a letting agency, if you are looking for a property with special features such as disabled access.

Since there are so many letting agencies around, there are bound to be a mixture of good and bad services on offer; it is always beneficial to get a recommendation from a friend or fellow student of an agency through which they have let* a property; this way you will know which agencies to avoid and which ones to trust. Additionally, the 'National Association of Estate Agents', or the NAEA are a government-funded agency, available to give advice before you decide to deal with an letting agent. For more details see also Advantages of Letting Agencies and Disadvantages of Letting Agencies.

* Letting is the official term for renting a property.