Renting Direct From A Landlord Or A Letting Agent

Introduction to Renting a Home

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Viewing a Home

Renting Directly from your Landlord

Advantages

• The landlord will often only charge a minimal fee or even no fee at all for checking references and credit history.
• Dealing with a landlord direct, rather than through a letting agent, cuts out the middle-man and can speed up requests for repairs.
• Renting direct from a landlord can build a stronger relationship between the landlord and tenant, which can minimise the potential for a tenancy dispute.

Disadvantage

• Without a letting agent there is very little legal redress should issues arise such as failure to carry out repairs.

Renting through a Letting Agent

Advantages

• Finding a home through a letting agent can give you a wide choice of properties to view.
• Renting a home through a letting agent can give a tenant a right of redress through The Property Ombudsman scheme should disputes occur. This right of redress is only available to agents that are registered with the three main letting agents' trade associations. Ensure that the letting agent is a member of one of the Association of Residential Letting Agents, National Association of Estate Agents or the National Approved Letting Scheme, before renting a property through them.

Disadvantages

• The letting agent will charge fees to the tenant for administrative costs, which can be in the region of £150 per person.
• Having an agent can slow down a landlord's response to problems as it creates another tier to deal with. A good letting agent should arrange with a landlord provision of a fund for emergency repairs in case the landlord is away or cannot be contacted.

See also: Find Letting Agents

Introduction to Renting a Home

Table of Contents

Viewing a Home