Should You Use a Letting Agent to Manage your Let Properties?

Should you use a letting agent to manage your let properties? Well, it depends. A lot of it comes down to having a network of contacts (tradespeople) who can come and do work for you reasonably quickly, at a fair price and who are competent – so in order of importance and frequency of use that means plumbers, then heating […]

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Letting Agent Regulation and Avoiding the Void Periods

Letting agency regulation is looking more likely and why private landlords need to ensure they let properties fast by David Lawrenson of www.LettingFocus.com In last weeks’ blog I talked about trust and how one mortgage lender’s recent move could destroy trust in all lenders – or at the very least ensure all people taking out a mortgage and their brokers […]

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Reservation Fees, Letting Agents and Avoiding the Void Periods

LettingFocus has found some letting agents to be very frit* about taking reservation fees from tenants – and posits some reasons why. Landlords who set out to minimise periods when a property is empty (or “void periods” in the landlord vernacular) always market the property as soon as the current tenants have given notice of their intention to leave. (Of […]

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Rip Off Letting Agency Fees and Tenants

Banning landlords and letting agents from charging fees to tenants simply highlights the fact that many tenants don’t know their consumer rights. Government and local government should be doing more to help tenants and landlords know their rights instead of introducing unnecessary new legislation says David Lawrenson of www.LetttingFocus.com Often tenants are charged for referencing, credit check and inventory costs […]

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Local Letting Agency Model and Councils. Can Local Authorities Make A Success In This Area

In this blog post we say that local authorities face big challenges trying to make a success of the “Local Letting Agency” concept – and we highlight the areas they will have to work hardest in if they are to be successful. Some groups of local authorities are setting up their own local letting agencies – a topic we have […]

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Repeat and Renewal Letting Fees and Why Landlords Should Not Wait to Claim Unfair Charges Following OFT Ruling against Foxtons

Strangely, two consulting clients – one at a bank, the other at a local authority – both asked me the same question today: What mistakes do private landlords make most often? This is an easy one to answer because there are two really common mistakes that amateur (and some pro) landlords make. The first one is that, all too often, […]

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