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• 5 Reasons Tenants Should Use A Good Letting Agency

If you are searching for a home to rent, you are likely to have a choice between finding a property through a letting agent or browsing small ads and websites for places advertised directly by private landlords.

It can be tempting for property owner and tenant to try to negotiate a direct agreement in the hope that both parties can avoid paying some fees, but at Eastwood Homes we prefer to use a good letting agent for our rental properties in the Dinnington and Holmfirth areas.

Doing so has a range of benefits for landlords, but using a letting agent also has real advantages for tenants - and not just a greater choice of homes.

1) Legal protection

There are lots of rules and regulations governing tenancies, and an experienced letting agent will have established procedures to ensure they are all followed. This means you can be certain your tenancy agreement is legal and that the tenancy deposit protection scheme is used.

Check to see that your letting agent is a member of The Property Ombudsman, as this means they have to meet certain standards when dealing with you.

2) Point of contact

A letting agent will act as the point of contact for any issues during the tenancy and will always be available to discuss things with you in working hours. There is no guarantee an individual landlord will be contactable when you need to speak to them.

3) Better maintenance service

Reputable letting agents have a list of reliable tradesmen they can call on at any time to carry out repairs at the properties they manage. Not all individual landlords are as well organised and it can take some time for them to arrange for work to be carried out (for example, if they are on holiday when the problem occurs).

4) End of tenancy process

A good letting agent will follow a tried and tested process for tenants when they move out, including things like a thorough inspection of the property, inventory check, final utility bills and the return of the deposit.

While an agent works for the landlord, this type of process also protects the tenant and ensures you will not be hit with unfair charges or deductions from your deposit when you move out.

5) Handling disputes

An established letting agent will have dealt with hundreds of tenancies over the years, meaning there are very few issues they have not encountered before. If as a tenant you end up in a dispute with your landlord, the agent will know how to resolve it quickly and fairly.

Click here to view details of the rental properties Eastwood Homes currently has available, or here to read our guide to renting a property.