Letting agents are the most common service used by rental home searchers as they can typically provide an array of properties each meeting the requirements of the tenant. In the UK a number of bodies exist such as ARLA (Association of Residential Letting Agents) and NALS (National Approved Letting Scheme).
It is through the work of bodies such as these that customers can expect a certain level of service from letting agents nationwide. Advisably however, all would be renters and landlords should check that any particular agent is a member of an official body before enlisting their services.
The reason it is so important to use approved letting agents is that as they are signed up to a scheme or association, they are supposed to follow the body's codes of conduct. Fundamentally this means that customers, both tenants and landlords have a form of official response should any issues of contention arise during the rental period.
Effective letting agents will always work hard to find prospective tenants to find a suitable property. Ideally they should have an affable character and should be courteous in all dealings. Part of their work should also be to ensure that information on listed properties is up to date and truthful. Of especial importance is the responsibility of letting agents to ensure any properties up for rent meet all safety regulations concerned with fire and gas usage.
This all comes at a price however; letting agents will always a charge for the administrative tasks they carry out. Typically they will be less responsive to private landlords although this is in no way representative of the entire industry. For instance, while a private landlord may allow pets or smoking in the property, many agencies have rules against this sort of activity.
When trying to find a rental property, would be tenant are advised to give their details to as many different letting agents as possible. If looking for a specific type of property there is the chance that finding such a home will be difficult; hence it is important to play the percentages and enlist the services of as many agents as possible.
If it is is taking too long to find a property it is likely that you will go to the bottom of the pile of prospective tenants, hence it is always advisable to make a nuisance of yourself and phone the agency on a regular basis enquiring whether any properties have become available.
Remember that agents should never charge simply for the purpose of viewing properties and property information. This is in fact illegal and if it is forced upon you it is advisable to notify authorities; particularly the local council. However, before the tenant is able to move into a rental property it is often the case that letting agents will charge for services before the rental period has begun.
These charges are for services such as referencing, inventory preparation, the authoring of tenancy contracts and other administrative tasks. Unfortunately these charges are a necessary evil of renting and must be paid before the moving in date.
Hopefully this article has highlighted some of the issues surrounding letting agents and why it is vitally important for renters and landlords to ensure their chosen agent is a member of ARLA or a similar group. With the assurances that professional responsibility brings it is possible to find the perfect service that will lead to years of renting bliss.
Author Resource:-
Property expert Thomas Pretty studies the work of letting agents and how their services can make the rental process far easier.
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