The Top 10 Advantages of using a Letting Agent
Letting your property through a letting agent can be mutually beneficial for landlords, tenants,
and the letting agent alike. Here’s a list of the advantages you can expect to gain when
dealing with a quality letting agent:
1. Higher Rent Values and Faster Occupancy Letting agents are experts in assessing
potential rent values and have a good grasp on market conditions, trends, and
demands. They will advertise on a number of different websites and make use of local
newspapers. For these reasons a good letting agent will get a top price where rent is
concerned and quickly find a suitable tenant to occupy the property. Martin & Co
Camberley use over 10 major websites and property portals to advertise lettings, the
likes of Zoopla and Right Move—as well as advertisements in local Camberley
newspapers.
2. Finding Suitable Tenants Finding the right tenants can be a costly process, not to
mention time consuming. An accomplished letting agent has the capacity to carry out
the appropriate checks that lead to a suitable tenant. Martin & Co Camberley carry out
identity and residency checks on all applicants, obtain credit, employer, and current
landlord references. If an applicant is found to have a clean history but is deemed
financially uncertain they are asked to provide a guarantor or provide full settlement of
rent in advance. They also have the capability to acquire international referencing if
there are any NonUK applicants.
3. Flexibility A good letting agent needs to offer a flexible service to each client. Some
landlords only require assistance with tenant finding, whereas others, especially those
managing multiple properties, need a more comprehensive solution. Martin and Co
Camberley offer tailored service solutions to suit the needs of any landlord. There are
4 main levels of service: Fully Managed, Investment Management, Rent Collection,
and Tenant Finding.
4. DaytoDay Property Management Whether it’s a busted boiler or pesky pest control
problem, maintenance of your property is a foregone conclusion. Letting agents should
have a comprehensive network of tradesman available to contact. Bigger problems
require a higher level of organisation, meaning the letting agents need to liaise with
tenants to arrange when work can be carried out on the property. Dealing with these
obstacles can be a time consuming process. A good letting agent has the ability to
efficiently solve maintenance issues, and in doing so will free up your time
considerably.
5. Solving Tenant Issues Over the course of a tenancy agreement there is a chance
that issues may arise beyond that of the maintenance work mentioned above. For
instance, a tenant locking themselves out of your property. Problems like these often
arise at inconvenient times. Letting agents are equipped to deal with these issues and
do so on a daytoday basis. Martin & Co Camberley can even offer tenant support
during hours that might otherwise be deemed unsociable. This is an important offering
that helps maintain a favorable relationship with tenants.
6. Prompt action over late payment Perhaps a landlord’s biggest worry is whether or
not their tenants will pay the rent on time. Late payments are sometimes unavoidable
but chasing one can be strenuous. Letting agents have experience in rent collection
and chasing late payments. They will often have cover in place to ensure you are
always paid. Martin & Co Camberley offer services like Rent Guarantee and free
Eviction Cover.
7. Peace of Mind A private landlord faces many pitfalls: invalid notices, incorrect claim
forms, unprotected deposits, disrepair in the property, drawing up the wrong tenancy
agreements...the list goes on. Landlords have many legal obligations that can be
easily forgotten. Letting agents can take that burden and fulfill the majority of a
landlord's obligations on their behalf. Letting agents must also adhere to stringent
practises and are often members of various trade bodies, like the UKALA and The
Property Ombudsman. You can also breathe easy in knowing that correct legal action
will always be taken.
8. Advisory Services Whether you're a first time landlord or have an impressive
portfolio, investing time staying up to date with the lettings market and everything that
entails, would be a lengthy process. Letting agents stay up to date with all the latest
legislation, the latest revision to stamp duty for instance, and are therefore well placed
to advise you on a number of different matters. Martin & Co Camberley can serve in
an advisory role in landlord insurance, tax and legal matters, and property preparation.
9. Fees tax deductible Letting agents fees can be offset against your rental income for
tax purposes. Money spent on maintenance, repairs, landlord insurance, and interest
on buytolet mortgages are also tax deductible—basically, any cost associated with
your property.
10. Additional Services Sometimes it’s the little things. Martin & Co Camberley offer
many extra services that offer protection for both landlords and tenants. To name a
few: Eviction Cover, Comprehensive Inventory Service, Rent guarantee, Property
Preparation for Letting, Check Out procedures, and Property Visits.
To find out more about the advantages of letting your property with Martin and Co Camberley,
get in touch:
t: 01276 691510
e: giles.mugford@martinco.com
w: www.martinco.com/lettingsagents/camberley