If you have an investment property to let or if you will be away from your own house for a few months and are thinking of letting it, you have the choice between trying to let it privately and using the services of letting agents.
For a basic fee a letting agent will find a tenant for your home and draw up a lease contract, but for a larger percentage of the rent, he or she will also act as the landlord in your absence. That is, if there are any problems in the house such as a broken boiler or if the tenant locks himself out, they go to the letting agent.
It may seem like a chunk out of the rent each month but many people prefer the peace of mind that they have from using the services of a letting agent, especially if they are out of the country and not easy to contact.
A good letting agent will carefully vet the tenant instead of letting the first person through the door with the deposit to move in.
They will also keep an eye on your property to ensure that it is being treated with respect. And when the tenants move out they will make sure that it is in a good state before handing back the deposit.
