One of my clients is Duke Letting and property management (and sister company Elliott & Bunn). If you are a Landlord who has chosen to rent privately, you may not be aware of the benefits of a letting agent.
As a fairly new Landlord myself, I understand the potential pitfalls. Thankfully everything is running smoothly for me, due to the ongoing support of Duke Letting.
So what are the benefits of using an agency?
- Potential pitfalls are greatly reduced. If you do not get things right at the start of the tenancy you may not be able to serve notice on the tenants when you want the property back.
- Your agent is your first port of call for any problems you may have during the tenancy, either maintenance or tenant-related. The agent will act quickly on your behalf, and have access to professional, reliable contractors to do any work. This relationship with contractors may be especially important in an emergency.
- An agency will be responsible for finding the most suitable tenants for your properties. They have the best methods for referencing and credit checks.
- Any potential problems with a tenant will be dealt with swiftly and professionally.
- Agents are fully regulated, should have Client Money Protection Insurance and Professional Indemnity Insurance, and ensure that everything is compliant. They will take full responsibility for your properties. As a Landlord, you can rest assured that your properties are being let legally and safely.
- Properties are inspected on a regular, periodic basis to ensure everything is as it should be.
- Reputable agents are members of the National Approved Letting Scheme (NALS), the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) or Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA). All are organisations that keep members up-to-date with the law and best practice.
- You will benefit from client money protection
- Paperwork will be easy to understand and outline what landlords and tenants are responsible for.
- Agency fees are currently tax deductible.
So there you have it!
If you would like to enquire further, Duke Letting will be very pleased to give you a free rental valuation.
Duke Letting promote all properties on ”On the Market.com’ and ‘Right Move’, as well as on their own website, Twitter and Facebook. Properties always get lots of interest – in many cases let within days, and sometimes let before we have a chance to advertise them.
Duke Letting cover East Sussex, and Elliott & Bunn cover West Sussex. They both operate from the same office in Uckfield. You can contact them via email: lets@dukeletting.co.uk or call 01825 764864 or you can pop in to see them on the centre of Uckfield High Street, by the main traffic lights.
