How to Choose a Letting Agent

‘How to choose a letting agent’ is a question many landlords wonder when they first start, or when they’re looking to relinquish some of their responsibilities. Choosing a letting agent is one of the most important decisions you may make as a landlord. The right agent should save you time, help keep you compliant, and act as your professional link to your tenants. This guide covers everything you should know about finding and choosing a letting agent in the UK.

Managing a rental property takes time and effort. With the Renters’ Rights Act now in force, landlords face stricter compliance obligations than before. Getting things wrong may lead to serious consequences, so having the right support in place matters.

A letting agent may take on the day-to-day responsibility of managing your property, dealing with tenants, and keeping you on the right side of the law.

You may want to consider using a letting agent if:

• You don’t have much spare time to deal with tenant queries, maintenance calls, or paperwork.
• You’d prefer an intermediary between yourself and your tenants.
• Your rental property is in a different area from where you live.
• You’re new to being a landlord and aren’t yet familiar with private rented sector legislation.
• You want to reduce stress and would like the peace of mind that someone else is handling things if something goes wrong.

A good letting agent should:

• Market your property to attract serious tenants.
• Carry out thorough referencing and affordability checks.
• Keep you compliant with current legislation and local licensing rules.
• Manage maintenance through trusted contractors.
• Handle tenant communication in a professional way.

The first step in how to choose a letting agent is knowing where to look. Here are some practical ways to build a shortlist.

Finding someone local to your property is often a priority for landlords. Start by visiting the area your rental property is in, take note of whose boards are on properties, who has offices nearby, and who seems active in the local market. This should give you a quick sense of which agents are operating in your area.

Try searching for “letting agents” followed by the town, city, or county your property is in. The first page of results might give you a useful starting point. Bear in mind that top results may appear due to advertising spend rather than the quality of service, especially the sponsored listings.

You might also search for properties to rent in your area on websites such as Rightmove or Zoopla. Each listing shows which agent is handling the property. You’re able to narrow results by area, property type, size, and price to find agents who work with properties similar to yours.

Word of mouth might be a useful starting point when thinking about how to find a good letting agent. If you know other landlords, ask about their experiences and who they would recommend. Property forums and landlord groups on social media may also be a good source of honest recommendations. How to choose a letting agent that works for you often comes down to the experiences of people you already trust.

If you’re trying to find out who the letting agent of a property is, check historical Google Street View data. A “To Let” board may no longer be in place, but it might still appear in an older image. You may also check property portals for historic listings, which is often the quickest way to find out the letting agent of a property.

If you’re still unable to find out who the letting agent is after checking listings, a £3 Land Registry search may reveal the registered owner. This is another practical route for anyone trying to find out who the letting agent is when other methods haven’t worked. From there, you may be able to make contact and find out which agent manages the property.

Once you’ve got a shortlist, you should carefully compare your options before choosing a letting agent. Here are the key things to look at and questions to ask when choosing a letting agent.

Fees vary between agents, so it’s worth knowing what to expect before you commit. When thinking about how much letting agents charge, cost shouldn’t be the only factor when choosing a letting agent, but it’s an important part of the decision.

The private lettings sector in England is still largely unregulated, which makes it even more important to check an agent’s credentials. Since October 2014, it’s been a legal requirement for all letting agents to be a member of a government-approved redress scheme.

Letting agents must be registered with one of the following:

• The Property Ombudsman
• The Property Redress Scheme

There are also non-mandatory schemes worth looking out for, such as safeagent (previously known as the National Approved Lettings Scheme). Agents should display their memberships clearly, but it’s worth verifying this independently.

Check whether the agent operates in all the areas where your properties are located. If you’ve got a portfolio, make sure they cover everywhere you need. If you’re just starting, think about any expansion plans you may have.

Some agents operate from a physical office only, while others also have an online presence. Consider what works best for both you and your tenants.

Consider how involved you want to be in managing your rental property and tenants. The general levels of service that letting agents offer are:

• Tenant-find only: The agent advertises the property, arranges viewings, and handles the move-in process, including the relevant paperwork.
• Tenant-find plus rent collection: As above, with ongoing rent collection also included.
• Full management: The agent handles all day-to-day management of the property throughout the tenancy.

The most suitable option depends on how much time you’re able to give to your properties. If letting is something you do alongside a full-time job, or if your property is in a different part of the country, full management may be the more practical choice.

Knowing how to find a good letting agent often comes down to how proactive they are when your property is empty. Ask prospective agents how they advertise properties. Do they list on major portals such as Rightmove and Zoopla, or do they advertise in the newspaper? Do they have a database of prospective tenants they might contact when a suitable property becomes available? These are all useful signs of how to find a good letting agent who will work hard.

You may ask them to give you a rough timeframe for how long it typically takes them to find a tenant. Understanding this is a key part of how to find a good letting agent that suits your needs, and informs you how long your property may be empty between tenancies. If a void period is a concern, it may be worth exploring Unoccupied Property Insurance to help protect your investment during any gap.

Once you’ve found the right letting agent, make it clear what type of tenants you have in mind. This will allow the letting agent to be more efficient with viewings and checks to avoid wasting your time.

Finding a tenant quickly is one thing, but finding a reliable one matters too. A thorough agent should carry out full referencing, including credit checks, employment verification, and references from previous landlords. They should also comply with the government’s Right to Rent scheme, which requires checks that tenants have the legal right to rent in England.

Strong referencing may reduce the likelihood of tenants falling into arrears. Even so, it may be worth considering Rent Guarantee Insurance to help protect your rental income if a tenant’s circumstances change unexpectedly during the tenancy.

Find out what other landlords say about each agent before deciding. If you know other landlords, ask about their experiences with certain agents. You should also check review platforms such as Trustpilot, Google reviews for the agency and its local branches, or ask in property forums and social media groups.

Don’t overlook the tenant perspective. An agent with a poor reputation among tenants may make it harder to attract and keep good ones. Your letting agent may be seen as an extension of you, the landlord, when it comes to looking after your tenants.

Understand the agent’s communicational reputation too. It’s important to know if they are reliable at keeping all parties informed of updates and maintenance repairs.

Make sure the letting agent is fully clear on their legal obligations in two key areas.

Any deposit taken from a tenant must be registered with a government-approved tenancy deposit protection scheme. Failure to do so could result in the landlord being liable for up to three times the deposit amount, plus the original deposit itself.

Also check whether they hold client money protection (CMP) insurance. Since 1st April 2019, it’s been a legal requirement for letting agents in England to hold client money in an account with an FCA-authorised bank and to have suitable professional indemnity insurance. CMP protects money held by the agent on behalf of both landlords and tenants.

A letting agent should be well-versed in current legislation. TheRenters’ Rights Act introduced significant changes to the private rented sector in 2025, including the end of Section 21 “no-fault” evictions and changes to how tenancy agreements work. Ask any prospective agent what these changes mean in practice and how they plan to help you stay compliant as a buy-to-let landlord.

Knowing how to choose a letting agent also means knowing what to watch out for. Part of how to choose a letting agent well is spotting the warning signs early. Be cautious if you notice any of the following:

• Verbal or vague agreements where nothing is confirmed in writing, and hesitation to do so.
• They have no client money protection scheme in place. Remember, it is a legal requirement, not optional.
• Pressure to sign quickly without sufficient time to review the terms.
• No clear complaints procedure or path for raising concerns.
• Reluctance to provide references from existing landlord clients.
• No ARLA Propertymark membership or equivalent professional accreditation.

When thinking about how much do letting agents charge, it’s worth knowing that fees vary from letting agent to letting agent, and what you pay may also depend on your property’s location. Below is a rough guide outlining what you may expect to pay for a letting agent’s main services.

These have been known to vary quite a bit. Some agents charge a one-off flat fee, which may typically fall somewhere in the region of £700 to £1,500. Other letting agents base their fee on the weekly rent, often equivalent to two to four weeks’ worth, or charge a monthly percentage. That percentage may range from around 4% to 13% of the monthly rent.

Where an agent handles rent collection on your behalf, their fee is usually taken as a percentage of the rent collected each month. This tends to fall somewhere between 5% and 10%.

Full management is the most involved level of service, covering everything from maintenance to tenant communication. As a result, it’s also the most expensive. Many agents charge in the region of 15% to 20% of the monthly rent for this level of service.

These figures are a guide only. Always research, compare, and ask for a full written breakdown of costs before committing, including any charges for set-up, tenancy renewals, or arranging maintenance. How much letting agents charge may also vary based on whether fees are paid as flat fees or as a percentage of your rental income.

Knowing how to choose a letting agent is just one part of protecting your investment as a landlord. Choosing a letting agent you trust takes time and research, and so does choosing a suitable insurance provider, helping to give you peace of mind that your property is in good hands. Here’s why so many landlords choose Just Landlords:

• Rated Great on Trustpilot*, with over 1,000 reviews.
• Over 25 years of experience providing residential landlord insurance.
• An in-house customer service and claims team based in Nottingham.
• Friendly support is available by phone, LiveChat, or email.

Find out more about our landlord insurance options explore our multiple property insurance if you’re letting more than one property.

*Correct as of July 2026

Please note that these frequently asked questions are not a substitute for the policy wording. For full terms and conditions, please see the policy documentation.

Letting agents allow landlords to hand over the day-to-day responsibility of managing a rental property. This should include finding tenants, handling maintenance, collecting rent, and dealing with queries. It’s a particularly practical option for landlords who have limited time, live far from their property, or are new to the private rented sector.

Some landlords prefer to manage their properties themselves to avoid paying agent fees and to keep full control of how their property is run. Self-managing may work well for landlords who have the time, a good understanding of relevant legislation, and a good relationship with their tenants.

If you’re trying to find out who the letting agent of a property is, start by checking historical listings on property portals like Rightmove or Zoopla, where the letting agent’s details are usually shown. You may wish to look at older Google Street View images for “To Let” boards that may have since been removed. If you’re struggling to find out the letting agent of a property through these methods, a Land Registry search for £3 may help you identify the property owner, who may be able to tell you who manages it.

No, landlords are able to choose to manage their properties privately without using a letting agent. However, they remain fully responsible for meeting all legal obligations, including those under the Renters’ Rights Act, tenancy deposit protection rules, and the Right to Rent scheme.

The sole purpose of this article is to provide guidance on the issues covered. This article is not intended to give legal advice, and, accordingly, it should not be relied upon. It should not be regarded as a comprehensive statement of the law and/or market practice in this area. We make no claims as to the completeness or accuracy of the information contained herein or in the links which were live at the date of publication. You should not act upon (or should refrain from acting upon) information in this publication without first seeking specific legal and/or specialist advice. Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited trading as Just Landlords accepts no liability for any inaccuracy, omission or mistake in this publication, nor will we be responsible for any loss which may be suffered as a result of any person relying on the information contained herein.

The opinions and views expressed in the above articles are those of the author only and are for guidance purposes only. The authors disclaim any liability for reliance upon those opinions and would encourage readers to rely upon more than one source before making a decision based on the information