Property lettings services: which offer the best value?

For landlords who want to let a house or flat there are a number of different services available to help secure the holy grail of a reliable tenant for the property.

The most obvious route to go down is to enlist the services of the ubiquitous letting agent, who can simply find a tenant for the property or fully manage the property for the whole period of the rental agreement. Landlords who opt for this sort of service should choose agents who are members of professional bodies such the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA), the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) and the National Approved Letting Scheme (NALS).

Before instructing a letting agent landlords also need to make sure they know which services will be included and how much these services will cost. Landlords will need to consider whether the agent has sufficient local knowledge to successfully let their property. This will require research and as most letting agents operate on a ‘no let, no fee’ basis, landlords may wish to identify and appoint several suitable agents. They will also need to supply all agents with detailed information about the kind of tenant they want, for example, a young professional or a married couple, a short-term or a long-term tenant, a personal or corporate let.

Many landlords believe that using a letting agent is the most efficient way to let a property but do not take into account the time they will have to spend researching and looking for a handful of suitable agents before going on to explain their requirements to each one. But there is a much easier and more cost effective way to let a house or flat in the Midlands. Propertymatch.com offers free property lettings, allowing landlords to advertise property for free and deal with prospective tenants directly.

This unique property letting service means that no agents are required, helping to cut costs and giving the landlord total control over the letting process. Propertymatch.com also provides a guide to letting property for landlords, helping to steer them through the process and totally removing the need to pay for the services of a letting agent.