Letting aget - Balham/Tooting area

[Monkeymummy1]

Hoping someone might have a recomendation (or warning!). Looking to rent a flat out in this area. I don't live in london so I need a good agent to manage the property. Does anyone have any recomendations or suggestions of who to avoid? Current agent seems really expensive and is rubbish at communicating hidden fees. Communication in general is pretty bad, but I'm wondering if this is a case of better the devil you know! TIA

[thesaurusgirl]

They are ALL rubbish, whether you're a tenant or a landlord. Rented in Fulham, Hammersmith, Clapham and Balham for 15 years until I was finally able to buy last year so I know I'm not being unfair.

Hidden fees for both parties, and access abuse fore repairs and maintenance objections to justify their middleman role are the biggest problems.

They all charge more or less the same, but avoid the big chains as they are particularly cut-throat.

Make sure they advertise on Rightmove and ask them to put you in touch with two or three sets of tenants on their books. Happy tenants are the key to a stress-free landlord existence, but few landlords seem to realise this. If a tenant has no bad things to report about a letting agent, and has renewed a tenancy, then at least you know the agent is doing their job properly.

My easiest tenancies were the ones where the landlord self-managed but if you're based far away this isn't easy.

[Monkeymummy1]

Thanks! I suspected as much. This makes me think that perhaps the experience we are having is typical and maybe even better than the norm. We just seem to see less and less of the rental money each month with no warning at all! And when we ask about what's going on we get these muddled explanations. Like, when discussing with us the pros and cons of whether to let the tenant go on a month to month rolling contract (discussing is not really the word, it's more like talking at us in riddles), you would think they would have mentioned that they have an astronomical fee for such an arrangement! Instead, they just deduct it with no warning, after the decision has been made to let her stay! Grrrrrrr!

[thesaurusgirl]

That is rubbish.

A rolling contract offers no security to the landlord, it was not in your interests to agree to that unless you want to sell your property.

It seems they have also charged you a fee for doing precisely nothing, which is what happens when an AST expires.

Why are they not telling you what their charges are before they're taken from the rent? Unprofessional and verging on dishonest.

Fire them and appoint someone less crap.

[thesaurusgirl]

"It seems they have also charged you a fee for doing precisely nothing, a rolling monthly contract is what automatically happens when an AST expires.

(Working and MNing simultaneously today. Sorry!)

[Amethyst24]

We used Beresford Residential and I think they are better than some.

[whataboutbob]

Hi Monkey. I would say avoid CJames, we have not used them but a flat next to ours is managed by them and they do nothing for ages when there are problems and do not keep to their word eg on fixing garden fences etc. We bought our flat via Ludlow Thompson in Tooting and they were OK. I've come to the conclusion you have to watch out for sharp practice with estate agents everywhere and all the time. I rent a flat for my Dad via power of attorney (not in London) and it's amazing what the agents dream up to add to the monthly bill.

[specialsubject]

they aren't all rubbish although the three I've had have definitely had their moments. Certainly yours IS useless, sack them now.

you have a contract with them and they can't just add on 'dreamed-up' fees. But yes, agents are totally unregulated so caveat emptor, and don't just sit there being ripped off.

I use Your Move - our local branch are brilliant. HQ aren't very good (same as the last two...) but the branch sort them out when needed. But no hidden or mystery charges.