London landlords - is there a good alternative to rental agents?

[bananacarnival]

Hi,

I'm parting with about 2.5k every year and frankly it's leaving me short for budgeting family expenses etc.
The flat is in a central location in a very attractive part of London so tenants are usually doctors, bankers etc - young couples mostly.

Therefore I’m not sure Gumtree would be right.. Are there any other suggestions for ways to market myself yet find high calibre tenants or do you think I'm just doomed and will have to cough up this annual amount?

Thanks

[CityDweller]

If we decide to rent out our place, I'm going to try upad, about which I've heard positive things. I'll also list the flat on the two local online forums for our area.

[QueenofWhatever]

I've just been thinking the same thing. I'd be interested to hear views on upad or rentify. It does seem to be the way to go and the savings for me would be quite significant.

[bananacarnival]

Thanks, I'll look up upad...

[Alanna1]

We ask outgoing tenants if they know anyone and offer then some cash for doing so. But when we don't find anyone, the only alternative has generally been an agency. Often though tenants have been very helpful - we're lovely landlords, and we all hate the local estate agents who were nasty to our tenants about 2 years ago and they have been a chain of friends since then.

[ChrisQuean]

Most big companies in the City have internal message boards that often have ads for flats to rent. Do you have friends at one of the banks, big 4 accountants or big law firms that could post an ad for you? This is a good time of year when trainees will be starting in late August and September and there's a lot of interest.

I have several friends who rent out their flats to trainees and young professionals by posting on these boards. It's less random than gumtree and costs nowt.

[felkov]

Upad is good if you hyst want to use them for the initial marketing. They have great photographers and an do the EPC, gas checks etc. But they aren't great for ongoing management as they don't have anyone "on the ground" to actually go to the property, unless you specially arrange for an inventory clerk or an inspection visit.

[felkov]

Sorry hyst should read just. stupid phone!

[QueenofWhatever]

I live about three hours from London, so internal message boards and Gumtree don't work for me.

I can't do viewings and, to be honest, can't be bothered to do the contracts and credit checks. My understanding was that upad and Rentify do all that for you.

[lalalonglegs]

I used upad and found it very disappointing - very few responses, of which most were no-shows when it came to viewings and the upad staff kept nagging me to have professional photos taken (which wouldn't have worked as tenants were still in situ). I used open rent instead and got much better response rate and found a great tenant. It is also free for first-time users .

[PettsWoodParadise]

Openrent is amazing £29 and you get on Rightmove Zoolpla etc. first advert is free. They are amazing. They have bolt on options we've never used like deposit submission and inventory as we manage our properties ourselves. We are in SE London and have never had less than twenty enquiries in two days.

[bananacarnival]

Wow, thanks. Will look up openrent immediately...