Need some help here from someone who's a tenant or a landlord ....

[hallowcarla]

Have let out my old house for 7 years, normally, 'cos it's Oxford, on a yearly basis. Used a fab letting agency, but today the mum with her 13 month old asked if I would rent privately. I only pay the letting agency 130 a month, and can't remember what the origial fee was. What would you do?

Who manages the property. ie calls a plumber if the boiler packs up?

What do you get for your £130 pm from the agency.

We rent privately.

Why does she want to rent privately? To make it cheaper?

Did you meet this woman through the letting agency? If so, they probably have some legal right to fees.

How much does the letting agency normally do? Credit checks? Inventories? Maintenance call outs? Collecting rent?

Oh, we don't rent privately, but we live next door to the property, and want some distance, IYSWIM.

Finders Keepers, Trick, and I got the plumber's call last week when the washing machine went wrong. Why? For our money they vet them and make sure they're able to pay the rest of the money. Good god, I sound like someone I don't want to know ....

Sounds like they aren't doing much for the money. I think they should only get an upfront fee for that service. Not a retainer.

NQC, all of that.

If you met the tenant through the agency, I wouldn't consider it, without clearing it with the agency (e.g. paying the necessary fees), as that would be unwise and not very nice.

I prefer to have the buffer of the agency, anyway. One of our tenants paid a year's rent up front (!!) presumably because of credit check issues. Then, whenever anything broke, they'd be on the phone shouting at the agency "we paid a year in advance!" etc etc.

It's annoying enough when people don't understand an instruction like "yes, you can redecorate, but keep it neutral".

We're about to let our flat for the first time. The agency would charge us a one-off fee to find and vet the tenant, and an ongoing service charge if they also deal with maintenance issues. So if they are charging you monthly solely to find the tenant, it sounds like you're being ripped off.

However, as the others have said, if you've met this tenant through the agency, you can't just cut them out of the deal.