Should You Deal With Tenants Directly Or Use A Letting Agent?

By James L Harrison

Many concerns are involved in renting out a property; and, it can get quite difficult at times. Due to the current recession era, many people are being forced to rent out their property since selling is not advisable at this time.

There are benefits of giving a house on rent rather than selling it, which is really becoming popular. People can get a fixed regular income by giving out their property on rent. This way, they would not lose the ownership rights, and would gain profit out of their asset.

There are reasons which make renting out a property a better option. People who are just moving out of their home for the time being, and may return after a couple of years or so, can simply rent out their home till they come back. Not only does their property remain their asset but they also get a monthly income out of it. In the recession period, many property owners are not getting good deals; hence, renting it out tends to be a better option. Once the market rates go up, they can always sell it off.

While renting out your property, you have two alternatives to choose from. Option one is to deal directly with the tenants as a property owner since it really cuts out the cost of paying the charges for a hired expert. It also gives you the power to manage the whole deal alone, without any interference. On the contrary, it can be a disadvantage if you handle it yourself since you require expertise in some legal and technical matters.

Hiring a letting agent is the second option available for the property owners. The agreement decided between the two parties, that is, the property owner and the tenant, is done through the letting agent. They provide this service in the United Kingdom and compile up the agreement, known as the Tenancy Agreement, between both parties. For this service the letting agent charges a fraction of the monthly rent, as a fee.

Letting agents tend to bring relief to the property owners by managing the whole deal for them. Since they are well-versed in the market, they know about all the property tax laws, and can make good suggestions. Property owners do not require making several inspection checks on the future tenants, and do not need to spend money on investigating about their credit history. The letting agents have the contacts to do all this by themselves hence, putting the property owner at ease.

When you are the landlord, you have to spend money on credit checks of the tenants or take the risk of selecting somebody you are not sure about. The best thing is that you will not have to deal with the problems and issues of letting out the property and will not have to make frequent inspection visits. Hiring a letting agent offers you peace of mind and lets you concentrate on other things while he/she takes cares of the business. Moreover, letting agents are more familiar with property and tax law and can offer good advice.

It would not be wrong to say that hiring a letting agent would be a better option if you can afford it while keeping the above points in mind. However, it is important that you hire someone reliable from a reputed agency. - 29954

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