Before deciding who to entrust your property to, consider the following helpful tips when choosing a professional letting agent in Haywards Heath And Burgess Hill to work with.
Top Tips For Choosing An Agent
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1. What is your letting goal?
Whether your goal is a quick let, a quality tenant, or the highest possible rental yield, our team will work to get the best result possible for you and your property. We can advise on the local market conditions, share data on the average rentals achievable for your property, show you comparable properties and make recommendations on the ideal type of tenant to meet your goal.
2. Finding a quality tenant
Finding a tenant quickly is not always a good long-term prospect. Finding quality tenants that will maintain and look after the property, have been through the right reference checks and have sufficient finances in place, can prevent long term and costly issues further down the line. Having regular, steady income at the right rental price with the right tenants, will help protect your investment and long-term objective.
We draw on our collective skills and experience as well as comprehensive referencing checks to identify the best possible prospects. We apply strict rental criteria and requirements, so you can be safe in the knowledge that we have mitigated the financial and compliance risks associated with letting your property. Make sure any agent you are considering has a robust referencing process in place.
3. Prepare your property to maximise yield
In order to maximise the return on your investment, your agent should ideally ensure that it is presented in the best possible condition. This will help attract more interest, achieve the highest possible rent, and prevent any unnecessary void period. They should be able to provide advice as to what works are needed to bring your property up to the expected standard and to maximise appeal in the photos and during viewings.
Your agent should also discuss whether you will be renting the property furnished or unfurnished and request you deal with all maintenance issues prior to a tenancy commencing, to help avoid extra costs as well as stress and inconvenience for all parties involved.
4. Meeting your Legal requirements
As a landlord, there are a growing number of legal responsibilities and safety obligations to comply with when renting out a property. It is important to work with an agent who is well versed in all aspects of property law and keeps informed about new and upcoming changes to regulatory and compliance requirements. A good agent will help mitigate landlord exposure to liability by ensuring they understand regulations and complete key checks within the required time-frame, e.g. annual gas safety checks, 5-year electrical safety check, EPC, portable appliance test and Legionella risk assessment. It is a good idea to discuss how your chosen agent will do this on your behalf.
5. How involved do you want to be?
Before choosing your agent have a think about how much you want them to be involved. Are you comfortable collecting the rent every month, or would you rather the agent manages the sometimes difficult, financial conversations? Do you want to resolve any maintenance issues yourself, or let the agent take the stress of dealing with the late-night calls and sourcing a contractor who can attend in an emergency? We offer a range of service options to suit your needs and lifestyle and can discuss these with you in more detail at a property appraisal to help you make the right choice for you.
6. Shop around
We understand that you might want to consider your options before deciding who to entrust your most valuable asset to. We strive to keep our pricing competitive, but know we are not the cheapest, for good reason. A good agent will protect your investment, find quality tenants and be on hand at any time to offer advice and assistance. Having cheap fees or going with the recognised brand does not always guarantee value for money or a successful working relationship.
We are always happy to discuss any other offers you may have received from other agents, in regard to fees or levels of service. Agents do not always price their services consistently or transparently, so we can help highlight any key differences in services offered, which may be charged for separately by another agent, for example, Inventories or Check Out inspections.
7. Read the paperwork
Make sure you understand what you are signing. Whilst it might sound simple, sometimes the amount of information provided within contracts can seem overwhelming. Our team are always on hand to help explain or provide you with more clarifications on any points included in our contracts. We would recommend you pay particular attention to any clauses regarding cancellation of the agent’s services, which can sometimes be financially punitive.
8. Protect yourself
Lettings agents do not have to be part of any regulated bodies; however, the most professional and reputable companies will usually elect to do this voluntarily, in order to provide the best service and protection for their landlords and tenants. You should look for agents that are members of such bodies. Belvoir Haywards Heath are part of:
- Safeagent – Safeagent Scheme
- ARLA Propertymark
- TPO – The Property Ombudsman
- DPS – The Deposit Protection Service
