Some Things Are Worth Paying For

Landlords looking to save money often decide to go it alone and manage their own properties rather than use the services of an established lettings agent. This can occasionally work, however, as many landlords have learnt, often from very stressful and costly experience of which using a professional lettings agent can save them a considerable amount of money and heartache in the long run. 

So what are the advantages of working with a reputable lettings agent such as Belvoir!

Steve Tunney, owner of Belvoir Milton Keynes explains: “Established residential lettings agents are the experts when it comes to making sure you get the best returns from your investment. Not only can they significantly reduce many of the headaches often associated with being a landlord, they can also help landlords save money, even after paying what some consider to be expensive management fees.” 

Belvoir charges landlords a typical management fee of 10% on the gross annual rent from a property. But for this, landlords get to enjoy many benefits and, more often than not, longer-term cost savings. 

Some of the benefits of working with an approved letting agent such as Belvoir are detailed below: 

– We deal with all the paperwork and legislation associated with letting a property including safety and other legal matters; 

– We handle and place tenants’ deposits in a secure deposit protection scheme (now a legal requirement); 

– We can manage day to day problems and repairs, especially useful if a landlord lives away from the property; 

– We advertise and market the property and provide advice on the market thus securing higher rental yields than an individual might be able to get themselves; 

– We vet and reference all potential tenants to weed out those who might prove unreliable thus avoiding situations such as non payment of rent or tenants leaving a property empty without notice – empty properties cost money!; 

– We will act as a go between for the tenant and landlord in the case of any disputes; 

– Investing in our service can save a landlord time by reducing their workload as well as their stress levels; 

– We will advise and help to prepare a property to let out in order to gain the highest potential rental income; 

- We manage rental collection.

Landlords may, of course, still decide that they prefer to manage their properties themselves. But beware the potential pitfalls: 

– Unreliable tenants who fail to maintain rental payments, cause damage to a property or leave without notice leaving the landlord with a void period with no rental income; 

– High tenant turnover requiring the landlord to continually invest in preparing the property to return to the market as well as advertising it and going through the tenant application and vetting process;