What do letting agencies do?
Letting agencies act on behalf of landlords, not tenants. In most cases they are paid by the landlord. There are various different types of letting agencies. Some just find tenants for properties (these are often known as accommodation agencies). Others manage properties on behalf of landlords and the tenants may never have any direct contact with the landlord. It is common for estate agents to have a lettings department. Letting agencies often: • find a tenant for a property • collect rent • manage the property for the landlord • arrange repairs • provide tenancy agreements and inventories. You will usually need to register with a letting agency before they offer you any accommodation. You can register with more than one agency at a time. They should not charge you for this (see below). The agency will ask what sort of accommodation you are looking for and how much you can pay. Once you are registered, agencies normally let you know when suitable accommodation becomes available. When
