Completely disagree with OP. I have a busy, full time job so can’t be on the end of a call to deal with issues when they arise. Agents keep on top of things and sort most stuff out that saves me valuable time which OP seems to ignore. Given the costs are also tax deductible I see the benefit of using a letting agent

When you get to a certain volume of properties or if there are other contributing factors like distance, health, other responsibilities it can make sense.

But personally I've never ever seen the need for them. The admin is pretty basic and having a list of reliable contractors isn't that hard. Even a dreaded midnight call around every once in a while isn't that horrific to justify those percentages every month.

Every time I go through valuation blurbs and I hear their percentages and offerings I'm just confused that people go in for this at that rate but I get it, peace of mind and having people on hand is helpful.

I wouldn't begrudge people for wanting less stress in their lifes; I'm just surprised at the percentages asked for.

Many, many landlords use agents. The owner of a popular forum I use uses agents for all their properties, even though they are clued up. Don’t get me wrong, their fees for what they do on a standard month or ridiculous. But have a good agent and they can come into their own when needed. You sound like you’ve used a bad agent. Not to mention, it’s not as simple or easy as you make out. I’d built a nice little list of contractors myself, but as I hadn’t needed some in a few years the next time I did need them my messages went unanswered. In addition, have a few properties and a full time job/ other commitments, you may not want a tenant trying to contact you at any time they feel fit.

What’s the keep yourself out of prison about?

I’ve used tenant find services and fully managed services. I’ve yet to have a short term let, or a non paying tenant in 15 years. So yes, I agree the fees are extortion, but you’ve had a bad agent, agents are like tenants, do your research and get a good one.

Repairs aren't simple though. When we were getting the place ready we were let down by two electricians. We're a 30 min drive from the property so an hour round trip. The agent deals with this. They've got a good list of tradesmen and don't mark up the work. I now use some for my own house.

I've got a busy job. I don't want to have to deal with admin when I need to work. I don't want to have to deal with failed boilers on my weekends. I certainly don't want to be one of the landlords I keep reading complaints about who don't sort maintenance issues quickly. I don't want to do inspections on my weekends.

So yes it's a fair fee each month but it's peace of mind for me that things will be dealt with promptly.

I've never used an agent in 20 years. I enjoy having the direct contact with my tenants and each HMO has a WhatsApp group for messages about anything. If there is a reported problem like a broken washing machine, I hear immediately and replace it the next day. No need for an agent.

I use an agent so there is no direct contact between myself and the tenant.

I don’t want a phone call on a Sunday afternoon insisting I sort an engineer out because the tenants kid has done something to the boiler and it doesn’t work.

Also if a section 21 or section 8 notice has to be served I know it’s done right and if it is the legal battle is not my problem.

I don’t have to chase late or missing payments and I don’t have the battle of eviction if that is necessary.

I have all of my admin done for my accounts and I have a team of people there for every eventuality

So I get piece of mind, well worth the money and to be honest cost effective

Is it that bad? I am about to become a landlord in the UK due to job relocation and wanted to go fully managed to avoid headache, it's 10%

Like most middlemen it's for convenience. Paying for convenience is spending money you've earned to buy your time back, it's not a waste of money if it works and they do a good job.

I use one. Just for referencing etc I couldn’t be arsed.

Exactly when renting your rent goes to agancy they take some money then landlord he has a cunk and so does leaseholder no wonder rent is so high

I don't know what issues you're working though with your own property/agent experience, but if you're a landlord based overseas, there are very good reasons why you'd use an agency to manage your property.

Local authority property licensing schemes increasingly require that the landlord be represented by an agent based in the UK.

Some local authorities also offer a discount on licensing fees if you're a member of a professional landlord/agent organisation, or represented by someone who's a member.

The agency can pay tax direct to HMRC (which you claim back later, of course).

Repairs, referencing, TDS and rent collection are all considerably easier to manage.

It's the same as any business. You pay them to ensure compliance, and not overlook something yourself. Then, if it has been overlooked, you've discharged your duties onto the agent and it becomes their headache.

You can educate yourself and use they dang phone, of course, but then if you've managed to mess something up it can end poorly. It's not an afternoon's work to read through.

Years ago I worked in the property department where my colleague dealt with the leasing side. Its what made me decide to NEVER get into leasing! Seeing what she had to deal with daily was horrific - abuse from tenants screaming at her that something was broken etc. and her desperately trying to get decent tradesmen to actually turn up, getting quotes, trying to sort access (with tenants who want stuff fixed but yet are very difficult at allowing access), monitoring all tenants payments, trying to get them to pay when they stop, sorting eviction/court proceedings etc. An absolute nightmare the whole thing so no I wouldnt say they are overpaid, I think they have a very stressful job!

Ok thanks for this

What about when the tenant brings the letting agent to tribunal? Only to find the letting agents are pinning 100% of the issues down to landlords 'financial hardships' basically throwing him under the bus and assuming no personal liability..

Plus people working there are below average . They are not committed to work , either resolving issues from tenant or from landlord. I guess it is because the entry barrier is low , and reward is low, hence lack of professionalism . EA now finds it hard to justify their value

I only use agents for tenant find services - I’d rather they do the viewings and vetting of tenants. Appreciate OpenRent is there but heard the referencing may not be as thorough. Anyway by the by as I save myself waiting around for viewings.

I have a busy job and travel for work too. Regardless, I have family members who can step in if needed and have a list of tradesmen I use who pick the key up from mine and drop off once work is done. There’s no need for round trips or looking at failed boilers - you can fix most stuff over a a video call if needed.

Only time I do go is to do inspections.

Too much reliance on agents doesn’t help especially if you still need to do CPD for licensing purposes and be aware of legislation.

You’ve got the time went to be that heavily involved, great, do it yourself.

As for me, my estate agents are amazing. They select great tenants, if anything goes wrong, it gets sorted, they tell me if there is any regulatory stuff I need to abide by, and then sort that too.

I’d be constantly stressed and tearing my hair out if it wasn’t for them.

I work 60 hours a week, don’t have a list of reliable contractors and don’t want to have to do any admin work beyond my usual job. I really just want to be able to relax outside of my job job.

You’re not wrong when you say it’s not that difficult, but after spending 8-10 hours of my day staring at a screen at work, writing dozens of emails, and having my brain switched ‘on’ all day, I’d rather much rather not have to do any more at the end of the day, even if that means I get less money.

You sound rather uptight/ slightly crazy over something that most adults can make a value judgement over.

You "say keep yourself out of prison, dont use an agent" can you point to any occasion where an agent has caused a LL to go to prison??? I cant think of any. When people post things like that they come across as crazy or some potty "activist" from Acorn or some other mad left wing pressure group, not someone to listen too, just laugh at.

Some of what you say is kind of accurate, some agents are awful, so are some LLs and so are some tenants. Open rent has a place, and for some it works brilliantly, however it is where you will find all the tenants & LLs that agents shy away from. Most tenants will still go to an agent with a shop on the high street where they want to live.

Lots of tenants like to rent via an EA the same way people will only buy a car from a garage. The 10% charge isnt that bad as the EA can gets rates that I would struggle to obtain anyway.

To each their own. No one knows anything about other people’s circumstances good or bad. Some see value in using agents and some don’t (clearly). For me they have a use and in some cases a limited use. Rates and terms negotiated to suit and held accountable. Some much better than others as well. So while I agree in principle. I disagree with how definitive op is being since you’re speaking from your hilltop and yours alone. Everything is easy when you know how, have the time, have the inclination. Otherwise it’s either just a hassle, headache etc.

My agent does all eicr, gas safe and maintenance in house it just gets deducted from the rents. They have a couple guys trained up on their payroll.

Works really well and i find it alot cheaper than the last agent.

I agree on this

We used agents for 10 years. We changed 3 times… all were useless. We use Open Rent now and that’s all you need. It’s not that difficult. Maybe if you live miles away it would be beneficial to use an agent

I’d rather tenants phoned an agency, not me. It’s good to have a middle man.

Omg. So agree. Openrent is cheap and marvellous. Try to having a trusted handyman and a plumber. Ask around. You can email them if you need them. Agreed. Let tenants live as they want. At end of tenanciy just give deposit back and use money saved from not having an agent to clean mend and do it up again. I always do that between tenancies anyway. Be pragmatic.

It's mostly because landlords want to remain anonymous and not have to deal with any issues or tenants.

By giving up that 10% it's basically become passive income for you as the agents will deal with most of the issues.

It sounds like you've only had bad experiences with agents, unfortunately. Or may be so experienced now you have outgrown them, or don't realise the legal benefit to having an agent.

The biggest issues arise with inexperienced landlords. If you're a seasoned landlord with solid management knowledge and stay up to date, an agent may not be necessary. However, rental laws constantly change, and having an agent can serve as a crucial legal safeguard. Even experienced landlords use agents to mitigate liability rather than handle everything for them.

Responsible, legally compliant landlords rarely face problems—but they are rare. Unsurprisingly, those most dismissive of agents are often the ones operating illegally because they hate being told what is legal and illegal.