Discussion:
Letting Agencies
(too old to reply)
Mike Dickson
2004-07-17 14:39:57 UTC
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Does anyone have any experiences (good or bad) they may like to share
regarding letting agencies? I'm speaking from the aspect of being the
owner of the premises for let, rather than as a prospective tenant.

The agency I am currently with is not pleasingme and I would appreciate
any advice anyone may have on the subject.

Mike Dickson, Edinburgh, Scotland
Ronald Raygun
2004-07-17 17:19:16 UTC
Permalink
Post by Mike Dickson
Does anyone have any experiences (good or bad) they may like to share
regarding letting agencies? I'm speaking from the aspect of being the
owner of the premises for let, rather than as a prospective tenant.
The agency I am currently with is not pleasingme and I would appreciate
any advice anyone may have on the subject.
I've used Belvoir successfully, but not for full management, just for
buying advice and initial tenant-find. When my first tenant left, they
were almost successful in finding a replacement, but in the end I found
one myself independently. This is often a matter of luck in times
where there are more flats looking for tenants than vice versa.

Would you care (without necessarily naming and shaming) to be somewhat
more specific about what it is about your current lot which is failing
to please (apart from smoking in the office, of course)?
Mike Dickson
2004-07-17 23:50:14 UTC
Permalink
Post by Ronald Raygun
Would you care (without necessarily naming and shaming) to be somewhat
more specific about what it is about your current lot which is failing
to please (apart from smoking in the office, of course)?
Well of course.

My primary bother is that they claim to take care of everything, but
don't.

They have no weekend call-out maintenance. Just because the other
residents know I own the flat they end up calling me if the tenant i
daft enough to flood the place. One of their ideas is that they would
never enter a let flat without the tenant's knowledge or permission,
unless it's some kind of emergency. Water pishing through the ceiling
into the flat below is no emergency, it seems.

The inventory is woefully sub-standard.

They seem to know all the most expensive locksmiths and joiners in town.

They have lost at least one set of keys to the premises.

They promised to be getting in about œ100 more in rent than they are
actually realising.

Unless you chase them - say, over getting money to me out of the deposit
of a resident who has defaulted on the rent - then they will do next to
nothing. Even getting them to pay a visit to the premises - which is
very close to their own office - takes three days.

They promised a copy of every lease and the checked inventoy prior to
every new tenant moving in. They didn't send it until I chased them up
to do so.

In short, my problem is that they are shiftless. Suggestions for
replacements are welcome. FWIW, they are taking 15% plus œ100 per new
lease to cover the lease, cleaning and advertising.

Mike Dickson, Edinburgh, Scotland

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