Renting - what fees can I expect to pay?

[Aqua 10]

I'm currently selling my house so I can move to Woodseats, and will most likely rent. Can anyone let me know what kind of fees I can expect to pay to letting agents - is there anything to pay on top of the deposit and months rent in advance? If there's a fee, is it a one-off fee, so for example if you apply for a property and pay a fee then don't get it, if you later apply for another place with the same agent would you have to pay the fee again?

 

Any advice about renting welcomed :-)

 

A x

[rabbi62 10]

one piece of advice.. DO NOT USE MIKE JOLLY..

 

last year my partner and our 18month daughter moved in to a house we were renting through Mike Jolly. the day after moving all our stuff in to the house we got a call from the estate agent telling us we had to move out of the house, because they hadnt done proper background checks on the house owner.. turned out he didnt have the right type or mortgate to rent the house out, not only that, he was behind on his payments and it was also getting repossessed..

[Aqua 10]

God that's awful, thanks for the warning. Hope you found somewhere else to rent.

 

A x

[lyndsayx 10]

It depends on which agency you rent through, most will charge you an application fee initially and the cost of this can vary quite widely. You may need to pay an inventory or check in fee with some agencies, and some will charge you if you wish to renew the contract. Also, some will charge to provide a reference at the end of your tenancy. If you find somewhere you like the look of, ask the agent up front about exactly what fees they charge tenants.

[Aqua 10]

Crikey, it sounds really expensive - I didn't realise! Thanks for the advice, I'll definitely enquire about fees prior to viewing anything.

 

A x

[tizhimi 10]

You aught to look for a private landlord and avoid those fees.

[Aqua 10]

I would but I expect that's easier said than done, especially as I want to live in a specific area.

 

A

[tizhimi 10]

Just have a look-see on here and gumtree. I've always rented privately in 7 different houses (8 years now) and after hearing the horror stories off my friends would never rent off an agency.

[lyndsayx 10]

Crikey, it sounds really expensive - I didn't realise! Thanks for the advice, I'll definitely enquire about fees prior to viewing anything.

 

A x

 

No problem, another thing to consider is whether the agent is signed up to an ombudsman scheme, or a member of ARLA, NAEA, RICS etc. as this gives tenants more security than using an agent who is not a member of anything. There are ads on here from private landlords who have properties in lots of different areas, you could also post a wanted ad.

[justaname 10]

I've been house hunting on behalf of a friend for a rented property. Most of the estate agencies quoted me £200 for admin fees which will have to incur VAT. This is for two adults. I find the prices to be daylight robbery but one that renters are at the mercy of the agencies. Some agencies will also charge extra for inventory paperworks.

 

It seems that most private landlords are worried about going on their own so tends to use the estate agent as the middleman for doing the credit checks and vetting potential tenants. It's best to ask if the property is fully managed or on a let only basis - the landlord is in charge of the repairs, etc.

 

Some agencies may state on their website their charges but it's best to confirm the fees when viewing the property. I think for Blundells, on top of the admin fees, you'll have to pay a £7.50 charge per transaction for delta/switch payment as stated on their site!

 

Stay away from any rental property that have a TO LET and FOR SALE sign. The letting agency wasn't even aware that the landlord was planning to sell the property at the same time with a different agency!

 

Tizhimi - Do you know of any other private landlords? If you do, could you please pm me so I can give the details to my friends. Thanks.

 

Does anyone know if the admin fees are negotiable?

[lyndsayx 10]

I find it quite odd that tenants are sometimes charged for inventories, when it is mainly for the landlord's protection in the event they need to prove damages etc.

 

Also, ask to see the certificates (electric, gas and EPC) and make sure that any promised repairs etc. are carried out prior to signing a contract, or at least get it in writing.

 

I would say that it can't hurt to try negotiating on the fees, some of the larger franchised agencies may be less flexible on this but it's definitely worth a try.

[tabbron 10]

rent privately direct with the landlord every time. no agency fees and you know who your dealing with