Letting & Agents - what landlords need to do

 I have made these notes for myself and my family to keep track and up to date. But anybody else who stumbles upon this site is welcome to read it, send me updates, comments or offers.

Landlord Information

You need to consider two prices. 

What Price Should I Ask For The Rent?

You can check the prices of properties in the area by your own check on similar advertised properties. Also, online agents websites average property prices in the year for local areas. 

You might ask higher, since people are likely to make lower offers. You can always come down in price later. That works if its a sellers; market, meaning property is in short supply so buyers are keen to secure a property.

In the olden days you might have put a low price, got lots of offers, then started a bidding match. 

Note the latest incoming legislation banning gazumping. my understanding is that once you have accepted the deposit, you can't change your mind, and accept a higher offer from a keen rival potential tenant. The new law will prevent you from 

What price are you asking the tenant to pay? 

Your agent will advise you. Different agents might suggest different figures. It's tempting to go for the higher sum. The higher the price the more the agent makes, if he or she is acting on a percentage of sale, so he or she should be keen to get that price.

But one agent told me that other agents make unrealistic suggestions to get you on their books. Then they can't sell at that price.

How much are you willing to pay for, advertising, showing the property to the prospective tenant, doing a tenant finances check, compiling and sending out a contract, signing, collecting signed contract, collecting rent, dealing with property faults, or tenant non payers, inventory check and key handover at end of tenancy, rant rises in key with market, gas and electricity checks, council tax band for tenant, cleaning of carpet and curtains before new tenants take over.

Some agents have a brief, succinct list of what you need to do. Your options. Such as sending them photos. Or fixing a time to meet them, and then later their appointed photographer.

What do I need to do, for the agent, the property, the tenant, the law?

A handy guide on the website of agents Winkworth who have branches in Mill Hill and Hendon alerted me to the facts.

Proving Ownership Of A Property

Firstly, that I needed to provided proof that the property was mine.

Secondly,  some kind of textual and/or visual evidence that I am the person listed in documents as the owner.

I was distracted from proceeding to appoint an agent, lying awake at night wondering, 

QUESTION 

How do I prove I am the property owner? 

Do I need to go back through ten years of documents on properties I have owned, inherited and purchased to find the right document?

Dexters of Hendon Central rang me with their chasing sales pitch. I asked them about how I prove to them I am the owner. They told me the. Answer. 

ANSWERS 

1 The letting agent will do it.

2 The will/would check with the Land Registry. No need for me to do anything.

Proving Identity Of The Landlord

Question 

How do I prove my identity?

All I need to do is provide evidence of my identity. How? 

A passport or driving license will do. I can email it or take it into their office.

Advantages Of Large Multi-Branch Agencies

They pointed out that they have multiple offices. If I paid a lower set fee - to a small start up online company or struggling independent business - for find a tenant only, pay upfront, the agency could take my money, about one thousand pounds or more, and go out of business before finding me a tenant.

Online Advertising Only

This is quickest. I could send photos to an agent who works Monday to Friday, and they could put up my ads within an hour.

But what if my tenant has asked me to call to take photos and inspect the property and fix any visible defects on Saturday. Delay until Monday.

Which Agent Is Where?

Dexters (who took over another  company) and Squires are in Brent Cross by the station.

Aston Square is in Hendon.

How do I get a video and floorplan?

Winkworths, of Hendon, are the ones who se photographer takes a video, and their photographer will do your floor plan for you. But it costs you. Depends if you have time or money.

How Do I check if I paid my Insurance Renewal?

Check your bank statements. 

Go through your emails using the words insurance renewal.

Useful Websites Of Estate Agents for Landlords in London, England.

What are the events and calamities the insurance will be covering, or not covering?

I filled in an online form. It asked lots of questions. How old is your property and how long have you owned it. 

I found the answer by going back to a search on the online agents and putting in my property address. The website listed all the flats in my blocks, the dates the flats were last sold and the price.

I could see which year I had bought the flat. How much I paid for it. 

Now I could fill in all those forms. 

How To Keep Track Of Payments, Prices, Dates, Insurance

I made a note in a giant notebook. Never mind online. If the system goes down, or your laptop breaks or gets stolen, you are lost. The book can easily be flipped through, and handed to somebody else. 

Now, let's look at the insurance document questions.

Has it ever been flooded. Are you in a flood prone area. Have you had subsidence?

When the broker made a sales call, I was able to ask him about all the questions one by one.

Flooding means flooding from outside, such as a river or storm. 

Leaks from the inside of the building are different. But the insurers still want to know.

They ask for information on accidents even if you never made a claim. Because it might happen again. However, they are  likely to look at the claims in your area, eg from your street or building. This could work for you. Or against you.

If you had subsidence but the problem was fixed, you might not have to pay more nor get denied insurance.

However, if the worst comes to the worst, you will still get insurance. Just not from the attractive cheap prices you were first offered. Instead some horrific high price!

(On November 2025. Note new legislation comes into force in 2026).

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