Changing letting agents mid tenancy: common myths dispelled

Your property is an important asset, and should be a hassle-free and lucrative investment, so if you’re not happy with the service you’re receiving from your current letting agent, changing agents might be easier than you think. Many landlords associate switching agents midway through a tenancy to be a hassle that they can’t be bothered with, so we thought we’d dispel some common myths so you can see how easy it really is to make the switch.

You’ve signed a contract so you can’t change

An agreement between a landlord and a letting agent is a legal document, so it is important to follow the correct steps if you choose to change agents. However, it doesn’t mean that you can’t change, you just need to dig out your contract and check the termination clause. It will give you details of how you have to notify your agent of your intention to terminate the contract, and the amount of notice you have to give.

Termination clauses vary from agent-to-agent, so check your contract and if you are still unsure, we are happy to have a look over it for you and advise accordingly.

You can’t change mid tenancy

Another common misconception is that you can’t change agents mid tenancy, but this is certainly not the case. The Tenancy Agreement is between you (the landlord) and the tenant, not the letting agent.

We often get enquiries from landlords who are dissatisfied with the service they are receiving from their letting agent and you are perfectly within your rights (contract permitting) to switch agents at any point whether you have tenants in or not.

It’s too much hassle

Last but not least, some landlords believe it’s too much hassle to change estate agents, but it really isn’t! At Matthews, we follow a simple process to take over the management of your property quickly and efficiently:

Check your contract and give notice to your current letting agent with your intention to switch agents. It’s worth trying to schedule your notice period to correspond with the rent period as this allows the change to be made without altering your tenant’s rent day.
Arrange a handover with new agent: This includes giving the details of your current tenants, handing over the keys and securing property documents – including warranties, compliance and safety certificates.
Contact your tenant to let them know details of your new letting agent and who to contact in the event of any issues or emergencies.

We’re very experienced at taking over management of properties and portfolios from other letting agents. We do everything we can to make the process as simple and painless as possible by handling all aspects of our clients’ deals – including:

Contacting your tenant to notify them that if they have any concerns or emergencies, we’ll be in charge of the property.
Obtaining tenancy paperwork, including a Tenancy Agreement, references, deposit information, and so on.
Securing property documents such as warranties and compliance and safety recommendations.
Collecting all sets of keys owned by the prior letting agent.
Making a schedule for a property visit and inventory check list.

We build long term relationships with our landlords, who entrust us to manage their property with utmost care and professionalism. And you shouldn’t expect anything less.

If you are dissatisfied with your current letting agent, switch to Matthews, where we’ve got 30 years under our belt in managing property.

Speak to our team today to kick start the process.