If you’re considering renting out property in the south east London areas of Bermondsey, Borough, London Bridge, Waterloo or Shad Thames, one of your first considerations is whether or not to use a letting agent to help you manage your landlord role. If you decide to go down the agent route, your next decision is choosing the right letting agent for your property.
Whether you’re an accidental landlord who’s decided to rent out your property rather than sell, or you’ve decided to invest in buy-to-let, you may ask, ‘Do I need a letting agent?’. This depends on your specific circumstances, so to help you to decide, we’ve explained some of the factors that should influence your decision.
Changing letting agents may be a way to avoid selling a property with tenants, because with proper care for your home, agents are able to make your buy to let more profitable and ensure tenants are taking care of it.
Being a landlord in London can be confusing. There are over 170 Acts & Regulations to consider, so, how do you know if you are compliant?
One of the deciding factors will come down to how much of your spare time you want to devote to your property rental and how confident you feel about managing the process.
If you have not managed property before, you must familiarise yourself with landlord regulations and undertake essential tasks that you will be responsible for as a landlord.
Arranging repairs, electrical and gas safety checks and dealing with tenant enquiries can take up a great amount of your time. Also, the Renters’ Rights Act brings major reforms to the private rented sector, with new responsibilities and legal processes to comply with.
The Renters’ Rights Act received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 and many of the main provisions will come into force from 1 May 2026.
Landlords will need to be prepared for the additional complexities and responsibilities including adapting to the new tenancy system and the abolishment of Section 21 evictions, changes to rent increase rules, advertising restrictions and more.
There will also be further changes in the future when the new EPC rules for landlords come into force. Using an experienced letting agent provides expert guidance on compliance obligations and they undertake the majority of admin work involved in managing your property and tenancy.
If you have a full-time job, you may find it difficult to balance managing a property with your other commitments.
Cost is a factor too, so your next question is probably, ‘How much are letting agent fees, and are they worth the money?’
In most cases letting agents offer three levels of service:
Want to be a more informed landlord? A good agent should also support you with how to choose a tenant, and it helps to know your options if you ever need to change letting agent mid-tenancy.
Some letting agents also provide one-off services if you do not require the more comprehensive set of services. For example, you can pay a one-off fee for:
Fees will vary but generally expect to pay around 10% of the monthly rent for the basic tenant finder service, rising to 15% to 20% for property management.
Like in most industries, there is a significant difference in service levels from the best estate agents to the worst ones. Don’t rush into choosing your estate agent. Ending up with a poor one could leave you doing more of the work than you bargained for.
If your estate agent makes a mistake leading to a serious issue, such as non-compliance with fire safety regulations, you could face a fine or, in severe cases, imprisonment. So, choosing an experienced estate agent with a good reputation will help to protect you from these risks.
A good quality letting agent will demonstrate the following:
You should also find them easy to work with. You can check online reviews and ask local landlords about the best letting agents in the area. A good agent will also be flexible enough to handle a range of landlord arrangements, for example, overseas landlords who operate under the Non Resident Landlord Scheme (NRLS).
Numerous online estate agents offer an alternative to local high street agents. The main benefit of using an online agent is that they tend to be cheaper, but fewer services are offered. This means you could be left doing much of the work involved in managing the property yourself.
Therefore, you should decide whether saving money on agent fees or having an agent who provides a comprehensive property management service is more important.
If you decide to use a lettings agent to manage your property, you, as the landlord, are still responsible for ensuring that all your legal requirements are carried out.
While landlords are legally responsible for the above, the letting agent can do most of them on the landlord’s behalf. However, it is important that the agreement to transfer responsibility for right to rent checks is recorded in writing. Also, if a non-resident landlord wants a letting agent to complete the tax deduction from rent, a 64-8 Agent Authorisation form must be completed.
A full management service should include handling maintenance issues so the tenant reports problems to the agent instead of the landlord. The agent will then instruct a local tradesperson to resolve the issue, with the landlord charged the cost.
Usually, the agent will undertake property inspections as part of their service and advise the landlord if they have any concerns about the property’s condition.
Before signing up to an agent, compare what’s included against how much it costs to rent out a property and whether they offer support with a house inspection checklist.
A good quality letting agent should have no problem answering any questions you have for them.
It’s a competitive market, so you might be able to get a good deal right now, but cost shouldn’t be the only factor. Value for the money you spend on letting agent fees is far more important.
You will soon discover that having a proactive agent will make your life as a landlord much more straightforward. Look at signs like how long they take to respond to your emails or calls.
Also, check out which property portals they advertise on and make sure they are on the main ones, like Zoopla and Rightmove, as this will help to attract tenants quickly.
If your agent knows the local market, they will be better positioned to find the right kind of tenants for your property, and they will also know how much to set the rent at.
You should be able to research how many local rental properties they have recently found tenants for by checking the portals that they list properties on.
Find out if the agents are properly accredited.
Ask them about their strategy for finding tenants. This should include listings on the main portals, Zoopla and Rightmove, as well as their website and social media feeds. Think about the position of their high street branches, the number of clients on their books, and any other marketing methods they use.
A professional letting agent should have all the necessary insurance cover to protect both you and your tenants. Ask the agent for details of their insurance and you can ask to see their insurance policy to check there is adequate insurance in place. As a minimum, they should have professional indemnity insurance, which covers claims for negligent professional errors.
Check that the agent is part of a client money protection scheme such as Client Money Protect. This is a legal requirement. Letting agents must hold client money in a Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) authorised bank.
A good quality agent will be able to provide a wealth of expertise regarding compliance and all the regulations you need to keep on top of. They should advise you on everything from gas and electrical regulations to any new rules and legislation that affect your responsibilities as a landlord.
Before you choose a letting agent, check the details of their repair and maintenance policy, as different agents have different approaches. If the property is fully managed, ask what the regular maintenance includes and how they allocate maintenance work.
If they have a network of tradespeople, you might benefit from lower repair charges compared to finding your own tradespeople. You may also request that you are contacted for permission before any significant maintenance work is undertaken, by determining a cost limit for work that can be carried out without your authorisation.
How was your own experience of dealing with them? Are they good at returning calls and emails? Do they fill you with confidence? Do you feel you can establish a good working relationship? If any of these areas seem problematic before they’ve even got your business, it’s time to walk away.
Remember to read the small print. Go through the terms and conditions carefully before you sign. Ensure you are happy with everything they offer to do for the fees and the notice period, should you want to end the contract. If anything concerns you, get legal advice.
Talk to us if you’re drawing together your shortlist of letting agents covering SE1 areas such as Vauxhall and Wapping. We’re a local independent agent with plenty of experience in the south east London lettings market and a comprehensive package of management services. We offer let only, rent collect and fully managed services to suit your needs.
We’d love to chat about what we can offer new landlords, so please call us today.
We’re here to help with any property-related queries you may have
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Lee Whitelock
Director
Being a landlord in London can be confusing. How do you make sure you are compliant?