Using a letting agent is the favoured option of the majority of rental home hunters. Using one should hopefully guarantee a certain standard of service and you will always have the fallback of a business with a professional reputation to uphold should there be any dispute anywhere along the way. A good lettings agent will work efficiently on your behalf, be professional and courteous in all their dealings, ensure that the description of the property is accurate and make certain that the property adheres to gas and fire regulations.
On the other hand, you will have to pay them an occasionally hard to justify fee for the work they do, they are usually less flexible than a private landlord (you will not normally be permitted to have pets in your home, for instance) and not every agent is as professional as they might be. Follow our advice below, and you should be able to avoid many of the traps and tricks that catch some people out:
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