Self-managing or using a letting agent: how to choose
A neutral comparison of control, workload, expertise, cost and accountability for England landlords.
In brief
The right choice depends on your time, experience, property type and appetite for day-to-day responsibility. Compare the actual service and workflow—not just a percentage fee or a software subscription.
01
Price the whole job
List tenant finding, referencing, inspections, repairs, compliance tracking, rent collection, arrears, notices and out-of-hours issues. Ask an agent what is included, what costs extra and who approves work. If self-managing, put a realistic value on your own time.
02
Decide where accountability sits
Using an agent does not remove every landlord responsibility. Agree who monitors each deadline, how evidence is shared, who can spend money and how urgent issues are escalated.
03
Choose a reversible operating model
Keep property data and evidence organised so you can change agent, bring work in-house or delegate selected tasks without rebuilding the record from scratch.
Rules and rollout dates can change. Recheck these primary sources before acting.