Letting Agent Fees (Bristol)

Haggisman

Haggisman

Haggisman

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Joined
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Birmingham
In the process of helping my GF find a new house/flat closer to work, and some of the fees the agencies are charging are eye-watering.

Seems to be a standard 30-40% of the rent + VAT and in some cases additional fees on top as well. Totalling ~£4-500; that's almost as much as solicitor's fees for buying a house!

When did they get so high? Last time I rented it was about £250 for 2 people!

How on earth can they justify charging so much for printing a tenancy agreement? (and they're probably charging the landlord a fortune as well...)

Can anyone recommend a letting agency in Bristol that doesn't charge the earth for 10 minutes of admin?
 
It's disgraceful to be honest, that price is especially disgraceful.

It's gotten beyond a joke now, I remember paying £50 admin fees each for student houses. Then some places charged £100 I thought "wtf? show me where this money goes".

They always claim it's a credit check etc but I found out once they didn't even credit check me nor check my reference.... so basically they just pocketed the money.

The house I'm living at now is run by a local letting agency (family run business) and they charged 50 for both of us to be credit checked.
 
The credit check costs £30-50 per person (I know because I looked into it recently when considering getting a lodger in), so where does the other £300 go? (Well, I think the answer to that is pretty obvious! :p)
 
Haggisman said:
The credit check costs £30-50 per person (I know because I looked into it recently when considering getting a lodger in), so where does the other £300 go? (Well, I think the answer to that is pretty obvious! :p)
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It's just a **** take, everything to do with houses and living is an absolute troll.

Makes me think sometimes just say **** it and build a log cabin. Imagine the money I could save (long as it's done properly of course).
 
They are opportunistic scumbags, they bleed you dry and they suck the money off the landlord as well no doubt on the % they charge on the rent they collect.

Luckily the one we are with is a small independant and we are on a rolling long term contract no with no renewal fees. Always used to rustle my jimmies when they would get you to sign for 6/12 months then at the end of that period send you an invoice for 50 odd quid and along with a new tennancy to renew.
 
Haggisman said:
Can anyone recommend a letting agency in Bristol that doesn't charge the earth for 10 minutes of admin?
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Impossible.

All have stupid fees but generally you can get them to lower some of them but my favourite is the "contract renewal fee" mine was £100-£200 to send out some paperwork. I had a chat with my landlord before contract end, they charge BOTH of us for sending out a new copy of the contract which is £50 of time/effort at best...we dealt with it for free. :p
 
Scam said:
I hope you're not looking at CJ Hole?

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/apr/10/bristol-tenants-plan-demo-letting-agents-rent-rise
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Wow... makes me so glad I bought a couple of years ago! It's almost getting to the point where it would be cheaper for me to sell up and move than pay the agency fees :p

Brookert said:
Seems to me we need a new service for arranging tenancies, much like the revolution in online estate agents that's going on at the moment.
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Indeed, I'm surprised there isn't a service out there (sort of like Gumtree but purely for lettings).

Maybe there's a gap in the market... :D
 
Anything to do with houses they just screw people over because ultimately we have no choice but to live somewhere, this allows them to essentially act as a monopoly and charge whatever they want
 
My flat that I rented all in cost me £350 (fee's) + £900 (deposit) + £650 (1st rent) = £1,900 straight off the bat... Sure I'll get the deposit back (after a fight with the landlord no doubt) and the 1st month was for rent... but it's crazy.

Having to move again in a few weeks as the Agency wants +£50 a month on top of a £200 contract renew fee.
 
Last time I did it, it was £45 per person and a couple of small admin charges, looking into it recently I'd be chucking around £300 at an agency just for me... the industry seriously needs regulation.
 
Agencies charging fees to the tenants? When I last rented, I wrote the deposit cheque, gave them my employment details, and that was that.
 
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