Originally Posted by
Rev-O
I'm a landlord and I use an agent. I don't understand the arrangement here. What is the owner paying the agents for? Just to be a buffer, a shield to hide behind? Maybe that's some sort of landlord/agent deal (at a hugely reduced fee, I'd hope) but it's not how I believe agents work. The agent represents the owner (the clue is the name); the owner will have to sign off on any expenditure or agree to any works being done etc (or not, as the case may be) but everything goes through the agent.
I have never heard of a situation whereby "the estate agent tell us that they are only responsible for the keys and taking the monthly payments as the landlord has chosen to be responsible for maintenance and any other issues."
Who is carrying out the statutory checks (e.g. gas safety)? Is the agent a reputable outfit, registered with a professional body (e.g. ARLA)?