Looking to rent a property in England. Estate agent wants £75 per person to take the property off the market, non-refundable.

Not sure if this comes out of the first months rent (so kinda like a deposit).

Assuming it doesn’t, so is a stand alone fee, is this legal/common?

If it’s illegal, does anyone have any links I can read up on? Can’t find anything, but a mate is telling me it’s not legal.

Ta, Duane.

its estate agents anything goes…

Check the Ombudsman for Estate/Letting agents.
Are you applying to rent (ie application fee for a £3 credit check, printing out a standard contract and not much else) if so it’s normal to stiff you for that.

fairly standard to cover background/credit checks and admin fees

Every property I’ve rented they have charged me that sort of fee. It’s the usual thing they do.

Landlords don’t like paying fees, so they usually get passed on to the tenant in my experience.

It’s entirely normal for estate agents to charge for anything they can, which since they are an unregulated industry means anything they can think of.

Is there a big delay between when you tell them you want it, and when you start to pay rent/move in? I charge a holding deposit which comes out of/becomes rent when all signed up, but which I keep if it falls through.

nealglover – Member
Landlords don’t like paying fees, so they usually get passed on to the tenant in my experience.

Landlords generally pay 50% of month 1 as a finders fee then 10% of the rent to the agent (if used) the agent is the money grabber in this one. The only decent one we used as tenants asked for 1 months rent as deposit/application if successful was taken as deposit if not was refunded minus the £50 app/admin fee.

Vote with your feet and find another agent. The one I use charges 10% flat rate, no additional fees for me, no additional fees for tenants. Ditto the estate that I rent my home from.

We did and did it ourselves as all the local agents (conspired?) charge the same.

However now in Oz and have to use one of the scum bags so thats how it goes.

However now in Oz and have to use one of the scum bags so thats how it goes.

My sympathies. Our experiences here make UK estate agents look like a paragon of virtue by comparison.

It’s strange ours is much better, happy that they took a proper inventory and do inspections. Much more professional then the slimeballs in suits back home!

In Adelaide it is quite clear that they see the rental market, and tenants in particular, as a very unnecessary burden.