11. Agency fees
If you are going through a letting agent you are likely to have to pay fees. The letting agent should clearly breakdown these costs before you make any payments to them. There is no maximum amount they can charge, so it’s important you ask for a breakdown of the costs so that you can budget for them.
There may be fees for credit checks, administration and a general letting charge for the tenancy agreement.
You should check if the credit checks are for all adults in your household, or just the person who is named on the tenancy agreement. If you need a guarantor, there is likely to be a further credit check fee to pay.
You should also check whether the letting agent charges fees when renewing a tenancy. This is likely to be after 6 months, so ask what the costs are likely to be.
Please see our Property Agent Rating Scheme to identify which letting agents you can trust to look after your interests.