“It’s not me it’s you”
Bringing a relationship to end can be the right thing to do for everyone involved but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to get the wheels in motion. The relationship between landlords and their letting agencies can be a healthy collaborative one or sometimes it can be hard work and a downward spiral of cynicism and mistrust creating a stressful experience for everyone involved. If you know deep-down that you’ve reached the end of the road with your Edinburgh letting agency, here are 5 points to bring you smoothly out the other side and avoid the famous Chandler Bing “sweatpants phase”.
- What else is out there? Talk to other letting agencies in Edinburgh about how you are feeling and get an idea of what else is out there. Many landlords fear that letting agencies are all the same and perhaps they are better off staying with their current agency, that it’s “better the devil you know”. Firstly, not all letting agencies are the same. Letting agencies basically offer the same services but there is a HUGE range in how they deliver them. A quick chat on the phone with a prospective new letting agency will give you a good idea of what you have in store elsewhere. The experience at two letting agencies is rarely the same!
- Break the news. Once you’ve chosen the agency that you would prefer to move to, breaking the news to your current agency is easier than you think. Usually a brief email to your existing agent informing them of the move to a new agency should be enough. Your new agency can pick things up from there.
- Negotiating your exit. Your existing Edinburgh letting agency will respond with the terms for switching agency. This will cover things like notice period, exit charges (if applicable) and any outstanding invoices relating to the property. There is no obstacle at this stage that can’t be overcome with the support of your new agency so don’t let this be a barrier to making the decision to switch. It’ll be easier than you might think.
- Keep the current tenants. Your new agency will get in touch with your tenants (unless the property is empty) to introduce themselves and start the new relationship. If you had had a bad experience as the landlord with your previous letting agency then it is likely your tenants have too! The change of agency is usually welcome news for the tenants.
- Get the house (or flat) in order. Once the notice period has run its course and your new agency has the keys and documents for the property, they can make an assessment of the current lease paperwork, inventory, legal certificates and arrange the deposit transfer. The can also make any recommendations for preventative maintenance work from their visit to the property and meeting with the tenant bringing everything into line and setting you up for a smooth road ahead.
Changing Edinburgh letting agency is a more straightforward process than most landlords think and the majority of legwork is taken care of by the new letting agency as part of the management service so the money and time spent by the landlord in switching agency is very low. Landlords who have made the decision to switch to Umega say they wish they had done it sooner after sometimes putting off the decision for months, or years!
If you have the feeling that it’s the end of the road with your current letting agency, take the first step by giving us a call and tell us how you are feeling. It could be the start of something beautiful 🙂