Where can I find one?

• There are many property management businesses which situate themselves on the high street and will answer your queries on a walk-in basis.
• If you are buying a large area of land or property with the desire to rent some or all of it out, then often your estate agent will be able to advise a suitable and recommended property management company who will be able to deal with your situation. Often larger firms will deal with all aspects of property and so you will sometimes find that if a business has an estate agent sector, it will also have a property management division.
• The best way of finding an agent is by looking at The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors website which gives you a list of all agents who are MRICS. This means that all agents whose details you obtain will be sufficiently qualified, although you will not know their reputation.
• The Association of Residential Letting Agents also provides a list of agents who are members of this association.
• An alternative way to find an agent is to go by recommendations and word-of-mouth from other people who have employed property management services, which ensures that you know that this agent is reliable and trustworthy.

How much will it cost?

The agent's fee will usually be a percentage of the rent which they manage to collect. This means that they work almost on a commission basis. The agent will be motivated to make sure that the properties are filled for the maximum time that they can be, ensure that the changeover time between tenants is kept to a minimum, and to guarantee that all maintenance repairs are done to the property so that none of the tenants will withhold rent etc. Some proprietors may withdraw some of the maintenance repair costs from the agent's fee if it was caused by something which they overlooked, for example damp due to them not repairing tiles on the roof. The fee usually falls at around 3-10 percent of the landlord's gross rent which is collected each month.

What should I ask my agent?

• What are the chances of finding a tenant for my property?
• Will you deal with aspects of litigation yourself or hire a solicitor?
• What are your fees?
• Are you appropriately accredited?