Landlord guideUpdated 13 October 2026
How much do letting agents charge? £1,728 a year at 12% of a £1,200 rent.
Full management is charged as a percentage of the rent: Purplebricks, for one, lists 12% including VAT. On a rent of £1,200 a month, that is £144 a month and £1,728 a year, before its set-up fee and any other one-off fees. Here is every fee an agent charges, what agents must tell you by law, what changed in 2026, and when managing the let yourself makes sense.
By Erdem Volkan, Founder, LetComplianceFees are from named agents’ own published lists; the rules are checked against legislation.gov.uk
How much are letting agent fees in the UK?
Tenant-find only · Let-only
90%
of the first month’s rent at Purplebricks, minimum £720; others charge a fixed fee
Advertising, viewings, referencing, the tenancy agreement and move-in. You run the tenancy afterwards.
Rent collection · Let and collect
9.6%
of the rent, VAT included, at Purplebricks; LettingaProperty states 9.4% plus VAT
Tenant-find, then collecting rent, monthly statements and chasing arrears. Repairs and notices stay with you.
Full management · Most common
12%
of the rent, VAT included, at Purplebricks; high-street branches set their own
All of the above, plus repairs, contractors, inspections, certificate renewals and dealing with the tenant day to day.
The rates above are from Purplebricks’ published list (May 2026); each agent sets its own, and quotes can be higher in London. An agent’s percentage is charged on every property: four lets at £1,200 a month cost £6,912 a year in full management at 12%, before set-up fees, against £228 a year on LetCompliance Portfolio for up to ten properties. Price your own quote, with VAT, set-up, inventory and renewal fees, in the letting agent fee calculator.
Or manage it yourself
Run the whole let yourself, from £7.99 a month
That is £95.88 a year for one property, against £1,728 for full management at 12% including VAT on a £1,200 rent. Solo covers up to three properties for £14.99 a month.
- Let it without an agent. Adverts, applications and viewings in one place, referencing paid per check, and an assured periodic tenancy agreement signed online.
- Start the tenancy right. The deposit’s 30-day protection clock and the Prescribed Information, with the gas, electrical and EPC certificates tracked and reminded.
- Get paid without a commission. Rent by Direct Debit, with a card link as a fallback, and arrears tracked and chased. LetCompliance takes no commission; Stripe charges its own fee.
- Handle the rest. Repairs reported by the tenant and sent to your own contractors, Section 8 and Section 13 notices on paid plans, and Making Tax Digital for Income Tax on UK property income, recognised by HMRC.
What an agent still does that software does not: turn up. Viewings, inspections, key handovers and being the tenant’s first call when something breaks stay with you, or you buy them in. Within about an hour of Crewe, LetCompliance offers accompanied viewings at £49 and mid-tenancy inspections at £80.
Calculator
Work out your own agent bill
Enter your rent and the rate you have been quoted to see what it costs over a month, a year and five years.
What the agent costs on £1,200 a month
A month
£144.00
A year
£1,728
Over 5 years
£8,640
An effective rate of 12.0% of the rent, before one-off fees such as tenant-find, inventories or notices.
LetCompliance Single costs £95.88 a year for this property (£7.99 a month), and Solo is £14.99 a month for up to 3. On this rent the agent’s management fee is £1,632 a year more, before you count your own time for viewings, visits and calls.
Portfolio landlords
Letting agent fees for a portfolio: £17,280 a year on 10 properties
Full management at 12% of a £1,200 monthly rent, VAT included, is £1,728 a year for each let, before the set-up fee. That is the rate Purplebricks lists, and an agent charges it on every property, so the bill rises with each one you add. A LetCompliance plan is priced by how many properties it covers, whatever the rent.
| LetsProperties | Letting agentfull management, a year | LetCompliancea year, paid monthly | Differencea year, fees only |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | £1,728 | £95.88Single, 1 property£7.99 a month, or £76.70 paid yearly£1,632.12 a year less than the agent | £1,632.12 |
| 3 | £5,184 | £179.88Solo, up to 3 properties£14.99 a month, or £143.88 paid yearly£5,004.12 a year less than the agent | £5,004.12 |
| 5 | £8,640 | £228Portfolio, up to 10 properties£19 a month, or £152 paid yearly£8,412 a year less than the agent | £8,412 |
| 10 | £17,280 | £228Portfolio, up to 10 properties£19 a month, or £152 paid yearly£17,052 a year less than the agent | £17,052 |
| 20 | £34,560 | £348Portfolio Plus, up to 20 properties£29 a month, or £232 paid yearly£34,212 a year less than the agent | £34,212 |
What you still do yourself
The table compares fees, not services. Full management includes someone who goes to the property for viewings, inspections and key handovers, and who takes the tenant’s call when something breaks. With LetCompliance that person is you, or someone local you pay. The plan does the desk work: adverts and applications, the tenancy agreement, rent by Direct Debit with no commission (Stripe charges its own fee), arrears, repairs sent to your own contractors, notices and tax records. The guide to managing without a letting agent has each step in order.
How to read the agent column
It is one agent’s published list price, not a quote. With several properties you may be able to negotiate the rate down. The set-up fee comes on top, and inventory and notice fees often do too. The LetCompliance figure is twelve monthly payments, with no VAT added; the yearly price, paid once, is under it. Put your own rent and rate into the calculator above.
Beyond the percentage
The other fees on an agent’s schedule
The management percentage is the headline. These are the charges that often sit alongside it.
| Fee | How it is charged | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Setup or onboarding fee | One-off, when you instruct | Bringing the property and tenancy onto the agent’s system. |
| Inventory and check-in / check-out | Per visit, often by property size | Worth having: it is the evidence in any deposit dispute. |
| Periodic inspection | Per visit | A visit and written report, commonly every 3 to 6 months. |
| Tenancy renewal or extension fee | Flat fee or percentage | Question it: tenancies have had no fixed term since 1 May 2026, so there is nothing to renew. |
| Section 8 or Section 13 notice | Per notice | Drafting and serving the notice, not court or bailiff fees. |
| Deposit dispute handling | Per dispute | Preparing evidence for the deposit scheme’s adjudicator. |
| Arranging safety certificates | Fee or mark-up on the certificate | Compare with booking the engineer or assessor directly. |
What three named agents actually charge
Published fees, from each agent’s own list
Every letting agent in England has to publish a list of its fees on its own website, with each amount inclusive of tax, under section 83 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015. These are read from those lists rather than from a summary. High-street franchise networks are not here on purpose: they set fees branch by branch, so a national figure against one of those names would be wrong. The range above is what covers them.
OpenRent
Figures stated inclusive of VATOne-off fees and small monthly add-ons. No percentage of rent at any tier.
| Service | To start | Ongoing |
|---|---|---|
| Advertise on OpenRent | Free | None |
| Portal advertising (Rightmove, Zoopla and partner sites) | £29 | None |
| Advertising + Rent Now (contract, online signing, deposit registration, initial rent collection, notice serving) | £58 | None |
| Rent collection | None | £10 a month |
| Management Plus | None | £19 a month |
- Tenant and guarantor referencing is £30 each, and Section 8 notices are listed as free.
- OpenRent does not offer traditional full management such as routine inspections and maintenance coordination, so the £19 a month is not like-for-like with a high-street managed service.
Source: OpenRent, Our Pricing, read 21 September 2026.
LettingaProperty.com
Check VAT treatment on the agent’s listFixed monthly fee banded by rent, and it publishes its own percentage equivalent.
| Service | To start | Ongoing |
|---|---|---|
| Rent Collect (advertising, referencing for two tenants, tenancy, deposit registration, rent collection and statements) | £199 | £47.17 a month on annual billing, which it states as 9.4% of rent |
| Rent Assured (as above plus rent protection of £3,000 over 3 months and arrears management) | £199 | £63.17 a month on annual billing, which it states as 12.6% of rent |
- Those are the prices for its lowest rent band, under £1,000 a month; the plans are banded up to £3,001 and above.
- Annual billing is stated as 20% cheaper than paying monthly.
- Complete Care adds a rent-on-time benefit of up to £12,000 over 6 months and maintenance coordination; the Plus tiers add £25 or £30 a month.
Source: LettingaProperty.com, Landlord Plans, read 21 September 2026.
Purplebricks
Figures stated inclusive of VATA percentage of rent for the whole term, plus a set-up fee. Priced like a high-street agent, not like a flat-fee one.
| Service | To start | Ongoing |
|---|---|---|
| Tenant Find | 90% of the first month’s rent, minimum £720 | None |
| Let and Rent Collect | £420 outside London, £720 inside | 9.6% of the total rent for the term, minimum £48 a month |
| Fully Managed | £540 outside London, £960 inside | 12% of the total rent for the term, minimum £81 a month |
- The commission is charged on the total rent payable for the duration of the tenancy, not month by month at the landlord’s option.
- Professional photos and a floor plan are £135 per property.
- The set-up fee is deducted in full from the first rent payment.
Source: Purplebricks, Landlord and Tenant Fees, May 2026 (PDF), read 21 September 2026.
Two online agents that are no longer trading
“Use an online agent, they are cheaper” is advice with a survivorship problem. Both of these were candidates for the table above and neither could be priced, because the domain no longer belongs to a letting agency: Home Made (wearehomemade.com, domain listed for sale), and Mashroom (mashroom.com, domain parked). If you are choosing on price alone, the question of who will still be collecting your rent in three years is part of the price.
Fees change, and an agent’s own list is always the authority for what applies to you. The useful comparison is not which headline number is smallest but what each one buys: a percentage of rent for the whole term is a different commitment from a fixed monthly fee, and neither is the same as a service that does not include repairs or inspections at all.
Why quotes differ
What pushes a quote up or down
- Where the property is
- Quotes are usually higher in London and the South East than elsewhere, and vary between branches of the same brand.
- The type of let
- HMOs, with more tenancies, more rent lines and a licence to manage, usually cost more to manage than a single let.
- The level of service
- Tenant-find only is a one-off; rent collection and full management run for as long as the tenancy does.
- How many properties
- Landlords with several properties are often in a stronger position to negotiate the rate.
- How the fee is structured
- A low headline rate with separate charges for inspections, renewals and notices can cost more than a higher all-in rate.
The law on agents
What a letting agent in England must tell you
Its fees, including VAT
Under section 83 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 an agent must publish its fees, with enough description to understand what each covers and the amount including tax, in its offices, on its website and on property portals where it advertises. The council can impose a penalty of up to £5,000 for failing to do so.
Its redress scheme
Letting agents and property managers in England must belong to a government-approved redress scheme, so a landlord or tenant can complain to an independent body. An agent that does not can be fined up to £5,000, and it must name its scheme alongside its fees.
Its client money protection
Since 1 April 2019 an agent in England that holds rent or deposits for clients must belong to an approved client money protection scheme, which protects your money if the agent fails, and it must say which scheme it belongs to alongside its fees.
Why landlords pay
The Tenant Fees Act moved the cost to landlords
Since 1 June 2019 agents and landlords in England can only take permitted payments from a tenant. Referencing, credit check, admin, inventory and check-in fees became prohibited, so agents moved those charges to the landlord.
A breach can bring a penalty of up to £5,000. A further breach within five years is a criminal offence, and the authority can prosecute or impose a penalty of up to £30,000 instead. The tenant can recover the money through the First-tier Tribunal.
What a tenant can be asked for
- Rent, but not before the tenancy is signed (since 1 May 2026)
- A tenancy deposit of up to 5 weeks’ rent, or 6 weeks where the annual rent is £50,000 or more
- A holding deposit of up to 1 week’s rent
- Interest on rent more than 14 days late, at up to 3% above the Bank of England base rate
- The reasonable cost of replacing a lost key or security device, with evidence
- A payment for changing the tenancy at the tenant’s request, capped at £50 or reasonable costs
- Council tax, utilities, a TV licence and communications, where the tenancy makes them the tenant’s
What changed in 2026
How the Renters’ Rights Act changes what agents charge for
- 01
No more fixed terms
Since 1 May 2026 private tenancies are periodic and continue until ended, so renewal and extension fees should fall away.
- 02
Section 8 instead of Section 21
Possession needs a Section 8 notice on a specific ground, on Form 3A, and a court hearing. Agents usually charge per notice.
- 03
No rental bidding
An advert must state the rent, and neither the landlord nor the agent may invite or accept offers above it. The penalty is up to £7,000.
- 04
No refusing families or benefit claimants
Refusing or discouraging applicants because they have children or receive benefits is unlawful, with a penalty of up to £7,000.
- 05
Rent in advance limited
Rent before the tenancy is signed is a prohibited payment, and only the first rent period can fall due before the tenancy starts.
- 06
A register for landlords
The PRS Database opens on 15 December 2026, with each property registered by its region’s deadline in 2027 at £65 a year. Check whether your agent will handle it, and what it costs.
Before you sign
Six clauses to question in a management agreement
- A long tie-in with no way out
- Look for a notice period you can live with if the service falls short, rather than a fixed 12 months.
- Commission however the tenant was found
- A clause making commission payable even when you find the tenant yourself. Strike it, or limit it to tenants the agent introduced.
- A high spending limit without your approval
- The agent can order repairs up to this figure without asking. Set a limit you are comfortable with.
- Vague "reasonable admin fees"
- Ask for every fee to be itemised in the agreement, with VAT shown.
- Automatic roll-over with a long cancellation window
- An agreement that renews for another year unless you cancel months in advance.
- No redress or client money protection shown
- An agent in England must belong to a redress scheme, and to a client money protection scheme if it holds your money. Check the scheme’s own register.
Doing it yourself
What LetCompliance does in place of the management fee
The systematic work a management fee pays for, in one account. What it does not replace is someone on the ground for viewings and emergencies.
Finding a tenant
Advert, applications and the tenancy
- Adverts with the material information a listing should include, and a public listing page
- Applications through a link, a viewings scheduler and a waiting list
- Tenant referencing, paid per check
- An assured periodic tenancy agreement, drawn up and signed electronically
Rent
Rent, arrears and your figures
- A rent ledger showing what is paid, late and outstanding
- Automatic arrears reminders to the tenant
- Rent collection by Direct Debit, with no commission taken
- Income and costs for each property
Compliance
Certificates, deposit and licences
- A compliance score for each property
- Email and SMS reminders 90, 30, 14, 7 and 1 days before a certificate expires
- The deposit’s 30-day protection deadline, the Prescribed Information and licence renewals tracked
The tenant
Repairs, messages and requests
- A tenant portal for repairs with photos, messages and pet requests
- Your contractors in one list, assigned to the properties they know
- Inventories and check-in and check-out reports
Notices
Possession and rent increases
- Section 8 notices on Form 3A for the grounds landlords use most
- Section 13 rent increases on Form 4A, with the dates worked out
- A possession tracker from notice to order
Tax
Your return, not just a statement
- An SA105 export of your property income and expenses
- Making Tax Digital quarterly updates sent to HMRC from your account
- A mileage log at the HMRC rates
For the jobs that need a person, LetCompliance also offers accompanied viewings, inventories and mid-tenancy inspections as one-off services, run by the founder around Crewe rather than a national network.
Doing it yourself? The guide to managing a rental property without a letting agent has every legal step in order, from the gas check to the notice.
Questions
Letting agent fees: questions landlords ask
How much do letting agents charge landlords?
Each agent sets and publishes its own fees, VAT included. Purplebricks lists full management at 12% of the rent including VAT, rent collection at 9.6% and tenant-find at 90% of the first month’s rent (May 2026). Set-up, inventory and notice fees are often extra.
What are the average letting agent fees in the UK?
Named agents’ own lists put full management at 12% of the rent (Purplebricks, VAT included) and rent collection at 9.6% (Purplebricks) or 9.4% (LettingaProperty.com, lowest rent band). No official average is published. On a £1,200 rent, 12% is £1,728 a year.
How much do letting agents charge to manage a property?
Full management is charged as a percentage of the rent: Purplebricks lists 12% including VAT (May 2026), minimum £81 a month, plus a £540 set-up fee outside London (£960 in London). On a £1,200 rent that is £144 a month and £1,728 a year. Running the whole let yourself with LetCompliance starts at £7.99 a month for one property.
What fees do letting agents charge landlords?
A management percentage of the rent, plus one-off and per-visit fees: setup, inventory and check-in, periodic inspections, Section 8 or Section 13 notices, deposit dispute handling and arranging safety certificates. Agents in England must publish their fees including VAT, so ask for the full list before you sign.
How do I compare letting agent fees?
Compare each agent’s published fee list for the same service, with VAT included and the one-off fees added, over a full year. A low headline rate with separate charges for inspections, renewals and notices can cost more than a higher all-in rate.
What do estate agents charge for letting a property?
The same kinds of fee as a letting agent: a percentage of the rent for management, or a tenant-find fee, set by each firm or branch. In England, one doing lettings work must publish its fees including VAT and belong to a redress scheme.
Is it cheaper to manage a rental property yourself?
On cost, yes, by a wide margin. An example on a £1,200 monthly rent: full management at 12% including VAT, as Purplebricks lists it, is £144 a month or £1,728 a year, plus a set-up fee. LetCompliance Single for that one property is £7.99 a month, or £95.88 a year. The difference is £1,632.12 a year, before your own time for viewings, inspections and calls, and one-off costs such as referencing.
What is the typical letting agent management fee percentage in the UK in 2026?
There is no official figure: each agent publishes its own. Purplebricks lists full management at 12% of the rent including VAT and rent collection at 9.6%; LettingaProperty.com states 9.4% and 12.6% of the rent for its two plans in its lowest rent band. Compare local agents’ published lists for the same service.
Are letting agent fees VAT-able?
Yes, where the agent is VAT-registered, which most are: VAT at 20% is added to the fee. Agents must publish their fees inclusive of tax, and a quote of "12% plus VAT" is an effective 14.4% of the rent.
How much are letting agent fees in London?
Usually higher than elsewhere in the UK, and they vary widely between boroughs and branches. Compare the published fee schedules of at least three local agents on the same service level, including VAT and the one-off fees.
What is the difference between tenant-find, rent collection and full management?
Tenant-find (let-only) is a one-off fee to advertise, reference and move a tenant in, after which you run the tenancy. Rent collection adds collecting rent, statements and chasing arrears. Full management adds repairs, inspections, certificate renewals and dealing with the tenant, which is the most an agent does and the most it costs.
Can letting agents still charge fees to tenants in 2026?
Only permitted payments. Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019 a tenant can be asked for rent, a capped tenancy deposit, a holding deposit of up to one week’s rent, and a few specific payments such as interest on rent more than 14 days late or the cost of a lost key with evidence. Referencing, admin and check-in fees are banned, and since 1 May 2026 so is rent paid before the tenancy is signed.
What happens to a letting agent that breaches the Tenant Fees Act 2019?
A penalty of up to £5,000 for a first breach. A further breach within five years is a criminal offence, and the authority can prosecute or impose a penalty of up to £30,000 instead. Tenants can recover unlawful payments through the First-tier Tribunal.
Do letting agents have to belong to a redress scheme?
Yes, in England. Letting agents and property managers must belong to a government-approved redress scheme, and the council can impose a penalty of up to £5,000 on one that does not. The agent must also say which scheme it belongs to wherever it publishes its fees.
What is client money protection?
Cover that protects rent and deposits an agent holds for you if the agent goes out of business or misuses the money. Agents in England that hold client money have had to belong to an approved client money protection scheme since 1 April 2019, and must show which scheme alongside their fees.
Do letting agent fees change after the Renters’ Rights Act 2025?
The fee structure is much the same, but some of the work has changed. Tenancies have had no fixed term since 1 May 2026, so renewal fees should fall away. Section 21 was abolished, so possession needs a Section 8 notice on a specific ground. Agents must also follow the ban on rental bidding and on refusing tenants because they have children or receive benefits.
Can an agent still charge me a tenancy renewal fee?
Only if your agreement with the agent says so, and it is worth challenging. Since 1 May 2026 private tenancies are periodic with no fixed term, so a tenancy simply continues and there is no renewal to arrange.
Are letting agent fees higher for an HMO?
Usually, yes. An HMO has more tenancies to fill, more rent to collect and a licence to manage, so agents often charge a higher percentage or a fee per room. If you manage it yourself, LetCompliance tracks rent and arrears for each room and the HMO licence renewal.
Can I negotiate letting agent fees?
Often. Ask for setup and renewal fees to be waived, a written statement that repairs are not marked up, the right to use your own contractors and a reasonable notice period to leave. Landlords with several properties are usually in a stronger position.
Are letting agent fees tax-deductible for landlords?
Yes. Management, tenant-find and other letting agent fees are allowable expenses against rental income. Mortgage interest is different: individual landlords get a tax credit for it instead, at 20% for 2026 to 2027 and 22% from 2027 to 2028.
What records should my agent be able to give me?
The current gas safety record, EICR and EPC, the deposit protection certificate and proof the prescribed information was given, the tenancy agreement or written statement of terms, Right to Rent check records, the inventory and a rent statement. Ask for all of them if you leave the agent.
How do I switch or leave my letting agent?
Check the notice period and any fees payable after termination in your agreement, then give written notice. Ask for the certificates, tenancy documents, inventory, rent statement and tenant contact details, and confirm where the deposit is protected, because it must stay protected through the handover. LetCompliance can import your properties and tenancies if you move to managing the let yourself.
Is a letting agent worth it in 2026?
It depends on your time, distance from the property and how many lets you have. A good agent buys you someone local. The systematic work, such as rent, arrears, certificates, notices and tax records, is what software now does for a flat monthly price, which is why many landlords use an agent to find a tenant and manage the rest themselves.
Sources
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 83 (letting agents must publicise fees)
- Tenant Fees Act 2019
- GOV.UK: Tenant Fees Act 2019 guidance
- Redress Schemes for Lettings Agency Work and Property Management Work Order 2014
- Client Money Protection Schemes for Property Agents Regulations 2019
- Renters’ Rights Act 2025
Fee ranges are typical of published agent tariffs and vary by agent, area and property; check the fee schedule and agreement of the agent you are considering. This page covers England. General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Last reviewed 13 October 2026.
