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Landlords: Why choose Robert Aston & Company Estate Agents?

We are Licensed therefore our professional standards are high

We believe Estate Agencies should be regulated.  As members of the Association of Residential Letting Agents we are Licensed and therefore have to adhere to a strict code of conduct including compulsory membership of their Client Money Protection Scheme.  The entry requirements to become Licensed ensure a thorough knowledge of law applicable to the letting and management of residential property.  As being Licensed is not a legal requirement to operate a lettings agency, we feel choosing a Licensed agent is an imperative decision for any landlord.

We have extensive experience and expertise

We have built up and managed our portfolio since the early 1980s so have in depth knowledge of the local market, as well as witnessing the vast changes in lettings legislation over the years.   We are well placed to advise you on how to get the best yield from your investment. 

A flexible approach to meet your exact needs

We understand different landlords have different needs so we offer a tailored approach with our comprehensive management package.  If you like to use some of your existing tradesmen for certain repairs we can incorporate this for you.  Alternatively, if it suits you better to leave us to it by utilising our pool of experienced local specialist contractors, then this can be arranged.  We also understand that some landlords have sufficient knowledge and experience whereby they wish to manage their properties themselves.  Our let only service will meet these needs.  

What makes us different?

We care.  The private rented sector has grown and we want to offer well managed good quality properties to the local community that we serve.  We play a responsible role in managing the contract between our landlords and tenants.  This is often a source of conflict, but this does not have to be the case where the agent seeks to keep a good relationship between landlord and tenant that will hopefully promote a longer length of stay and thus reduce void periods.  We operate on the basis that our client’s investment needs to be protected, so not only do we pay very careful attention to the tenants we sign up, but also to assessing the condition of properties on periodic and vacation inspections. 

Choosing your letting agent

We are confident that we stand out amongst our competition and would encourage potential landlords, as is often generally advised, to obtain three valuations.

In a nut shell the basic aspects to consider when choosing your letting agent are:

Lowest fees do not necessarily save you money…………………………………in fact they can cost you money or increase your liability should something go wrong.  It is estimated that there are over 100 Acts of Parliament or statutory regulations which specifically impact on private rented sector landlords.  If fees seem too good to be true can you be sure that all the legal requirements are being met within that service?  An agent that is fully compliant with the vast legislative requirements will need to charge an appropriate fee to reflect the work that they do.  New regulations have been coming into force regularly over the last decade or so meaning a lot more is involved nowadays in remaining compliant.

Check fee structures carefully as they can be confusing……………………………………………….some agents may offer what seem like low % commission core fees but also charge many additional administration fees which soon make the lower percentage less competitive overall.  We like to keep fees simple so limit them to mainly re-let fees and management fees.  Make sure you calculate the annual cost of all the fees you are likely to incur rather than just comparing the management commission percentages alone.

Is your letting agent just telling you what you want to hear?.................................................or would you not be better off being told what you need to know?  We know that repairs and maintenance can be a real pain for the cash flow of landlords but sometimes we have to be the bearers of bad news I am afraid!  If that chimney needs re-pointing or the paint on the outhouse door is peeling when we carry out our inspection, we will let you know.  We pay attention to the detail, even if it means telling you that you need to spend more money.  Our approach is to promote as much pro-active maintenance as possible, as this can reduce the cost and frequency of reactive maintenance which only causes stress and inconvenience to landlords and tenants alike. 

"Just to say thank you so much for your support, patience and guidance with the house move."
Mr and Mrs L