Letting agent or self-manage when you live abroad?
Owners abroad choose between full management, let only, rent collection, or managing themselves with local help. What each one does, how agents charge, and what to check before you sign.
In short: Living abroad, you can use a letting agent (let only, rent collection or full management) or manage the let yourself with local help. Agents usually charge a percentage of the rent plus VAT, or fixed fees; the tenant cannot be charged. Check the agent belongs to a redress scheme and a client money protection scheme.
Landlords abroadChoosing software and helpFinding a tenant
England. Checked against the law on 9 November 2026. Information, not legal advice.
The choices
- Let only (tenant find). The agent advertises, shows the home, references the tenant and sets up the tenancy. After that, you run it.
- Rent collection. As let only, plus the agent collects the rent and chases arrears.
- Full management. The agent also arranges repairs, the safety checks, inspections and the deposit, and is the tenant's contact.
- Self-managing with local help. You run the let yourself and use a local helper, a Property PA or trusted trades for the visits and repairs.
How agents charge
Agents usually charge a percentage of the rent, plus VAT, for rent collection or full management, and a fee (fixed or a percentage) for finding a tenant. Some add fees for inventories, renewals or arranging certificates. Ask for every fee in writing before you sign: agents must show their fees, including VAT, on their website and in their offices.
Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, the tenant cannot be charged for referencing, admin or check-out. Those costs are the landlord's.
What to check before you sign
- Redress scheme: every letting agent in England must belong to the Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme.
- Client money protection: an agent who holds your rent or deposit must belong to a government-approved client money protection scheme.
- Tax: as you live abroad, the agent must take basic rate tax off the rent under the Non-Resident Landlord Scheme unless HMRC has approved you (form NRL1i).
- The contract: the notice to end it, any fee for ending early, and who signs off repairs above a set amount.
When self-managing works from abroad
It works well when you have reliable local help, the tenant can report repairs with photos, and you keep the certificates and deposit in one record you can see from anywhere. It is harder with an HMO, an older home with frequent repairs, or a tenant who needs a lot of contact.
Whatever you choose
The legal duties stay yours: the certificates, the deposit, right to rent, the landlord register and repairs. An agent does the work, but a fine for something missed is addressed to the landlord.
This guide is general guidance for England, not legal or financial advice.
Where this comes from
Questions landlords ask
Should I use a letting agent if I live abroad?
Many owners abroad do, at least for repairs and emergencies. Others self-manage with local help. Either way, the legal duties stay with you as the landlord.
How much do letting agents charge?
It varies by agent and service. Most charge a percentage of the rent plus VAT, or fixed fees. Agents must publish their fees including VAT; ask for them in writing.
What must a letting agent belong to?
A redress scheme (the Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme), and a client money protection scheme if they hold your money.
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Templates, terms and news on this
Glossary
Letting agent
A business that finds tenants for landlords or manages lets. In England it must join a redress scheme, publish its fees and, if it holds client money, have CMP.
Glossary
Client money protection (CMP)
Cover that repays landlords and tenants if an agent loses or misuses money it holds for them. Compulsory for agents in England that hold client money.
Glossary
Guarantor
A person who promises in writing to pay the rent, or cover other losses, if the tenant does not. Often asked of students or people on a lower income.
Glossary
Material information
The facts about a home a person needs to decide whether to rent or buy it, such as the rent or price, council tax band, EPC and any known risks, which an advert must not leave out.
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