'Off the radar' house rental.

[PoleDriver]

I'm getting a little bored with the house I'm in at the moment (Been renting for 8 years) and I have been looking around the area to see what's available.
Things seem to have changed since I rented this place! All of the usual websites seem to be charging for everything from breathing the air in the agent's office to paying for their autographs!
Is there any way one can deal directly with the person who owns the property and cutting out the theiving bds middleman when looking for a long term rental?

[LFB531]

Letting agents have always charged, it's just now we have to publish those costs so you can make an 'informed' decision.......which it seems you have!

[PoleDriver]

LFB531 said:

Letting agents have always charged, it's just now we have to publish those costs so you can make an 'informed' decision.......which it seems you have!

The last two houses I rented have not used letting agents. It would appear that this is becoming a thing of the past!

[Steve_D]

Problem is the increasing level of legislation, security checks, etc which makes it very difficult for a landlord to do it all him/her self.

Steve

[Huntsman]

Steve_D said:

Problem is the increasing level of legislation, security checks, etc which makes it very difficult for a landlord to do it all him/her self.

Steve

My wife and I are landlords.

We don't find that. All that is just admin.

What we found, and the reason we used an agent to find a tenant, was that when we advertised it on gumtree etc we were inundated with 'do you take housing benefit' enquiries that just couldn't pay the extra.

Agent put it on rightmove and that brought a different type of enquirey.

[Twinkam]

My wife has a lettings business, and has been in that line of work for over 20 years. You would simply not believe the new legislation that has come into force since you last rented. The amount of paperwork that has to be created and presented to the potential tenant is colossal; to omit any of it exposes all three parties to risk. Deposit holding, referencing, inventories and check-ins/outs now have to be done by third parties (so that there are no conflicts of interest). All these things have a cost. Landlords and/or tenants who don't use an agent (mostly to 'save money') are understandably unaware of the changes in legislation but leave themselves wide open if things go awry with the tenancy... you can imagine the attitude of the courts in these cases!
It is thought to be (along with increased cost of buy-to-let mortgages) part of an establishment drive to get rid of private landlords by simply making it too complex and expensive.