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Should I let my property furnished or unfurnished?It depends almost entirely on who rents in your street.Read the answerWhat is Section 24 and how does it affect my tax?It removed the ability to deduct mortgage interest from rental income before tax, replacing it with a basic rate tax credit.Read the answerWho is responsible for damp and mould, me or my landlord?Rising and penetrating damp are the landlord's responsibility without qualification.Read the answerWhat happens at the end of a tenancy?Notice, then a check out against the original inventory, then meters and keys, then the deposit.Read the answerHow do I find a good tenant, and what should referencing check?Affordability, employment, previous landlord conduct and identity, applied consistently to everyone.Read the answerWhat is an inventory, and does it actually matter?It is the record of the property's condition when you moved in, and it is the single most important document in any deposit dispute.Read the answerCan a landlord refuse to let to me because of pets or benefits?Blanket refusals based on benefit status have been found discriminatory by the courts, and in England a tenant can now request a pet and expect a reasoned answer rather than a flat no.Read the answerWhat should I do if my tenant stops paying rent?Act early and write everything down.Read the answerHow much rent can I charge, and how do I know it is right?The market sets it, not you and not the agency pitching for your instruction.Read the answerCan I rent out my flat if I have a mortgage?Only with your lender's agreement.Read the answerDo I need an EPC to rent out my property, and what rating?Yes.Read the answerWhat is the difference between let only and fully managed?Let only ends when the tenant moves in.Read the answerCan my landlord or agent enter without permission?No.Read the answerDo I need landlord insurance, or will normal home insurance do?You need landlord insurance.Read the answerWhat happens to my tenancy if my landlord sells the property?Your tenancy survives the sale.Read the answerHow often should a letting agent inspect my property?Two to four times a year is the normal range on a managed service, with the first visit around three months into a new tenancy.Read the answerDo I have to pay letting agent fees as a tenant?No.Read the answerHow long should a letting agent take to fix a repair?There is no single statutory deadline for most repairs.Read the answerWhat does client money protection actually protect me from?It repays money the agent holds on your behalf, rent or a deposit, if the agency misappropriates it or fails.Read the answerShould I use a local letting agent or a national chain?Neither wins.Read the answerWhat replaced section 21 in England?The Renters' Rights Act, in force since 1 May 2026.Read the answerCan my landlord put the rent up in Scotland right now?Yes.Read the answerWhat can a letting agent legally deduct from my deposit?Unpaid rent, damage beyond fair wear and tear, cleaning to return the property to its original standard, and missing items.Read the answerWhat is a LARN number and why does my agent need one?It is the registration number of the Scottish Letting Agent Register.Read the answerDo I need an HMO licence for three tenants in Scotland?Almost certainly yes.Read the answerWhy do letting agent reviews differ so much between websites?Because the platforms collect from different people at different moments.Read the answerWhy will most letting agents not publish their fees?Only thirteen of the forty eight agencies ranked on this site publish a landlord tariff.Read the answerIs ten percent plus VAT the same as twelve percent?Yes.Read the answerWhat is a reasonable letting agent fee in Scotland?Ten percent plus VAT, which is twelve percent including VAT, is the Scottish market rate for full management.Read the answer
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What this blog is for
The four guides cover the large subjects: how to choose an agent, what fees mean, how to switch and what you are legally responsible for. This section takes the narrower questions that do not justify a guide of their own, answers each one in the opening lines, and then shows the evidence behind the answer.
Everything here is dated. Where a post uses a figure from an agency tariff or a review platform, that figure carries the date it was checked, and it is re-checked whenever the city page it came from is refreshed.