Self-managing versus using an agent: what you actually do
Self-managing a let in England is legal and common. The jobs, month by month, and how a PA plus the people you choose to hire compare with a full-management agent.
England. Checked against the law on 27 September 2026. Information, not legal advice.
The jobs
Before a tenancy: advertise, take enquiries, viewings, right to rent, referencing, the written statement, the deposit, the certificates, the inventory.
Each month: rent in, chase if late, answer repairs, book trades, keep receipts.
Each year: gas safety, rent review window, insurance, tax return.
Now and then: EICR every five years, EPC every ten, a pet request, a tenant leaving, a deposit return.
What an agent charges
Full management is typically 10% to 15% of the rent plus VAT, plus set-up, renewal and check-out fees. On £1,400 a month that is £2,000 to £3,000 a year. Let-only is usually a fee of a few weeks' rent.
What self-managing costs
The trades you would pay anyway, a referencing report when you take a tenant (£20 to £40), portal advertising through a service that lets private landlords list, and your time.
What a PA changes
The time. MyLandlordPA reads what you upload, keeps every date, chases, drafts, and books the people you choose, asking you first whenever money or a commitment is involved. You stay the landlord in law and in fact: the tenant, the rent, the signature and the deposit deductions are always yours. If you want an agent for part of it (viewings, say), add them as a team member and give them just that job.
Questions landlords ask
Is it legal to let my property without an agent in England?
Yes. There is no requirement to use a letting agent. You must meet the same legal duties an agent would meet for you, and from December 2026 register on the landlord database.
Can I use a PA and an agent together?
Yes. Add the agent as a team member and assign them the jobs you want done, such as viewings. They see only what you give them.
Does the PA collect the rent?
No. Rent is paid into your own bank account. The PA sees that it arrived from your bank feed or a statement you upload, and chases when it does not.
More guides
What changed for landlords on 1 May 2026
The Renters' Rights Act came into force in England on 1 May 2026. Section 21 is gone, every tenancy is now periodic, and rent rises follow one procedure. Here is what a self-managing landlord actually has to do differently.
The assured periodic tenancy explained
Every private tenancy in England is now an assured periodic tenancy. What that is, how it starts, how it ends, and what your agreement can and cannot say.
How to raise the rent (once a year, section 13)
In England you can raise the rent once every twelve months, by a section 13 notice on the prescribed form with two months' notice. Here is the procedure and what the tenant can do about it.
Deposits: the cap, the 30 days and the prescribed information
A tenancy deposit in England is capped at five weeks' rent, must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days, and the tenant must get the prescribed information. Miss any of that and you face a penalty of up to three times the deposit.
Stop reading. Start uploading.
The PA keeps every date in this guide for you and asks before anything that costs money.