How to switch letting agents in England: the 12-week plan

Plenty of landlords stay with an agent they're unhappy with because leaving feels risky. The agent collects the rent, often holds the deposit, and keeps most of the paperwork that proves you've followed the rules. Since the Renters' Rights Act came into force on 1 May 2026, that paperwork matters more than ever.

The good news is that switching follows a known order. With a one-month notice period, expect about four weeks to the handover date and around 12 weeks until everything has settled. A longer notice period stretches the middle, but the order stays the same.

Not sure if switching is worth it? We compared the fees letting agents publish in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield. In every city, the gap between the cheapest and dearest agent on an average rent is worth hundreds of pounds a year, and more than £2,000 in London.

Before you give notice: four checks

These decide your handover date, so do them first.

1. Your contract's exit terms. Find the notice period, any exit fee, and any clause that keeps charging you while a tenant the agent found stays in the property. If you can't find your signed terms, ask the agent for a copy in writing.
2. How the deposit is protected. Find out which scheme holds it (DPS, TDS or mydeposits) and whether it's custodial, where the scheme holds the money, or insured, where the agent does. That decides how it moves.
3. Who holds any property licence. If your home needs an HMO, additional or selective licence and the agent is the named licence holder, the licence can't be transferred to anyone else. Whoever takes over as licence holder has to apply before the agent goes.
4. Insurance and legal action. Rent guarantee insurance bought through the agent often ends when you leave, so arrange replacement cover. If a possession claim is under way, think hard before switching mid-claim.

Week 0: give notice and ask for everything

Give notice in writing, with an end date that falls on a rent due date. That way each month's rent clearly belongs to one agent.

Send your handover request the same day, with a 14-day deadline. Ask for the full tenancy file, safety certificates, deposit details, inspection reports, open repairs, keys and a final statement. The agent is still under contract while the notice runs, which makes missing items easier to chase. Our handover checklist has all 31 items.

Weeks 1 to 3: move the deposit safely

The deposit is the riskiest part of any switch. The rule is simple: protection first, money second. Our deposit guide walks through each step.

• Custodial deposits. The scheme already holds the money, so only responsibility moves. With the DPS, the current agent can transfer it online straight away, or the new agent can request it and the old agent approves.
• Insured deposits. The old agent holds the cash. The new agent protects the deposit under its own scheme membership first, on the strength of a written undertaking from the old agent, and only then does the money move. Your tenant then gets new prescribed information.

If your old agent never hands the money over, it's still your deposit to return at the end of the tenancy, so don't let this step drift.

Weeks 2 to 4: tell your tenant properly

Your tenant has to change their standing order, and they've been told for years not to trust emails announcing new bank details. A message from a company they've never heard of won't do it.

About two weeks before the handover date, send a letter signed by you, not just the new agent. Include:

• the date the change takes effect
• the new account for rent, and a way to check it's genuine, such as a phone number they already know or a portal they can log into
• new contact details, including the number for emergency repairs
• a new address for serving notices on you (a section 48 notice), if your old agent's address was the one on file
• who now holds their personal data, and why

The section 48 notice isn't a formality: rent isn't legally due until your tenant has a valid address for serving notices on you. And never send bank details by email alone. Fraudsters look for exactly this moment.

Handover day, around week 4

Take meter readings, collect every key, fob and alarm code against a signed key log, and agree the arrears position in writing.

Put every certificate's expiry date into a calendar the same day. Anything due in the next 60 days, such as the annual gas safety check, should be booked by the new agent straight away. Each side assuming the other has booked it is a classic switching mistake, and a missed gas safety check is a criminal offence.

Weeks 4 to 12: tidy up

• Final statement. Ask for it within two weeks of the handover, along with your balance and any float or repair funds the agent holds.
• Stray rent. Some tenants will keep paying the old account. Ask the old agent to forward anything it receives for 60 days, and check payments regularly until your tenant has moved over.
• Missing records. Chase anything still outstanding. If the agent drags its feet, use its complaints procedure and then its redress scheme, The Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme.
• The new register. England's rental property register opens on 15 December 2026, one region at a time. Once you're registered, your entry has to be kept up to date, generally within 28 days of a change, and it records who manages the property, so a switch is likely to need an update.

Three mistakes to avoid

• Switching in the middle of a possession claim, unless the claim is already going wrong.
• Moving the deposit money before the new protection is in place.
• Leaving your tenant to find out from a missed-payment reminder.

Switching takes some organising, but none of it is mysterious. Get the order right and your tenant should notice little beyond a new name at the bottom of their emails.

This guide covers England and is general information, not legal advice.