Switching letting agent
Unhappy with your letting agent? We'll handle the switch.
Most landlords stay with an agent they're unhappy with because leaving feels risky. The agent holds your rent, often your tenant's deposit, and the paperwork that proves you've followed the rules. Budgy checks your exit terms, compares local agents and negotiates the fee, then moves everything across in the right order.
Free · Nothing goes to an agent without your sign-off
Why leaving feels hard
Your agent holds more than the keys.
Notice periods and exit fees
Many contracts ask for one to three months' notice. Some add an exit fee, or keep charging commission for as long as a tenant they found stays. Not every clause like that is enforceable.
Your tenant's deposit
If your agent protected the deposit, it has to move without a gap in protection. Get the order wrong and your tenant could claim up to three times the deposit.
Rent and your tenant
Your tenant has to change their standing order, and they're right to be wary of a message saying bank details have changed. Until they do, rent keeps landing with your old agent.
What has to move
Everything that changes hands in a switch.
The full handover list runs to 31 items. These are the ones that cost you most if they go missing.
Contract and money
- Your signed terms of business
- A final statement to the switch date
- Any balance, float or repair funds paid out
- Rent ledger, with arrears agreed in writing
Deposit
- Scheme, deposit ID and protection type
- Certificate and prescribed information
- Moved with no gap in protection
Tenancy file
- Tenancy agreement, every version
- Information Sheet, with proof you served it
- Right to Rent records
- Every notice served, with proof of service
Safety and the property
- Gas, electrical and EPC certificates, with expiry dates
- Any licence, and who holds it
- Inventory and inspection reports with photos
- Keys, fobs and alarm codes
These rules are for England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own, so check the requirements where your property is.
How Budgy helps
A better agent and a clean handover. We do the legwork.
Send us your contract
We pull out the notice period, any exit fee and commission clauses, and work out the best date to switch. If a term looks unfair, we'll tell you.
We compare local agents
Fees, service, compliance and contract terms side by side, then we negotiate the best deal with the agent you pick. Nothing goes to an agent without your sign-off.
We run the switch
The notice letter, one tracked request to your old agent, the deposit moved in the right order and a letter to your tenant, signed by you.
Questions
Switching letting agent, explained.
Can I change letting agent in the middle of a tenancy?
Yes. Your contract with the agent sets the notice period, often one to three months. The tenancy itself carries on as normal; only the agent changes.
Will I have to pay an exit fee?
It depends on your terms of business. Some agents charge an exit fee, or keep taking commission while a tenant they found stays. Not every clause like that is enforceable, and we'll flag any that look unfair.
What happens to my tenant's deposit?
It has to stay protected throughout. In a custodial scheme, the scheme holds the money and responsibility moves between accounts. If your agent holds the money under an insured scheme, the new agent protects it first and only then does the money move.
Does my tenant need to do anything?
They'll need to update their standing order to pay the new account. A letter signed by you, sent before the switch date, shows them the change is genuine.
Is Budgy available in my area?
Comparing letting agents is open now: enter your property's address on this page and we'll email you a side-by-side report. Negotiating the fee and handling the switch are in private beta, opening area by area, and you can join the waitlist for that from your report.
Free · takes 2 minutes
Compare agents before you switch
Type your property's address before you serve notice. We'll check the letting agents nearby on published fees, reviews and client money protection, then email you a side-by-side report, usually within 10 minutes. It's free.
- Fees
- Reviews
- Protections
Nothing goes to an agent without your sign-off.