Firstly, you should check which services are available with the letting agent and whether these meet your needs.

The most common letting agent services include:

• Tenant find only: Supports with marketing a property, finding a reputable tenant, obtaining deposits, and signing leases
• Full property management: Involves all aspects of managing a property once the lease begins, including inspections, repairs, maintenance, etc.
• Rent income guaranteed: Guarantees rental income monthly to the agreed amount, even if there's a void in the property

When working with a letting agent on full property management services in Liverpool and Wirral, consider asking:

• How often do inspections take place?
• How are inspection issues managed?
• How is routine maintenance handled?

As standard, inspections should happen once every three, four or six months.

Unless there's a Liverpool letting agent you really want to work with, or you've had a good recommendation, it's worth getting 2-3 quotes to compare letting agent fees.
Once you've received the quote, ask yourself:

• Are fees in line with others in the market? If higher, is extra value offered to make it worthwhile?
• Do costs seem too good to be true?
• Are there any hidden fees?
• Will fees change mid-contract? If so, what is the percentage change and how much notice do you get?

Don't be tempted to pay more because of a good sales pitch if there are red flags with the agency. Likewise, if the costs are significantly lower than others on the market, there could be a reason for this.

Read our advice on how much landlords should pay for a letting agent.

All letting agents must be registered, certified, and hold certain credentials to be considered lawful.

As a minimum, Liverpool and Wirral letting agents must do the following:

• Be a member of the Client Money Protection (CMP) scheme and have a certificate confirming their membership
• Use a government-approved Tenancy Deposit Protection (TCP) scheme
• Hold client money in an FCA-authorised bank
• Have professional indemnity insurance

This information and the relevant certificates should be available on the letting agent's website. If you can't find them, ask to see copies. While it's unlikely you'll find a high-street letting agent without these credentials, it's always best to check.

If you're considering working with an online letting agent, it's especially important to check registrations to ensure you aren't working outside of the law.

Being able to communicate with your letting agent in a way that suits you is important. While some people prefer emails, others like to discuss matters on the phone.

Naturally, it's also important to ensure your tenants are well looked after during the lease. Good communication links are essential for keeping your tenants happy.

Check the following with a prospective letting agent:

• What are the opening hours? Can prospective tenants get in touch on weekends or evenings? How are out-of-hours contacts dealt with?
• How is paperwork handled? Are things mostly managed online or do you need to sign all documents in person?
• How often do they check in with tenants? How do they communicate with tenants when rent is due or if payments are late?
• How do tenants contact them about maintenance issues? Do they have an approved list of tradespeople for emergency and routine repairs?

New letting agents can be just as good as those with experience. However, companies with many years of experience tend to be more reliable and trustworthy.

Consider asking the following:

• How many properties have they managed?
• How long does it take on average to fill voids?
• What is the experience level of the letting agent staff?
• How long has the company been in business?
• What do previous customers say?
• Do they have any special accolades?