Switching guide

How to change letting agent in Doncaster

Poor communication, hidden fees, properties sitting empty, compliance lapses. You don't have to keep paying for a service that isn't delivering. Here is how a switch works, what it costs and what a new agent should take off your hands.

Jump to the steps
  • ✓ Not an agent
  • ✓ Official rent data (ONS)
  • ✓ Doncaster DN1–DN12
Landlord handing keys to a professional letting agent — relief after agent problems

Quick answer

To change letting agent, check your current agreement for the notice period and any exit fee, give written notice, then instruct the new agent to collect the tenancy documents, verify the deposit protection and introduce themselves to the tenant. The tenancy itself continues unchanged. Most reputable agents will do the handover without a transition fee — ask before you sign.

Switching letting agent in Doncaster

You do not have to stay with an agent who is not delivering. Extended voids, poor communication, compliance oversights and hidden fees are not acceptable when you are paying a monthly percentage for a professional service. The switch is mostly paperwork; the risk is in the exit terms you signed.

When should you change letting agent?

  • Property vacant for weeks with no credible plan — agent not finding tenants
  • Slow or no response to emails and calls
  • Unclear charges on your landlord statements
  • Missed safety certificate renewals
  • Weak tenant referencing leading to arrears

Read more: Landlord unhappy with letting agent · How to switch letting agent (UK process)

How a switch works, step by step

  1. Read your current agreement — notice period (commonly one to three months), any exit or withdrawal fee, and whether the agent claims an ongoing fee if the tenant they found stays. That last clause is the one that costs landlords money.
  2. Choose the new agent first — compare fee sheets (what agents charge), check redress and client money protection membership, and ask how they handle a takeover.
  3. Give written notice — by email and post, keeping a copy. Ask the outgoing agent for a final statement and the date they stop collecting rent.
  4. Document handover — tenancy agreement, inventory, gas safety, EICR, EPC, deposit certificate and prescribed information, keys. The new agent should chase these; you should check they arrive.
  5. Deposit — it stays in the same scheme; the registration is transferred or re-registered and the tenant told in writing. Nothing is "released".
  6. Tenant introduction — the tenant gets a letter with the new agent's details and where to pay rent from the changeover date. The tenancy itself does not change.
  7. If the property is empty — agree the marketing plan and the rent before you instruct, checked against the ONS Doncaster figures.

Moving from self-management to an agent?

If you have been self-managing and struggling, the transition is simpler — there is no outgoing agent to coordinate with. Gather the same documents (agreement, inventory, certificates, deposit registration) before you instruct anyone; gaps in them are what a new agent will find first.

What a full service should include

Want to speak to a Doncaster letting agent?

This site does not let or manage property. Kerrigans Property describes itself as a family-run Doncaster agency trading since 1978, and its landlord page publishes its letting and management fees in full. Compare at least two written fee schedules before you instruct any agent.

Disclosure: This site is published by Loud Crowd IT Ltd, which provides marketing services to Kerrigans Property. The links above are marked as sponsored.

Changing letting agent FAQs

How do I change letting agent in Doncaster?

Check your agreement for the notice period (typically one to three months) and any exit fee, give written notice, then instruct the new agent to collect the tenancy documents, verify deposit protection and introduce themselves to the tenant. Most reputable agents do the handover without a transition fee; confirm that before you sign.

Will changing letting agent disrupt my tenants?

No. Existing tenancies continue uninterrupted. Deposits remain in their current protection scheme. Tenants receive new management contact details — that is the only change they notice.

How long does it take to switch letting agent?

The notice period depends on your current contract (usually 1–3 months). The practical handover — documents, keys, tenant introduction — takes 1–2 weeks once notice is served. Void properties are re-marketed immediately.

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