By Tony Booth

A letting specialist member of the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) has recently warned landlords to be extra careful when choosing a letting and managing agent.

They believe current market conditions are encouraging some estate agents, who up until now have been exclusively involved in selling, to move into the letting agency market as a sideline to support dwindling sales commissions.

Unfortunately, the likelihood is that some of these agents will be inexperienced, ignorant of the law and potentially disastrous for your buy-to-let investment.

Recent research backs up the claim, stating that 70 per cent of sales agents who do not currently offer a lettings service would consider moving into this area to supplement their income if the residential market continues to slow down.