Choosing a letting agent in St Albans.

Before you sign with any letting agent, check four things: what you’ll pay, what’s included, who will actually look after your home, and how your money is protected. Here’s what to ask, with our own answers in full. Checked 11 November 2026.

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Fully Managed: 10% + VAT12% inc. VAT, of the monthly rent
Let Only: 6% + VAT7.2% inc. VAT, of the first 12 months’ rent, taken upfront from the first month’s rent
Who you deal with: The same teamJo, Danielle or Kitty. Lettings only
Your money: ProtectedClient Money Protection through safeagent (A6221)

Five things to check with any letting agent

Which redress scheme are they in? Every letting agent and property manager in England has had to belong to a government-approved redress scheme since 1 October 2014. Ask which one, and for the membership number. Ours: the Property Redress Scheme, PRS015139.
Is your rent protected? Agents in England who hold clients’ money have had to belong to an approved Client Money Protection scheme since 1 April 2019, and must show the certificate in their office and on their website. Ask to see it. Ours: safeagent, A6221. View our certificate.
What will you pay? Some agents show fees before VAT and some after, so check which you’re looking at and compare like with like. Ask for the full fee list in writing, including what you pay when a tenant stays on. Ours: Fully Managed is 10% + VAT of the monthly rent (12% inc. VAT), Let Only is 6% + VAT of the first 12 months’ rent (7.2% inc. VAT), taken upfront from the first month’s rent, and every other fee is published.
What’s included, and what’s extra? “Fully managed” doesn’t mean the same thing at every agent. Ask whether inspections, deposit registration, possession notices and deposit disputes are part of the fee or charged on top. Ours: regular inspections with written reports, deposit registration, Section 8 notices and deposit disputes are all included in Fully Managed, and there’s no renewal fee when your tenant stays.
How would you leave? Read the exit terms before you sign: the minimum term, the notice period and any fee for moving your management elsewhere. Ours: a 12-month minimum term and three months’ notice, and a handover fee of £400 + VAT (£480 inc. VAT) if you later move to another agent or manage the home yourself. You can download our Terms of Business and read them before you decide.

Our guide to letting agent fees in St Albans has more questions worth asking, and shows what local agents publish.

What it costs in St Albans

We read the landlord fee lists that six other St Albans letting agents publish in full, as they stood on 9 November 2026. For full management, five of the six charge 12% or 12.5% + VAT of the monthly rent (14.4% or 15% inc. VAT), and the full range was 6% to 12.5% + VAT (7.2% to 15% inc. VAT). Set-up fees ranged from £250 to £410 + VAT (£300 to £492 inc. VAT).

Our Fully Managed fee is 10% + VAT (12% inc. VAT), with a set-up and marketing fee of £250 + VAT (£300 inc. VAT) for the first let and a re-let fee of £150 + VAT (£180 inc. VAT) for each new tenant after that. On a home renting for £1,650 a month, the management fee is £165 + VAT a month (£198 inc. VAT). Let Only is 6% + VAT of the first 12 months’ rent (7.2% inc. VAT), taken upfront from the first month’s rent, plus the same set-up fee. On the same home, that’s £1,188 + VAT (£1,425.60 inc. VAT). Put your own rent into our fee calculator to see the figure for your home.

What’s included

Fully Managed: we find the tenant and look after everything afterwards. That covers advertising on Rightmove, accompanied viewings, referencing, the tenancy agreement, rent collection with monthly statements, regular inspections with written reports, repairs through insured contractors, the deposit, and the gas, electrical and EPC deadlines.

Let Only: we advertise your home, find and reference the tenant and get the agreement signed, and then you take over. We don’t offer a rent-collection-only service.

For the detail, read what a managing agent does each month.

Who you’d deal with

Jo, Danielle and Kitty. We’re a small lettings-only team with 70 years’ combined experience, and all three of us are hands-on. A real person answers the phone, and you won’t be passed to a call centre. Our office is at Unit 4, 19 The Quadrant, Marshalswick, St Albans AL4 9RB, open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and Saturday 10am to 2pm.

Who we suit best

Landlords with a home in St Albans or the villages around it: Marshalswick, Harpenden, Sandridge, Wheathampstead, London Colney, Bricket Wood and Park Street.
Landlords who’d rather deal with the same small team than a call centre.
Landlords who want everything handled (Fully Managed), or just a properly referenced tenant found (Let Only).
First-time landlords who want the rules explained plainly, and landlords living abroad who need someone local.
Landlords moving from another agent. Your first month’s management with us is free.

When we’re probably not the right agent

You want to sell your home as well. We only do lettings.
You want rent collection on its own. We offer Let Only or Fully Managed.
Your home is a long way from St Albans. We cover the city and the surrounding villages: see the areas we cover.

Questions landlords ask

How much does a letting agent cost in St Albans?

For full management, five of the six St Albans fee lists we checked on 9 November 2026 charge 12% or 12.5% + VAT of the monthly rent (14.4% or 15% inc. VAT). Our Fully Managed fee is 10% + VAT (12% inc. VAT). Our guide to letting agent fees in St Albans has the full comparison.

What’s the difference between Fully Managed and Let Only?

With Fully Managed, we find the tenant and look after everything afterwards, including rent collection, inspections, repairs and the deposit. With Let Only, we find and reference the tenant and get the agreement signed, and then you take over.

How do I know a letting agent is properly registered?

Ask for two things: their redress scheme membership number and their Client Money Protection certificate. Every letting agent in England must belong to a redress scheme, and any agent who holds clients’ money must have Client Money Protection, with the certificate on display in the office and on their website. Ours are the Property Redress Scheme (PRS015139) and safeagent (A6221).

Who will I deal with?

Jo, Danielle or Kitty. We’re a small lettings-only team based on The Quadrant in Marshalswick. All three of us are hands-on, and a real person answers the phone.

Do you sell homes as well?

No. We specialise in lettings only.

Which areas do you cover?

St Albans and the surrounding villages: Marshalswick, Harpenden, Sandridge, Wheathampstead, London Colney, Bricket Wood and Park Street, and the AL postcodes around them. See all the areas we cover.

Can I move to you from another agent?

Yes. Changing agent doesn’t end the tenancy. Check your current agreement for its notice period and any fee for leaving, then call us. Our takeover fee is £250 + VAT (£300 inc. VAT), and your first month’s management with us is free. See how switching works.

Is there a minimum term?

Yes. Our Terms of Business have a 12-month minimum term and three months’ notice. You can download our Terms of Business and read them before you decide.

Where will my home be advertised?

On Rightmove, with professional signage and accompanied viewings.

How do you check tenants?

We carry out credit checks, sanctions checks, right-to-rent checks and an affordability assessment, and we get references from their landlord and employer.

Sources: GOV.UK on redress schemes for lettings agents and property managers and client money protection for property agents. Fee ranges come from the six St Albans agents whose landlord fee lists were published online on 9 November 2026. This is general guidance, not legal advice.

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