Thinking about ditching your letting agent but not sure what it actually takes?

You’re not alone. Thousands of UK landlords are quietly making the switch because they’re sick of paying for service that doesn’t serve them.

Here’s how to take control of your property, step by step, and how platforms like F.estate make the process smoother than you think.

Check Your Current Agreement

Most letting agent contracts have a termination clause.
Look for:

• Minimum notice period (typically 1–3 months)
• Early termination fees
• Clauses tied to the tenant staying in place (especially for fully managed services)

Tip: If you're mid-tenancy, you may still be able to switch to partial management without waiting it out.

Notify Your Tenant

Legally, the tenancy remains valid, but your tenant needs to know who to contact going forward.
Send a simple notice:

• Confirm the agent is no longer managing the property
• Provide your contact details or direct them to your new management platform (like F.estate)
• Reassure them: nothing else changes unless stated

Transfer Deposits and Documents

Request your agent:

• Transfers the tenancy deposit (if they registered it)
• Hands over the inventory, AST, and compliance docs
• Shares the current rent ledger and any outstanding balances

F.estate lets you upload and track all of this in one place, no Excel sheets needed.

Set Up Rent Collection

You’ll need a clean, compliant way to handle payments:

• Standing orders or bank transfers = risk of human error
• Platforms like F.estate = automatic invoicing, receipts, and missed-payment alerts

Bonus: You also get a full audit trail for disputes, taxes, and tenant issues.

Prepare for Maintenance Requests

Without an agent, tenants come to you for issues - but that doesn’t mean you have to do the work.

F.estate includes a built-in job board:

• Tenants submit maintenance requests
• You get notified instantly, and choose to deal with it yourself or raise a job
• Local tradespeople bid on the job
• You choose who handles it (or assign directly)
• Then service staff and tenants can coordinate amongst themselves to complete the job
• Pay the invoice digitally once complete

Stay Legally Compliant

You’re now in charge of:

• Gas and electric safety certs
• EPCs
• Smoke alarms and CO detectors
• Protecting the deposit (TDP schemes)

F.estate guides you through every legal step, with document checklists and automated reminders.

Final Word: Why More Landlords Are Going Agent-Free

Letting agents haven’t adapted to the digital age.
Landlords are waking up to the fact that 90% of what agents do can be automated - and the rest can be handled smarter with the right platform.

F.estate helps landlords cut costs, not corners.

If you're ready to switch, you don’t need to start from scratch. You just need the right tools, and a clean break.