By Naomi Brice, Branch Manager · 7 minute read
A fully managed letting service covers marketing and referencing, the tenancy paperwork, deposit protection, rent collection and arrears chasing, safety compliance, day-to-day repairs and the check-out. Your agent becomes the tenant’s point of contact throughout. It does not cover the cost of the repairs themselves, your tax return, or the decisions only an owner can make.
“Fully managed” is one of those phrases that sounds self-explanatory until you compare two agents and find they mean different things by it. One includes annual gas safety renewals in the fee; another bills them separately. One holds keys and meets contractors; another expects you to be there.
This is a line-by-line account of what a fully managed service covers, written for Huntingdon landlords in August 2026 — including the things it doesn’t cover, which are usually the more useful half of the answer. What it costs is a separate question, and we answer that properly in its own guide rather than burying a number here.
The three service levels, plainly explained
Almost every letting agent in England offers some version of these three. The names vary; the substance rarely does.
| Service level | What the agent does | Who holds the tenant relationship |
|---|---|---|
| Let only (tenant find) | Markets the property, runs viewings, references applicants, prepares the tenancy agreement, moves the tenant in and hands over. | You, from move-in onwards |
| Rent collection | Everything in let only, plus collecting the rent, issuing statements and chasing arrears. | Shared — the agent handles the money, you handle everything else |
| Fully managed | Everything in rent collection, plus repairs, compliance renewals, inspections, notices and the check-out. | The agent, for the life of the tenancy |
What fully managed covers, line by line
Set out by stage, because that is how it happens rather than how it is usually sold.
| Stage | What is included |
|---|---|
| Before the let | Rental valuation and advice on presentation and achievable rent · professional photography, floor plan and portal listing · EPC ordered where one is needed · accompanied viewings · tenant referencing covering affordability, employment, previous landlord and credit · Right to Rent checks |
| At the start of the tenancy | Written statement of terms and tenancy agreement drafted to current legislation · deposit collected and protected in a government-approved scheme, with prescribed information served · independent inventory and schedule of condition with photographs · first month’s rent collected and standing order set up · compliance pack served · utility and council tax notifications with meter readings |
| During the tenancy | Rent collected, statements issued and arrears chased · periodic property visits with a written report · day-to-day repairs arranged with vetted contractors up to an agreed spend limit · out-of-hours emergency handling · gas, electrical and other safety certificate renewals diarised and arranged · Section 13 rent increase notices prepared and served correctly · all tenant communication · renewals and mid-tenancy changes |
| At the end of the tenancy | Notice served on the correct ground with the correct notice period · check-out inspection against the original inventory · deposit deductions negotiated and, where necessary, defended at scheme adjudication · property remarketed |
What it doesn’t cover — and what you’ll still be asked to decide
This is the section most agents leave out, and it is the one landlords actually want.
– The cost of repairs. Your agent arranges the work and settles the invoice from rent. The money used is yours.
– The cost of safety certificates. Gas safety records, EICRs and EPCs are arranged for you, not paid for you.
– Rent guarantee and legal expenses cover. Almost always a separate insurance product, not part of the management fee.
– Your tax return. No letting agent does this, and none should be giving you tax advice. Speak to a qualified accountant.
– Major works and capital decisions. A new boiler, a rewire, a kitchen. Your agent will get quotes and advise; you decide and you fund.
– Court proceedings and bailiff costs. An agent can instruct solicitors on your behalf, but the fees are yours.
– Buildings insurance. Your responsibility as the owner, and your policy must permit letting.
And three decisions will always come back to you, whatever service you buy: whether to accept an applicant at a rent below asking, whether to grant a pet request, and whether to serve notice. A good agent gives you a clear recommendation and the reasoning behind it. It is still your call.
Want to know exactly what we’d handle on your Huntingdon property?
We’ll walk you through it line by line, against your actual property and your actual tenancy — with no pressure to sign anything.
Who each service level actually suits
Let only tends to work for landlords who live within a short drive of the property, have flexibility during the working day, own one or two properties, and are genuinely comfortable keeping up with legislation. Rent collection suits landlords in that position who simply do not want to chase money. Fully managed tends to suit landlords who live away from Huntingdon, work fixed hours or shifts, own several properties, or have inherited a let they never planned to run.
One thing has changed the arithmetic since 1 May 2026. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 abolished Section 21, converted every assured shorthold tenancy into an assured periodic tenancy, and moved rent increases onto a once-a-year Section 13 process using prescribed Form 4A. None of this is impossible to self-manage. But the cost of getting a form wrong is higher than it was, and the margin for informality has narrowed.
The Huntingdon context: commuter tenants, forces tenancies and void risk
Huntingdon’s rental market has a shape a national article won’t describe. ONS records average private rent across Huntingdonshire at £1,044 a month in February 2026, up 4.1% from £1,003 a year earlier — well below the East of England average of £1,269 at the same point. Property is comparatively affordable too, with the average Huntingdonshire house price at £308,000 in January 2026.
Three local factors change what management actually involves here.
Commuter tenancies. Huntingdon station puts King’s Cross within reach, and a meaningful share of tenants across Huntingdon, Brampton, Godmanchester and St Neots commute. Commuter tenants are out of the property from early morning to late evening, which makes contractor access the single most common point of friction in a managed tenancy — and the thing that local contractors and key-holding solve quickly.
Forces and defence-linked tenancies. RAF Wyton and the wider Alconbury and Molesworth footprint bring service personnel and defence contractors into the local rental market. Postings move on their own timetable, and notice can arrive with less warning than in a civilian tenancy. Managed landlords tend to hear about it earlier, simply because the agent is the point of contact.
Void risk and the school-year rhythm. Family lets in Huntingdon, St Ives and Godmanchester turn over around the school year, which concentrates demand into a few months. A property that comes back to the market in November sits longer than the same property in June. Managing remarketing timing against notice dates is where a managed service quietly earns its fee.
The questions to ask any agent before you sign
These work on us as well as anyone else. Ask them in writing and keep the answers.
1. Are you a member of a government-approved redress scheme, and which one?
2. Do you hold client money protection, and through which body?
3. Are you Propertymark or ARLA accredited?
4. Which items on your inclusion list are covered by the fee, and which are billed separately?
5. What is your repair spend limit before you contact me?
6. How do you select and pay contractors, and do you take a mark-up on their invoices?
7. How often do you inspect, and do I get a written report with photographs?
8. Who prepares and serves Section 8 notices and Section 13 rent increases, and is that included?
9. What notice do I give if I want to leave, and are there exit or handover fees?
10. Who do I actually speak to — a named person, or whoever answers?
Redress scheme membership and client money protection are legal requirements for letting agents in England, not selling points. They are still worth confirming in writing, because the answer tells you how the agent treats questions.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is included in a fully managed letting service?
A fully managed service typically includes marketing and accompanied viewings, tenant referencing and Right to Rent checks, the tenancy agreement, deposit protection, an inventory, rent collection and arrears chasing, periodic inspections, day-to-day repairs, safety certificate renewals, rent increase notices and the check-out. The agent is the tenant’s point of contact throughout. Repair costs themselves are billed to the landlord.
What is the difference between let-only and fully managed?
Let only ends at move-in: the agent markets the property, references the tenant, prepares the agreement and hands over. Fully managed continues for the life of the tenancy, covering rent collection, inspections, repairs, compliance renewals, notices and check-out. With let only you are the tenant’s point of contact. With fully managed the agent is.
Does fully managed letting include maintenance?
It includes arranging and managing maintenance, not paying for it. Your agent takes the tenant’s report, instructs a contractor, oversees the work and settles the invoice from rent — usually up to an agreed spend limit, above which they contact you first. The cost of the repair, and of any safety certificate, remains the landlord’s.
Who deals with the tenant — me or the letting agent?
On a fully managed service, the agent. They handle the move-in, all repair reports, rent queries, inspections, renewals and the check-out, and the tenant is given the agent’s contact details rather than yours. On a let-only service the tenant deals with you directly from move-in onwards. Rent collection sits between the two.
Can I switch from let-only to fully managed during a tenancy?
Usually yes, and mid-tenancy switches are common. The new agent will need the tenancy agreement, deposit protection details, the inventory and current safety certificates before taking over, and will normally notify the tenant of the change in contact details. Check your existing agreement for notice periods or handover fees before you move.
Whether you manage it yourself or hand it over, the standard is the same — the question is only who does the work. If you’d like to see what we’d take off your hands across Huntingdon, Godmanchester, St Ives, Brampton and St Neots, we’re a phone call away.
“I get asked what’s included more often than I get asked what it costs, and I think that’s the right way round. The honest answer is that most of the value sits in the things nobody thinks to ask about. Last winter we took a call at half past six on a Friday about a boiler in Godmanchester. The tenant worked shifts at Hinchingbrooke, the landlord was in Scotland, and it was fixed by Saturday morning. The landlord found out on Monday. That’s the real difference — not a longer list of services, but who picks up the phone. My advice to any landlord comparing agents is to ask what happens at six o’clock on a Friday, and see how specific the answer is.”
Naomi Brice, Branch Manager, Belvoir Huntingdon
