Before appointing a letting agent, establish which business you are instructing, what it will do and how concerns will be handled. A well-presented website or a personal recommendation is useful context, but it does not replace checking the arrangements behind the service.
For England, GOV.UK says letting and property management agents in the private rented sector must join a client money protection scheme if they hold clients’ money. The guidance explains that this protection is different from tenancy deposit protection. It also says membership certificates must be supplied free on request and displayed on the agent’s website and in relevant offices.
Check the actual membership
Ask for the current certificate and verify details with the named scheme where necessary. Compare the business name with the agreement you are being asked to sign. If the agent says it does not hold client money, ask how rent, deposits and other payments will instead be handled.
A certificate is not a general guarantee of good service. Understand what the scheme covers and how a claim would be made rather than assuming it pays compensation for every type of dispute.
Identify the complaints route
GOV.UK separately sets out redress scheme requirements for property agents. Ask the agent which scheme it belongs to and obtain its internal complaints procedure. Keep the membership and contact details with the agreement so they can be found if a problem arises later.
Client money protection, deposit protection and redress answer different questions. Record each arrangement separately rather than treating one logo as evidence that all three matters have been addressed.
Agree the work and reporting
Request written terms showing the services, charges and cancellation provisions. Ask who deals with maintenance, how spending is authorised and how rent statements and updates will be provided. Clarify who covers the day-to-day contact when the usual person is unavailable.
For an existing instruction, check the terms before assuming that moving to another agent immediately ends every obligation. Obtain appropriate advice where a contractual issue remains unclear.
The aim is an informed appointment supported by documents and verifiable memberships. These checks do not establish that an agent will never make an error, and they should be adapted to the property’s jurisdiction and the actual service.
Sources: GOV.UK, Protecting clients’ money if you are a property agent; Registering with a redress scheme as a property agent. Checked 4 November 2026.