What does your letting agent really cost?
Agents quote a percentage. Add VAT and the extras, and the yearly number is usually much bigger. Enter yours below.
Your agent costs you
£7,800 a year
That's 21.7% of your rent, and £39,000 over five years.
- Management fee
- £5,400
- VAT on the fee
- £1,080
- Extras
- £1,320
Self-managing with Panta
£108 a year
The complete platform for 3 properties. You'd keep about £7,692 a year.
Panta isn't a letting agent: you stay in charge, and Panta does the organising. Repair costs are separate in both cases. This is an estimate, not a quote.
How the calculator works
We multiply your monthly rent by twelve and by the number of properties, then apply your agent's percentage. If the fee is quoted before VAT, we add 20%. Then we add your yearly extras per property. Our default of £440 a year covers a typical mix of renewal, inspection, admin and repair mark-up charges. Your own statements will give you the real figure.
The Panta figure uses our published graduated pricing for the complete platform. Panta isn't a letting agent: you keep the decisions, and Panta handles the organising. Tenants report repairs in the app, vetted contractors quote, certificates are tracked with reminders, and rent is matched to each tenancy. Here's how a repair works.
For a full breakdown of agent fee structures, read how much letting agents charge in the UK.
Frequently asked questions
How much do letting agents charge in the UK?
Full management usually costs around 10 to 18% of the rent plus VAT. Tenant-find with rent collection is around 8 to 12% plus VAT, and tenant-find only is often a flat fee of half to one month’s rent. Most agents also charge extras such as renewal, inventory and admin fees.
Is the letting agent fee charged on top of VAT?
Usually, yes. Most agents quote fees excluding VAT, so a 15% fee costs you 18% of the rent once 20% VAT is added. Tick the VAT box in the calculator if your agent quotes before VAT.
What are the hidden costs of a letting agent?
Common extras include tenancy set-up fees, renewal fees, inventory and check-out reports, inspection fees, certificate arrangement fees and mark-ups on contractor invoices. Add up a year of statements to see your true cost.
How much does Panta cost compared with an agent?
Panta is free for up to 3 properties for compliance, documents and repairs. The complete platform, with rent, expenses and tax, costs £3 per property per month for your first three properties, getting cheaper as you add more: £2.50 for properties 4 to 10, £2 for 11 to 25 and £1.50 for 26 to 50.