Which is Better for Tenants Seeking a Rented Property - Self-Managed or Agency?

Over a number of recent pieces we have made the point that the PRS is at something of an inflection point, with regulation and financial pressures probably pushing the sector towards larger landlords and away from individuals.

While we stand by this analysis, there are still many smaller landlords serving tenants, landlords who own only one or two properties. They may be accidental landlords, they may originate in the buy-to-let boom years.

In our experience you are more likely to encounter self-managed properties outwith cities and large towns. In cities, it would be less usual to do so, as agencies hold sway over the majority of lets.

In this blog we’re going to look at whether the way landlords choose to manage their property has any obvious benefit for the tenant. Do tenants fare better dealing directly with their landlord, or are agencies a safer bet?

It’s going to be difficult, as there aren’t likely to be any solid metrics we can rely on, but hey! What’s life without a challenge?!

So, settling our property professionals hats on our brows, let’s see if there is anything like a consensus out there concerning the question; rented property – self-managed or agency – which is better?

First things first

Before we dive into making comparisons, who are Scotland’s landlords? There’s no point seeking a conclusion if it turns out that one, or both, of the options are essentially a chimera!

According to the Scottish Landlord Registry, there were 349,075 registered landlords in Scotland as of September 2025. They were responsible for 232,603 properties, meaning each landlord had one average 1.5 properties.

You may reasonably infer from this that the majority of landlords in Scotland own one or two properties, with far fewer ‘corporate’ landlords owning much larger portfolios.

Talking Up Scotland points out that these numbers give lie to the idea that landlords are exiting the market in such numbers as to be dramatically significant which may not actually be the case. That, however, is a different argument.

The point is that there are many individual landlords that meet the demand of the market, and while a change may be coming, it won’t happen overnight.

Watson published a fascinating report into the nature and makeup of the Scottish PRS, and while not directly germane to this discussion, it is well worth reading to gain a broad-ranging perspective of the sector in Scotland.

The gist of his report is that the Scottish Government needs to understand and take account of the small landlords who are so crucial to the rented sector.

This is why the question is really not are big landlords better than small landlords, but looking rather at the way in which landlords choose to manage their properties and how that benefits tenants.

Many landlords with one or two properties choose to use agencies to handle the day-to-day work of looking after their tenants and properties. Larger landlords do seem to lean towards agencies as it is a more efficient management model.

Is one approach better than the other, seen from the perspective of a tenant?

The direct approach

Assuming the landlord is willing, what are the advantages of dealing directly with a self-managing landlord?

The pros

Many tenants would prefer to have a personal relationship with their landlord, reasoning that such a relationship will be to the benefits of both parties. With self-managing landlords, this can start before starting a tenancy.

You’ll speak to them before and during viewings. You’ll have an opportunity to form a view as to their character and professionalism. You can ask questions and expect answers, they are the decision maker after all.

They should know their property better than anyone, and if you see something amiss, they should be able to reassure you, either by explaining the issue or laying out the steps being taken to resolve the matter.

If you can deal directly with your landlord you may benefit from better communication as there is no middleman involved. However good an agency is, they put tenants at one remove from the property owner, and that can cause issues.

Self-managed landlords generally live close to their properties, meaning that they are available should a tenant need them. That can mean that problems can be resolved quickly, sometimes outwith office hours.

The cons

Sometimes the biggest problem in dealing directly with a landlord…is finding a landlord who deals directly with their tenants!

Many, many landlords choose to use letting agencies to do the day-to-day administration for them, so finding one who doesn’t could well be a challenge. Now some landlords will deal directly with their tenants once the property is let through an agency.

Others won’t.

Some landlords simply aren’t very responsive and there are limits on what tenants can do to overcome this. This attitude can apply to small things as well as the big things, like urgent repairs.

A lot of complaints from tenants centre around the difficulties they have getting things done, and done properly.

Some landlords prefer to try and take care of issues themselves, rather than pay to have professionals do the job. That’s great if your landlord is a DIY star and on the ball, not so great if all they own is gaffer tape and WD40.

Unlike letting agents, landlords are not regulated. Yes they have to be registered, and they have to comply with a host of laws and regulations, but your rights to redress are limited. A non-compliant agent can be referred to the First Tier Tribunal.

Renting through a letting agency

This is going to be the route that most tenants take, and in theory it should be to everyone’s benefit. Agents are regulated, they areprohibited from charging tenants fees and they should be looking out for tenants and landlords alike. Should be…

The pros

Letting agents make finding a property easier. Since they need to let properties for their landlords, agencies should work hard to advertise properties and make sure that prospective tenants are aware of them.

Agencies will make it easy to arrange viewings and should be able to answer all and any questions regarding the property. 

Increasingly, technology is being used for virtual viewings, with the ability to ask questions online regarding the property. And when it comes to checking out a letting agent, potential tenants are able to view online reviews via Google or ChatGPT.

Of course, there’s the mandatory boring paperwork side of it, too; agents will ensure that all legal requirements relevant to the property are fully in place and up-to-date.

They will handle the contractual aspects of the let, and would normally be expected to have quick access to professionals who can resolve any problems reported by tenants.

Although tenants may not deal with just one named individual, they should get the same level of service from everyone at the letting agency, moreover contact should be simpler than when dealing with an individual landlord.

In addition to phone and email, letting agents may also use messaging and web-forms to enable tenants to contact them 24/7, even if responses can only be expected during working hours.

In theory, emergency responses such as heating failures in the middle of winter, should be better managed by an agent.

The cons

Agents are a buffer between the tenant and the landlord, in theory there to handle day to day matters, thereby sparing the landlord from having to do so.

However there are practical limits to this relationship. If the property requires substantial (or possibly any) money spent on it by way of repairs, the agreement of the landlord will be necessary.

At this point we have three parties involved in the discussions, tenants, agents and landlord and potentially competing priorities. This means that what could possibly be resolved quickly might not be, as messages track back and forwards through the agent.

And that is assuming that the landlord is communicative; remember they may be  busy with either work or family commitments, and takes no account of the possible problems caused by inaccurately relayed messages.

It can all get a bit sticky.

While particularly relevant in the case outlined above, the fact is that the tenant may have no direct communication with their landlord ever. They are wholly reliant on the agent acting as an honest broker, but are unable to confirm that this is the case.

Advice from the property pros

Since we were both letting agents in a previous life, we understand that finding a definitive answer to which option is better is a potential minefield and there is likely no definitive answer as to which is the better option.

There will be many tenants who have had perfectly satisfactory experiences with agents, and some who would beg to differ.

Equally, some tenants will have found dealing with their landlord directly an absolute blessing, while some curse the very ground they walk on.

The reality is that many tenants, as previously mentioned, will have to deal with agents as their use is widespread by landlords both big and small. Once the tenancy is agreed you may find that you’re dealing directly with the landlord.

This is something you can establish before committing however going through an agent probably means you won’t get the opportunity to size up the landlord beforehand.

Ultimately whether you use an agency or deal directly with a landlord the onus is on the prospective tenant to do all they can to establish whether or not they’re making the right choice.

Reviews and recommendations can go a long way to allaying any fears, but we also appreciate that it may well be price and the property which drives decisions and therefore your ability to pick and choose can be limited.

In summary…

The truth of the matter is that the desirability of a property, rather than who you have to deal with may well be the determining factor in making a decision. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do all you can to check that you’ll be well looked after.

Even an ideal rental can become a struggle if your landlord or agent drags their feet and is unresponsive to your needs.

SAL, the Scottish Association of Landlords is leading a drive to increase emphasis on the service side of the landlord/tenant relationship, correctly identifying that happy tenants generally make for happy landlords.

Good landlords and good agents add value to the relationship and that’s ultimately good for the market overall.

If you want to discuss this or any other aspects of the buy-to-let sector, we are always pleased to have a chat and discuss how property investment can work for you.

Thanks for reading!

Written by Chris Wood, MD & Founder of Portolio

Get in touch on 07812 164 842 or email [email protected]