The Best Online Letting Agents
Are you considering letting your property, or investing in a rental property, through an online agent? If so, you're not alone. Countless landlords now turn to online letting agents to find tenants and manage their rentals for a fraction of high-street prices.
Most landlords want their rental property as a form of passive income, or even a career. While it takes an investment upfront, once you've established reliable tenants and an organised system it can be a lucrative endeavour.
But the bottom line is that some people simply don't have the time or interest in finding and vetting tenants, managing properties, performing routine maintenance, collecting rent, or filing all the necessary paperwork. Does this describe you? If so, online letting agents can help make the whole process easier.
Online letting agents take the guesswork out of renting out your property. Not only do they perform all of the tasks above, they act as the middle man between you and your tenants. Before you get started, it's worth using a comparison tool to get a feel for what the fees might cost. Now, let's dive into some of the best in the business.
Wait, what is an online letting agent?
A traditional agent has a high-street branch, and a person comes to your home to complete a valuation and conduct viewings. An online agent usually has no high-street branch, and most activity happens online. Typically no one visits your home from the agency, and you handle the valuation and viewings yourself, which is exactly what keeps the fees so low.
1. Online Agents at a Glance
For those in a rush - our top-rated online letting agents, ranked on a blend of fees, service and performance.
OpenRent
Cheapest tenant-find at £49 and the highest-rated DIY service - the benchmark for landlords.
Purplebricks
Strong all-rounder with full management. All fees now paid on let, not upfront.
The Online Letting Agents
No-frills service that lets fastest of all, averaging just 3 weeks.
2. Compare Online Letting Agent Fees
You may be torn between an online, traditional or hybrid agent, and the new wave of "hybrid" agents blurs the lines even further. To get a full view of every letting agent type, including their fees, ratings and services, it's worth running a free comparison. For a quick overview, the table below covers the headline fees. Where an agent charges more in London than the rest of the country, we've referenced the higher amount.
Online Letting Agent Fees
Tenant find vs. full management
| Agent | Tenant find | Full management | Key information |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Online Letting Agents | £49 | 5% / mo + £99 upfront | No-frills; landlord does the viewings. |
| OpenRent | £49 | Not offered | Cheaper tier excludes contract signing and deposit registration. |
| Griffin Property | £24.95 | Fixed fee | Premier package (£69.95) adds referencing, agreement and deposit registration. |
| Rentmyhome | £99 | 6% / mo | Cheaper DIY let at £99 on instruction. |
| MakeUrMove | £90 | ~12% / mo | Premium packages add emergency and legal cover. |
| 99Home | From £29 | Package-based | Free basic package; silver £499 inc VAT with featured Zoopla listing. |
| Urban | £90 | 8% to 10% / mo | Self-service lettings with ARLA-registered agent support. |
| LetBritain | £99 | Not offered | Basics covered; higher packages add comprehensive services. |
| Purplebricks | £1,050 | 9.2% / mo + £850 one-off | All fees now paid on let, not upfront. |
3. Online Agent Performance
Fees aren't everything. What really matters is which agent gets you the highest rent, and how quickly, because there is no point in an agent achieving a top rent if it takes them three months to do it. We've researched how the online agents perform so you can make an informed decision. The fastest to let is The Online Letting Agents at around 3 weeks, while the highest average rents go to Urban.
Performance & Ratings
Average rent obtained & time to let
| Agent | Avg. rent | Time to let | Our rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenRent | £1,551 pcm | 11 weeks | |
| Purplebricks | £1,109 pcm | 6 weeks | |
| Rentmyhome | £1,166 pcm | 4 weeks | |
| Griffin Property | £1,530 pcm | 4 weeks | |
| The Online Letting Agents | £1,486 pcm | 3 weeks | |
| Urban | £2,084 pcm | 8 weeks | |
| LetBritain | £1,643 pcm | 5 weeks |
4. The Most Popular Online Agents
We've collated details on some of the most popular online agents, including how they were founded, their recent history and their fees. Most landlords consider those fees a fair trade for less aggravation, time and hassle. So, which agency should you choose? Here's a breakdown of some of the best online letting agents on the market.
OpenRent
Featured on the BBC, The Sun, The Telegraph and the Mirror, OpenRent is one of the UK's biggest online letting agents. Founded in 2012 and named one of the largest letting agents in the country in 2015, it has grown into a fast-moving, highly-qualified service. Its mission is to match quality landlords with quality tenants, so both parties enter a secure and positive agreement. Charges are completely transparent from the start, with a market-leading £49 tenant-find fee, advertising on portals such as Zoopla, and help creating a tenancy agreement. There are currently over 428,000 properties to rent on OpenRent, with more than 2.3 million registered landlords and tenants.
Griffin Property
Griffin Property Co. was established in 2000 as a high-street agent and went online in 2015, entering the market with some of the most cost-effective rental packages in the UK. It offers two options: a tenant-find only service at £24.95 for a 3-month listing, and a £69.95 premier package that adds referencing, a tenancy agreement, collection of the first month's rent and deposit registration. Your property is listed on Rightmove, Zoopla, Prime Location and over 200 other sites, and can be advertised nationally in as little as 30 minutes. Griffin were Silver Winners of the ESTA Online Estate Agent Awards 2021.
Purplebricks
Best known for sales, Purplebricks also offers a full lettings service and is one of the most reviewed online agents around. Free valuations are offered virtually or in person, after which clients receive a comprehensive valuation report and guidance on listing quickly. Landlords get the first month free, advertising on Rightmove, hands-on support from start to finish, and several packages to choose from. All fees are now paid on let rather than upfront, reducing the risk for landlords, and it pairs management with a recognisable national brand.
The Online Letting Agents
The Online Letting Agents was created by landlords tired of paying high fees and dealing with traditional high-street agents. Known for friendly, knowledgeable staff and an excellent 5-star Trustpilot rating, it is the fastest to let of all the agents we tracked, averaging just 3 weeks. Its tenant-find service starts at just £49 for landlords who want to manage their own property but need help finding and referencing tenants, with partially managed packages from 3.5% per calendar month and fully managed services at 5%. Your property is advertised on all the major portals including Zoopla, Rightmove, Primelocation and Gumtree, with the team handling enquiries, screening and paperwork.
99Home
99Home is one of the UK's fastest-growing online letting agencies, offering cutting-edge technology and competitive pricing with packages from as low as £29. There are four letting and full property management packages, including a basic option that costs nothing at all and a moderately priced silver package at £499 including VAT, which adds a free one-week featured listing on Zoopla. Most packages include professional photographs, detailed floor plans and property management software. 99Home is a proud member of The Property Ombudsman Redress Scheme.
LetBritain
LetBritain is a self-service letting agency that puts landlords in the driver's seat when choosing their tenants. Using a simple 5-step process, its virtual dashboard lets landlords communicate with tenants, perform references, collect rent and sign tenancy agreements from anywhere, backed by an updated library of legal documents. Three packages are available: Tenant Finder (£99 inc VAT), The Essentials (£149 inc VAT) and Everything You Need (£299 inc VAT), with individual services such as landlord insurance, referencing and EPC certificates also offered.
Urban
Urban.co.uk is an online agency offering hands-on services for landlords without the high fees of a high-street branch. All staff are qualified with the NAEA or ARLA, and customer reviews praise its 5-star service and 7-day-a-week support. A free rental valuation is included, and letting starts from £90 with the Tenant Finder package, which covers email and text alerts, ARLA-registered agent support, tenant referencing, right-to-rent verification and a 12-month eviction guarantee. A higher Tenant Finder Premium package adds deposit collection and registration, tenancy agreement drafting and signature collection.
5. What the Review Sites Say
Reviewing online letting agents can be tricky. Each one tends to use a different platform to collect reviews, and depending on which site you check, the picture painted of the same agent can look very different. Here's a summary of how the biggest online letting agents are rated.
Purplebricks
While Trustpilot gives Purplebricks an excellent 4.4-star rating, it scores far lower on Reviews.io, AllAgents and reviews.co.uk, where it sits below 2 stars. The main complaint from landlords and sellers is a lack of communication and support, with some claiming they let their properties largely on their own. On the positive side, happier clients praise its professionalism and reasonable pricing.
The Online Letting Agents
The Online Letting Agents holds a 4.6-star rating on Property Investment Project from 28 reviews, and an excellent 4.9-star rating on Trustpilot from over 1,000 reviews. These scores are credited to quick response times, professionalism and thoroughness. The few negative reviews mention property management issues and contract details.
OpenRent
OpenRent offers a great customer experience according to Trustpilot, with a 4.2-star rating from over 2,225 reviews, plus a 4-star rating on Property Investment Project. Landlords credit its customer service and affordable pricing, while a few report trouble reaching their agent. DIY landlords tend to feel it offers just the right amount of support without overstepping.
RentMyHome
RentMyHome has earned an excellent 4.6-star rating from over 330 Trustpilot reviews, and 4.3 stars on AllAgents. Key features include friendly, efficient agents, fast results and competitive pricing. Less satisfied customers report dealing with multiple agents for a single listing, which slowed communication.
99Home
With nearly 950 Trustpilot reviews, 99Home holds an impressive 4.9-star rating, backed by a 9.2 out of 10 on Property Road. Clients credit its efficient communication, professionalism and proactive approach. The minimal negative reviews mention slower response times and that the 'no sale, no fee' package does not include viewings.
6. Online Letting Agent Checklist
Run through this before you sign with any online agent - and don't be shy about asking plenty of questions.
- Confirm exactly what the tenant-find or management fee includes.
- Check whether referencing, contracts and deposit registration cost extra.
- Verify the agent is part of a client-money protection scheme.
- Confirm membership of a redress scheme (Property Ombudsman or PRS).
- Ask how viewings are handled - and whether you'll be doing them.
- Check the notice period and any exit fees before you commit.
7. Your Own Viewings… Scary?
The biggest worry for landlords switching to an online agent is conducting their own viewings. In practice it's far less daunting than it sounds - and it's the single biggest reason online fees are so low.
Group viewings save time, a few simple safety precautions cover the basics (let someone know your schedule, meet in daylight, verify the applicant beforehand), and meeting prospective tenants in person often gives you a better feel for who you're letting to than a report ever could.
"Online agents have transformed lettings for cost-conscious landlords - but the cheapest headline fee isn't always the best value. Look at how quickly an agent lets, the rent they achieve, and what's actually bundled in before you decide."
