Almost two thirds (63%) of private landlords are considering switching to a letting agency or property manager, according to Uswitch.com.

No longer dealing with repairs is the leading reason landlords may transfer to a lettings agent, while almost a third of landlords (27%) would switch to a letting agency to avoid scams and fraud the firm reports.

Uswitch.com buy-to-let mortgage expert, Kellie Steed, said: “The majority of private landlords would consider switching to a property manager or letting agency. This is especially true for landlords managing their own properties, with 63% being open to make the transition. Almost a third (29%) of private landlords say a switch to an agency would be due to their stronger knowledge of the market.

“The most common reason landlords would pay an agent to manage their property is to no longer deal with repairs, with almost a third (31%) citing this as an advantage. On average, property maintenance is estimated to consume one-fifth of a landlords’ income. The most common reason landlords consider selling their property is a lack of profit (35%) and a third (31%) of landlords say repairs are a reason they would sell their homes entirely, the second most common reason given.”