OpenRent is obviously a fan favourite among landlords, and undoubtedly the most popular online letting agent by a country mile. It’s not even close.
They’re cheap, effective and they’ve developed a platform that’s a doddle to use. OpenRent provides a great service.
However, there’s no such thing as a silver-bullet solution. Like every other market leader, OpenRent have accumulated its share of disgruntled customers (for one reason or another), and those landlords been throwing their dosh in the direction of competing services, benefiting from the same beloved features, including (but not limited to):
- Rightmove listing
- Zoopla listing
- Tenant referencing service
- Professional photography Service
Reality check: OpenRent haven’t managed to lure every self-managing landlord into their ecosystem. That’s why many other reputable alternatives are thriving. Some of these options may be entirely unfamiliar to you, but they are definitely worth eyeballing as they could very well be a better fit for your needs.
What is the best OpenRent alternative?
That’s a tough one. Truly. But there are great contenders to choose from.
But before I get into it, for the sake of transparency, I must confess, I personally believe OpenRent is currently the best online letting agent for self-managing landlords that require a cost-effective and easy-peasy solution for finding tenants. That’s precisely why I’m a proud affiliate partner of theirs and have been for donkeys.
When or if my position changes, you can be assured that this blog post will get a face-lift, clarifying my new bestie. But for now, I’m on team OpenRent (because they meet my requirements).
But… Competition is fierce!
While many landlords remain loyal to OpenRent and fully invested in its ecosystem, plenty of others have explored alternative options, placing their trust elsewhere. I have also used several other online letting agents in the past, and to be honest, they’ve also been brilliant and I wouldn’t hesitate in using them again.
These alternative online letting agents continue to gain momentum, leaving behind a trail of satisfied customers. I’ve personally spoken with landlords who took a leap of faith away from OpenRent and never looked back (similarly, I’ve also heard from landlords who found a perfect fit with OpenRent after leaving their previous preferred option). Make of that what you will.
To make life easier for you, I’ve compiled a list of OpenRent alternatives (many of which are also my affiliate partners) for you to compare against the market leader. You never know – you might find a comfier glove. So feel free to use the filters, and take advantage of discount codes (regularly updated and often exclusive)!
Search Filters
Require any of the following?
- Rightmove listing
Rightmove listingAdvertise property on Rightmove (The UK's largest property portal)
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- Zoopla listing
Zoopla listingAdvertise property on Zoopla (The UK's second largest property portal)
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- OnTheMarket listing
OnTheMarket listingAdvertise property on OnTheMarket
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- Tenant referencing
Tenant referencingTo ensure you stand the best chances of getting reliable tenants, your agent will reference prospective tenants, which can include credit checks and employment history.
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- Deposit registration
Deposit registrationIn order to comply with the tenancy deposit legislation, the agent will secure the deposit on your behalf and serve required documents to your tenant.
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- Rent collection
Rent collectionAgent will collect rent from tenant and then send it to you.
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- Tenancy sign-up service
Tenancy sign-up serviceThe agent will draft your tenancy agreement contract and get it signed by the tenant(s) on your behalf.
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- EPC
EPCAn Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is needed when a property sold in the UK. They are valid for 10 years, so if you already have a valid one you do not to order another.
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- Gas safety check
Gas safety checkAgent will arrange for a gas safety check to be conducted. Landlords are legally obligated to have annual gas safety checks.
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- EICR
EICRElectrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR) are legally required for new tenancies in England. As from the 1st April 2021, all let properties will require an EICR.
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- Photograghs
PhotograghsThe agent will arrange for a photographer to visit your property to take pictures, which can be used with your adverts. Good quality photos are important in making your property look attractive and can increase enquiries.
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- Floorplan
FloorplanThe agent will arrange for a professionally produced floorplan showing the layout and room sizes of your property. Many buyers find floorplans useful when viewing property details online.
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- Inventory service
Inventory serviceThe agent will arrange for an independent inventory clerk to create an inventory report.
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- Hosted viewings
Hosted viewingsA local agent will take viewings and show potential tenants around your property. Please note, some agents limit how many viewings they will take, so please read the T&C's carefully.
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- Pay on Completion
Pay on CompletionPay on Completition means there's nothing to pay upfront until you find your perfect tenants (T&C's may apply, so please read carefully).
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Letting Agent | Rating | Term | Includes / Notes | Price | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
OpenRent | RatingGoogle Reviews | Duration 5 days / 3 months* | Includes / NotesUltimate Advertising package
*5 days free, and then the option of continuing service for 3 months for £39 for new customers and £49 for returning customers! | PriceFree Trial*FREENo hidden fees, no credit card details required! | Visit Website |
Griffin Property Co | RatingTrustPilot Reviews | Duration 3 months | Includes / NotesLet Your Property package
| Price£24.5 Inc VAT | Visit Website |
99Home | RatingTrustPilot Reviews | Duration 3 months | Includes / NotesExpress package
| PriceDiscount available£27.55 Inc VAT | Visit Website5% Discount Code: PIPExp5 |
Quicklister | RatingGoogle Reviews | Duration 6 weeks | Includes / NotesSaver package
| PriceDiscount available£39.2 Inc VAT | Visit Website20% Discount Code: TWe22dhT |
Visum | RatingTrustPilot Reviews | Duration 3 months | Includes / NotesBasic package
| PriceDiscount available£44 Inc VAT | Visit Website£15 Discount Code: PIP1 |
I Am The Agent | RatingTrustPilot Reviews | Duration 14 days | Includes / NotesSpeedy package
| PriceDiscount available£53.1 Inc VAT | Visit Website10% Discount Code: propinv21 |
OpenRent Top Pick | RatingGoogle Reviews | Duration 3 months | Includes / NotesAdvertising + Rent Now package
| Price£69 Inc VAT | Visit Website |
Letting a Property | RatingGoogle Reviews | Duration 2 months | Includes / NotesFind a Tenant package
| PriceDiscount available£139 Inc VAT | Visit Website£10 Discount Code: PIP10 |
Please note, I try my best to keep the information of each service up-to-date, but you should read the T&C's from their website for the most up-to-date and accurate information.
If you’ve tried an OpenRent alternative – whether listed here or not – please feel free to drop a comment and share your experience…
Which OpenRent alternative is best for you?
If we’re talking purely about features, then the answer is really simple: almost any other online agent will suffice (you can use the filters on my comparison table to attest to that)! So pick your poison.
OpenRent doesn’t offer any truly unique services – in fact, some competing online agents provide far more comprehensive features. In that sense, OpenRent is pretty bog-standard. So if you’ve been satisfied with OpenRent’s feature list in the past, then you shouldn’t struggle to find a replacement service to fulfil the same tasks.
However, what I will say is, the features and tools OpenRent offer feel well implemented and designed with purpose. You know, like a premium-built Swiss Army knife – there’s no clickity-clacks, just smooth, deliberate actions.
That might actually be the reason for their loyal fanbase – they do the simple things exceptionally well. And I totally get it.
For example, I personally like how applicants can reach out by email or leave a voice message directly through their platform, making it easy to process applications and schedule viewings. It’s pretty neat. But the reality is, every online letting agent has a system in place to manage enquiries, so the feature it self isn’t unique, albeit, each platform will have its own way of doing things.
To be honest, the most important factor is finding a reputable letting agent that offers the features you need; everything else is merely superficial.
Tenant Referencing is way more important choosing the right online letting agent!
Before I love you and ditch you, there’s one last point I can’t stress enough – and, in my opinion, it’s way more important than choosing the right online letting agent.
For most self-managing landlords, using online letting agents like OpenRent and similar services is simply a way to generate leads from prospective tenants. And the truth is, most online agents will do this effectively as long as they list properties on the major UK portals like Rightmove and Zoopla (side note: I wouldn’t even dare considering an agent that doesn’t list on both of them titans).
But once those leads start coming in, the real question is: what are you doing with them? How are you handling the enquiries? This is where tenant referencing becomes essential. Skipping or cutting corners on screening tenants is one of the most catastrophic banana-slips landlords make, and consequently get lumbered with dog-turd tenants that end up draining their finances. DO NOT DO IT! This is where most of your efforts should be exerted when looking for tenants, believe you me.
While there’s no fool proof way to guarantee the perfect tenant, you can significantly improve your chances of finding a reliable one. So, I can’t encourage you enough to check out my complete guide on how to reference tenants the right way!
Landlord out xo
Disclaimer: I'm just a landlord blogger; I'm 100% not qualified to give legal or financial advice. I'm a doofus. Any information I share is my unqualified opinion, and should never be construed as professional legal or financial advice. You should definitely get advice from a qualified professional for any legal or financial matters. For more information, please read my full disclaimer.
Heard Rightmove is off the table for OR now?