CityRelay

Trustworthy Online Letting Agents

Let London’s most trustworthy online letting agents manage your property. Enjoy stress-free letting management services fully accessible online.


CityRelay
CityRelay
ONLINE LETTING SERVICE LONDON

Why City Relay

We’re experts in managing premium properties and providing exceptional guest and resident management services. We combine flexible letting and smart technology to maximise occupancy rates and increase rental income by 30% to 40%.

Whether you prefer short-term or long-term letting, our capable online letting agents will improve your property’s earning potential at a fraction of the cost of high-street agents.

See What Our Property Partners Like You Have To Say

Since I handed over my house to City Relay for management, all my issues have been completely resolved. They are incredibly technical, highly professional, and experts in every aspect of property management. A special thanks to Tembi, who has been exceptionally helpful. Her attention to detail and dedication to excellence have truly impressed me. I am extremely grateful for their exceptional service. Thank you!

Would highly recommend City Relay to anyone looking to rent their home short or long-term. The short lets team at City Relay have been great in managing my 2-bed flat in London making sure that the occupancy levels were always high and taking away the stress of managing the reservations, arrivals, cleaning etc. Very well worth it.

Couldn't be happier. CityRelay handled the short term letting of my property for about 9 months while we were trying to sell it. As well as getting a good price for the property which helped cover the mortgage, they were exceptionally responsive and proactive. The service was far in excess of what I was expecting and I highly recommend them.

I have been a host with CityRelay for over a year now. I have a property in central London and my experience with them has been incredible. Very professional, need very little input from me (I live abroad) and very responsive. I now gave CityRelay my second property to manage. Highly recommended!

Gold Star Property Management Experience Rented out my flat through City Relay on short lets and found them to be super professional and efficient managers. They took care of all matters and it was a smooth headache-free experience. Highly recommend them to any potential property owners looking to let out & have someone manage your property.

BENEFITS

Why work with online letting agents?

Hiring the best online estate agents in London maximises the earning potential of your property with minimal effort.

Lower fees. Online agents have lower operational costs compared to high-street agents. These savings are passed on to clients, giving you the same expertise and service at a lower cost.

Higher rental yields. The lower fees of the online estate agent allow you to set competitive rates that can increase your net rental income and occupancy rates.

Wide range of services. Online estate agents offer several property and tenant management services. We’ll advertise your property on the same platforms used by high-street agents.

Find out the earning potential of your letting property in London. Fill in your details to know more.

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Our online letting service

CityRelay
Assured Shorthold Tenancy

City Relay will do all AST agreements on your behalf. We use the Goodlord portal to create contracts that are automatically updated in line with new rules and legislation.

CityRelay
Flexible Letting Strategy

Your property will get maximum rental yields through our flexible letting strategy. You’ll enjoy the peak earning potential of short lets for 90 days and the stability of long lets.

CityRelay
Professional onboarding

We’ll schedule a photo shoot and 3D virtual tour to improve the property’s visual appeal and letting opportunities. It’ll optimise your property online for listings to attract guests and residents.

CityRelay
2-step tenant vetting process

We use a 2-stage vetting process to filter reliable occupants for your property. You’ll get maximum rental yields without compromising your premium property.

Work with an award-winning company

SME News Awards - City Relay Winner 2022
Best Property Management
2022 Winner
top 50 rental manager In the World - City relay
Top 50 Property Managers in the World
2022
CityRelay
Best Sustainability and CSR Initiatives
2020 Winner
CityRelay
Service Excellence - Property
2019 Winner
CityRelay
Maximise your property's potential

Work with experienced online letting agents

3 things set City Relay online letting agents apart.

Personal check-ins. We are the ONLY company offering in-person check-ins for our guests. This personal touch gives guests a warm welcome that leads to positive reviews.

No lock-in contracts. We practice flexibility when it comes to partnerships. You can pursue tailored solutions that fit your portfolio goals.

No exit fees. We don’t believe in hidden fees. There’ll be no need to pay exit fees should you prefer a different strategy for your portfolio.

Your property will be featured in major letting platforms

Airbnb management London
booking.com on city relay
Expedia on city relay
rightmove on city relay
Zoopla on city relay
Vrbo on CityRelay
Competitive fees

Tailored Property Management Services

City Relay understands that landlords have different portfolio goals. This is why we maintain an open mind with our offered packages and we’re ready to customise it to suit your specific goals.

CityRelay
CityRelay
8% - 12% commission + VAT

For Fully Managed Lettings

CityRelay
13% - 20% commission + VAT

For Flexible Lettings

Let's talk about your preferred pricing strategy.

Our tech platform

Smart Technology to Optimise Your Portfolio Online

Our exceptional online letting service is backed by state-of-the-art technology, Opago. It’s a cloud-based property management platform that provides complete visibility of your property’s performance.

City Relay property tech platform
CityRelay
Financial overview

Get real-time updates on your property’s financial standing - including rent collection, in-house cleaning and maintenance fees, etc.

CityRelay
Booking calendar

Access your property’s booking schedules. This information will help you block schedules of your property for personal use - without fear of double bookings.

CityRelay
Property reports

View comprehensive reports about your property’s performance - from KPIs, rental income, and maintenance activities.

The city relay blog

Advice for property owners, from property experts

FAQs

What is an online letting agent?

Online letting agents offer property management services to landlords who wish to let their properties to a guest or tenant. These professionals take on the responsibilities of landlords in terms of marketing and maintaining the unit, staying compliant, drawing up the lease agreements, vetting tenants and collecting rent.

 

The term online means most of the tasks are done digitally – which is useful because it means the flat being managed is marketed online. A simple online tool may be used to manage the properties – so the landlord can also view the performance of their portfolio.

What are the biggest differences between a high street agent and an online letting agent?

The main difference between traditional high street agents and online letting agents in London is the platform that they operate on. For the latter, most interactions happen on the online agent’s website. The former also has a website to promote the property management business, but they have physical offices they use to interact with property owner clients.

 

Online letting agents don’t need a physical office. Their website is enough to list and manage the properties under their care. It’s where they review and draft an agreement. There may be times when they meet their clients face-to-face but most of the transactions happen online – which can be beneficial and convenient.

How is City Relay different from other online letting agents?

City Relay offers some of the most competitive pricing packages for online letting in London. We offer flexibility to suit the different needs of our partners. We can custom-fit our management services to help reach your unique portfolio goals.

 

We also use a property management tool that allows us to provide exceptional service that often leads to a 5-star review. This is proof of our expertise and service excellence.  Find out how we can optimise your rental unit’s earning potential.

How do online letting agents work?

Our online letting agents follow a simplified letting process that’s both effective and transparent. Once you sign a contract to be our partner, we’ll arrange to have your property onboarded. This includes a photo shoot of the flat, including a 3D virtual tour.

 

This will be used to market your unit for rent. If a prospective guest or tenant shows interest, our online letting agent will conduct due diligence to vet them for you. After everything is in order, we will draft the rental agreement, facilitate the move-in (or check-in), rent collection and tenant management.

How long will you list my property on City Relay?

As long as you are a partner of City Relay, your property in London will be listed on our website and in main letting platforms. We will continue to advertise and market your unit for rent as part of our commitment to service excellence.

Do you offer fixed-fee full management letting services?

City Relay does not offer full property management packages at a fixed fee. Our agent fees are percentage-based. It’s tied to the rental income that you earn. This means whether your tenancy rate is high or low, our fees will adjust accordingly.

 

Rest assured, regardless of the fee that we get per month, the quality of our end-to-end property management service remains the same.

Are my credit/debit card payments safe?

Our website and data systems are secure. We use state-of-the-art encryption technology to ensure that online transactions are kept confidential. As long as the connection on your end is also secure, you have nothing to worry about when you’re transacting through the City Relay website.

What are the charges for the landlord?

We believe that the landlord community have different needs when it comes to their portfolio. This is why we offer two packages for our online letting services. The first is 8% to 12% commission + VAT for fully managed lettings while the other is 13% to 20% commission + VAT for flexible lettings.

 

Let’s talk about the type of tenancy agreement that you’re looking for so we can create a package that fits your specific portfolio goals.

 

Apart from that commission, you’ll also be charged a new tenancy fee of £270 for long-let contracts, as well as cleaning and maintenance fees – as it applies. Get in touch with us so we can give you a more specific list of our service fees.

How much does City Relay charge for tenant referencing fees?

We charge £270 for new tenant referencing fee for long let contracts.

 

For everything else that follows, we use a commission-based scheme. The end-to-end property management service includes the marketing and maintenance of your flat, vetting tenants and collecting rent from them.

 

If there are other services you require from an online letting agent, we’re open to discussing them with you.

Which scheme do you use for deposit protection?

We use the Deposit Protection Service to secure all tenant and guest deposits. The online platform is compliant with tenancy deposit protection regulations. It’s simple to use and available for transactions 24/7.

Do I have to take my own viewings if I use an online letting agent?

No. As part of City Relay’s end-to-end property management package, we’ll manage the viewings for you. We have an experienced support team who will personally meet with prospective tenants who wish to view your flat. Our online letting agents will give you updates immediately after each meeting – giving you full control over the transaction all the time.

I found the suitable tenant(s) what next?

If you find a suitable person to stay in your flat, the next step is to talk to them about what’s expected from both the landlord and the tenant. This includes the setting of the terms, rent amount, etc. Whatever is agreed upon will be drafted into a rental agreement that both will sign. Once the agreement is signed, the tenant can move in.

 

For some landlords, this can be time-consuming, which is why City Relay offers online letting services. We’ll take care of everything for you, from finding a suitable tenant, drafting the rental agreement, moving them in and making sure they pay their dues on time.

Top tips for using an online letting agent to find tenants

Using the expertise of online letting agents in London can help you maximise your rental unit’s earning potential. Before partnering with an agent, read case studies and testimonials about them first. Review their platform and independent sites to gain insight into what their service is like.

 

Once you’ve found the right partner, choose a service package that’s aligned with your portfolio goals. Don’t hesitate to negotiate and discuss your needs so the agent can provide the specific service that you prefer.

 

Get to know the platform that the online letting agent uses so you can take advantage of it. Use it to monitor your properties and make informed decisions to improve and grow your portfolio.