Every letting agent says they're the best. Here's why the numbers say we are.
Most Chester landlords underestimate the cost of getting it wrong. PDA exists to make sure you don't.
The honest comparison
Not a sales pitch — a side-by-side look at what you actually get.
| Service | Self-manage | National chain | PDA Letting Agents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenant finding | 🕐You handle it | ✅Included | ✅Included |
| Rent collection | 🕐You chase it | ✅Included | ✅Included |
| Compliance & certificates | 🕐You arrange it | ⚠️Reminders only | ✅Fully managed |
| Legal advice on tenancy issues | 💸£200–£400/hr | 💸Referred out | ✅Included in management service |
| Possession claim guidance (post-RRA) | 💸Solicitor required | 💸Referred out | ✅Advice included — fixed fee if proceedings required* |
| Deposit disputes | ⚠️TDS adjudication | ⚠️TDS adjudication | ✅Legal-backed resolution |
| Your time cost | 🕐High | 🕐Low | 🕐Low |
| Annual management fee | £0 | ~10–12% | 10–13% (portfolio dependent) |
Tenant finding
National Chain
✅ Included
PDA
✅ Included
Rent collection
National Chain
✅ Included
PDA
✅ Included
Compliance & certificates
National Chain
⚠️ Reminders only
PDA
✅ Fully managed
Legal advice on tenancy issues
National Chain
💸 Referred out
PDA
✅ Included in management service
Possession claim guidance (post-RRA)
National Chain
💸 Referred out
PDA
✅ Advice included — fixed fee if proceedings required*
Deposit disputes
National Chain
⚠️ TDS adjudication
PDA
✅ Legal-backed resolution
Your time cost
National Chain
🕐 Low
PDA
🕐 Low
Annual management fee
National Chain
~10–12%
PDA
10–13% (portfolio dependent)
* Legal advice on tenancy matters is included as part of your management service. If possession proceedings become necessary, those are handled by our in-house solicitor at fixed, transparent fees — separate from and in addition to your management fee. You will receive a fixed fee quote before anything moves forward.
The Renters Rights Act changed everything. The landlords who get it wrong will pay for it — for months.
Section 21 no longer exists. Every possession claim now runs through Section 8 — and the courts are slow. A poorly prepared claim, a procedural error, or a missing document can set you back months. Meanwhile, rent arrears accumulate and your property sits occupied.
The landlords who will navigate this well are those with an experienced solicitor already on their team — not one they're calling for the first time in a crisis.
How PDA handles it differently
At PDA, legal advice on your tenancy is included as part of your management service. If possession proceedings become necessary, those are handled by our in-house solicitor at fixed, transparent fees — not the open-ended hourly billing you'd face elsewhere. You'll know the cost before we begin.
You're not paying for the cheapest agent. You're paying to avoid the most expensive mistakes.
Our management fees run from 10–13% depending on the size of your portfolio. We're not going to pretend that's the lowest number in Chester — it isn't. What it buys you is an agency that has a solicitor in the building.
When a national chain encounters a legal problem, they refer it out. You pay an external firm, at hourly rates, with no fixed quote and no guarantee of speed. When PDA encounters a legal problem, we pick up the phone to the next office. Advice is immediate.
External solicitor — possession claim
Typical cost instructed externally, plus months of delay while arrears accumulate. Hourly rates, no fixed quote, no certainty.
PDA in-house solicitor — possession claim
If possession proceedings are required, you receive a fixed fee quote from our in-house solicitor before anything moves forward. No surprises. This fee is separate from your management fee.
Important clarity: One contested possession claim instructed with an external solicitor can cost £2,000–£4,000+ and take six months to resolve. That fee is separate from — and in addition to — any management fee you pay. At PDA, if possession proceedings are required, you'll receive a fixed fee quote from our in-house solicitor before anything moves forward. No surprises.
See what our fee actually costs you — after the risk is priced in.
Use our rental yield calculator to model your net return with PDA's management fee included. Compare gross yield, net yield, and what you'd net after management — with the PDA fee tier pre-selected.
Open the Yield CalculatorReady to find out what PDA can do for your portfolio?
No valuation required. No obligation. Just a straight conversation about your property.
Book a free 20-minute landlord consultation
Speak directly with our team. No valuation required, no obligation. We'll answer your questions about management, fees, and the Renters Rights Act.
Calculate your net yield with PDA
Model your gross and net yield with our management fee included. See the real numbers before you decide.