By the Beacon Living Group team · 25 July 2026 · 6 min read + calculator
Summary: Manchester landlords can switch from a letting agent to guaranteed rent by checking their current agency agreement, serving written notice and lining up Beacon Living Group to take over as the notice runs. The whole move comes down to timing it around your notice period so your income never stops. This guide walks through the five steps and gives you a planner to work out your window.
Plenty of Manchester landlords stay with a letting agent long after it stops working. Fees creep up, voids land on you and the monthly figure swings with every gap and late payment. Switching feels like hassle, so it gets put off. It does not have to be. Moving to a fixed guaranteed rent is a short, ordered process where the only part that needs care is timing.
Read the agreement you signed with your current letting agent first. Everything about how and when you can leave sits in there, not in any general rule of thumb. Notice periods vary from agency to agency, so find the clause rather than assuming a standard length. Get this clear up front and there are no surprises later. Three things decide your window:
Certainty is usually the pull. A letting agent passes on the actual rent minus their fees, so every void month or arrears problem lands on you. Guaranteed rent replaces that with one fixed figure paid whether the property is occupied or empty, with no management fees taken off the top. That trade is the whole point if you want a predictable number every month.
You give up the chance of a higher gross figure in a strong month. In return you stop carrying voids, arrears and fees. Our guide on guaranteed rent versus a letting agent sets out the side-by-side. Be clear-eyed about the sector. Guaranteed rent is only as sound as the operator and lease behind it. Our piece on whether guaranteed rent is safe covers how to check any operator, including us.
One decision makes a switch smooth: the new arrangement should begin as your agency agreement ends. The aim is one clean join. Your first guaranteed rent payment lands on day one, so there is no gap in income between the two. Enter the date your current agreement can be ended and the planner below tells you how much room you have and what to do next.
Days until you can switch: —
Planner output is illustrative and based on the date you enter. It is general information, not legal advice. Always follow the notice terms in your own agency agreement.
Once you know your notice date, the rest runs in parallel. Request a free rent assessment from Beacon, which we typically turn around within 48 hours. That hands you a fixed monthly figure to weigh against what your agent nets you today, before you commit to anything. If the numbers work, serve written notice to your agent. Recorded delivery is best so the date is on record.
Beacon prepares everything needed to take over while your notice runs. You can request your free rent offer whenever you are ready. Sitting tenants need a little more thought. Their existing tenancy and rights are unaffected by a change in who manages the property, so the cleanest switches happen when a property is empty or a tenancy is ending. We will talk through the position on your specific property before anything is agreed.
Yes. Most Manchester landlords can move once their existing agency agreement allows it. Check your agreement for the notice clause and any cancellation conditions, serve written notice and line up the new arrangement so there is no gap in income. This is general information, not legal advice, so read your agreement carefully or ask a solicitor if anything is unclear.
The notice period is set by your own agency agreement, so check the contract you signed rather than relying on a general figure. Look for the termination or cancellation clause, note how notice must be served and check whether any period is tied to a fixed term or a current tenancy. If the wording is unclear, ask the agent to confirm in writing or take independent legal advice.
Some agencies charge a release or early-termination fee and some do not, so check your agreement for any cancellation charge before you serve notice. The amount, if any, depends entirely on the contract you signed. Reading the fees and termination sections first means there are no surprises when you switch.
If your property has sitting tenants on an existing tenancy, their agreement continues and their rights are unaffected by you changing who manages the property. A guaranteed rent switch is most straightforward when the property is empty or a tenancy is coming to an end. Beacon will talk through the position on your specific property first and this is general information rather than legal advice.
Beacon typically completes a free rent assessment within 48 hours of your enquiry, then works to your notice period so the handover lines up with the day your agency agreement ends. The overall timing is driven by your notice clause, not by us. We prepare the onboarding while your notice runs so the switch is ready the moment you are free to move.
They suit different priorities. Guaranteed rent gives a fixed monthly figure with no management fees and no void or arrears deductions, while a letting agent passes on the actual rent minus fees and leaves voids and arrears with you. Which is better depends on whether you value certainty or the chance of a higher gross figure. Our comparison guide sets out the trade-offs in full.
About Beacon Living Group. Beacon Living Group is a Manchester guaranteed rent and serviced accommodation operator. It leases properties from landlords across Manchester on 3- to 5-year corporate leases, pays a fixed monthly rent with no fees and is built to manage every stay in-house. Beacon Living Group Ltd is registered in England and Wales, company no. 17076795.
Request a free rent offer and Beacon Living Group will work to your notice period so the handover from your agent is seamless.
