Client Money Protection number published
Kings Estates: Member No. C0003376, certificate downloadable, valid to 28 February 2027
Market norm: Most publish a Propertymark badge with no underlying number or certificate
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- 01892 533367Office + voicemail 24h
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- Tunbridge Wells, Kent & Sussex5 Mount Pleasant Road · TN1 1NT
An honest comparison
How our fees and terms compare.
Most letting agents publish a fee percentage and ask you to trust them on the rest. We're going to do the opposite: name our competitors, show what they charge, show what we charge, and let the difference speak. Refresh date: 28 May 2026. Sources are the agents’ own published fee pages and Terms of Business.
Headline letting fees
Where we sit on headline price.
We are not the cheapest agent in Tunbridge Wells. Our pricing sits deliberately between local indies (Sandersons, Jackson-Stops, Belvoir) and the premium nationals (Knight Frank, Hamptons, Savills) — in line with the nationals on Gold, and a premium above them on Platinum, our most comprehensive tier.
| Agent | Positioning | Let Only | Rent Collection | Fully Managed | Setup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandersons Tunbridge Wells | Mass-market indie | 2 weeks rent + VAT | 9.6% | 12% | £480 + £600 marketing |
| Hunters (regional) | Budget national | — | — | 8.4% (min £630) | £120 |
| Jackson-Stops Tunbridge Wells | Mid-premium indie | 90% of 1st month | 11% | 15% | £300 |
| Belvoir Tunbridge Wells | Mid franchise | 108% of 1st month | 13.2% | 16.2% / 18% Plus | 60% of 1st month, min £600 |
| Maddisons Residential | Mid premium indie | — | 14.4% + stacked admin | — | £420 initial |
| Andrews | Premium national | 1 mo rent (or £1,200 min) | 16.8% | 19.8% | £432 tenancy pack |
| Knight Frank | Premium national | — | — | 20.4% | — |
| Hamptons | Premium national | — | — | 20.4% | — |
| Kings Estates | Premium independent | 1 month + VAT, min £1,200 (Bronze) | 14.4% (Silver) | 16.8% (Gold) / 20.4% (Platinum) | Included (Let Only) / £480 flat (managed) |
Year-1 effective cost on a £2,000/month rent: Sandersons ~£3,400, Belvoir ~£4,488, Kings Estates Gold £5,232, Maddisons ~£4,326-£4,800, Andrews ~£5,394, Kings Estates Platinum £6,096, Knight Frank/Hamptons ~£4,900-£5,300.
Continuation Commission
Where we sit on the clause that traps landlords.
When a landlord switches agents while the tenant is in situ, most agents keep charging commission. The question is for how long. Post-Renters' Rights Act, with tenancies effectively indefinite, an open-ended Continuation Commission can become a permanent obligation. Here is where each agent sits.
- SavillsFor the remainder of the tenancy plus any subsequent renewals (open-ended)
- Propertymark industry template (Dec 2025)Payable whether or not the Agent is still instructed (open-ended)
- ChestertonsUntil tenancy ends (open-ended)
- Hamptons60 months from tenancy start (5 years)
- FoxtonsCapped at 2 years (forced by 2009 High Court Order following CMA case)
- Kings Estates12 months from termination, then ceases entirely (Section 5)
- Sandersons / Jackson-Stops Tunbridge WellsFlat per-tenancy renewal fee, no survival clause
The Foxtons 2-year cap is not a goodwill gesture — it’s the result of a 2009 High Court Order following the OFT/CMA case on hidden fees. The Court required that renewal commissions be “clearly brought to the consumer’s attention” regarding liability, triggers and amount. Our 12-month cap goes meaningfully beyond what the Order requires.
Credentials & transparency
Six places we publish more than the market.
Where the headline-fee table tells you about price, this one tells you about what you actually get for that price. Most letting agents publish a small amount of mandatory disclosure and call it done. Here is what we publish that they don’t.
Public fee schedule itemisation
Kings Estates: 25+ line items inc. VAT, with net + VAT breakdown, on a public page
Market norm: Sandersons + Jackson-Stops publish partial lists. Hamptons, Strutt & Parker behind 'contact us'
Renters' Rights Act 2026 coverage in Terms
Kings Estates: Full Section 9 (PRS Database, Section 13 + Form 4A, Section 8 grounds, 12-month bar, restricted re-let, pet requests, Awaab's Law)
Market norm: Propertymark template (Dec 2025) has one note. Jackson-Stops Terms still reference 1 June 2019 AST framework
Rent & Legal Protection product transparency
Kings Estates: Goodlord-backed; product summary PDF published, with cover details and provider comparison vs market
Market norm: Typically bundled into 'Plus' tier with no product detail or supplier named
Binding Terms document availability
Kings Estates: Full 38-page Terms HTML + PDF + 7-page Engagement Summary, all freely downloadable pre-instruction
Market norm: Most issue Terms only after instruction or on request
Marketing IP licence on landlord's property images
Kings Estates: Bounded — during term + 24 months. Blur / redact on request
Market norm: Propertymark template + most agents grant an indefinite irrevocable licence
Questions, answered
Comparing agents? The honest answers.
The questions landlords ask when they’re weighing one agent against another. If yours isn’t here, the office line is 01892 533367.
Is Kings Estates the cheapest letting agent in Tunbridge Wells?
No — and we don't claim to be. Our fees sit deliberately between the local mass-market agents and the premium nationals: Gold (Fully Managed) is 16.8% inc. VAT, broadly in line with the premium nationals, with Platinum a step above for landlords who want rent protection and the fullest service. Mass-market local agents are cheaper on headline percentage. The comparison table above shows where each named agent sits.
What is a continuation (renewal) commission, and how long does yours last?
It's the commission an agent keeps charging when you switch agents while the same tenant stays in the property. Many agents charge it open-endedly. Ours is capped at 12 months from termination and then ceases entirely (Section 5 of our Terms) — shorter than the premium nationals, the Propertymark industry template, Hamptons and Chestertons. Post-Renters' Rights Act, with tenancies effectively indefinite, an open-ended clause can become a permanent cost, so the cap matters.
What does fully managed letting actually include at Kings Estates?
Our Gold (Fully Managed) service covers tenant find and referencing, rent collection and statements, arrears chasing, maintenance coordination, inspections, and full Renters' Rights Act compliance — the certificates, notices and deadlines tracked on your behalf. Platinum adds rent protection, free photography, free renewals, two annual inspections and a dedicated account manager. Full per-event fees are itemised on our landlord fees page.
Can I see your full Terms of Business and fees before I instruct you?
Yes. Our full 38-page Terms of Business, a 7-page Engagement Summary, the per-event fee schedule and our Client Money Protection certificate (member number C0003376) are all freely downloadable before any commitment — no contact form, no instruction required. Most agents issue Terms only after you've instructed them or on request.
Are your Terms ready for the Renters' Rights Act 2026?
Yes. Our Terms include a full section covering the abolition of Section 21, the move to periodic tenancies, Section 13 rent increases (Form 4A, two-month notice), the Section 8 possession grounds and the 12-month re-let bar, the PRS Database, pet requests and the Decent Homes / Awaab's Law obligations. Many competitor Terms, including the Propertymark template we reviewed, do not yet cover this in full.
What this adds up to
The honest closing argument.
On headline price we are correctly placed for premium-independent positioning. Not the cheapest in Tunbridge Wells. Gold (16.80%) sits 0.6 points above Belvoir, 1.8 above Jackson-Stops, in line with the premium nationals; Platinum, our top tier, sits a step above them.
On contract terms we are materially more landlord-friendly. The 12-month Continuation Commission cap is below every premium national, below the Propertymark template, and below Hamptons and Chestertons.
On transparency we publish the full 38-page binding Terms, the Engagement Summary brochure, the CMP certificate with member number, the Goodlord product summary and the per-event fee schedule — all freely downloadable before any commitment. Most competitors don’t.
On Renters’ Rights Act readiness our Terms have a full Section 9 covering Section 13 (Form 4A, 2-month notice), Section 8 grounds and the 12-month bar, the PRS Database, pet requests, Decent Homes / Awaab’s Law, and the 31 May 2026 transition backstop. Most competitor Terms, including the Propertymark template, still don’t.
None of this is a guarantee that we’re the right agent for your property — that’s a conversation, not a comparison table. But if transparency and a low-friction post-RRA letting relationship matter to you, the evidence is here, in writing, openly published. The next step is a 30-minute valuation.
Sources for this comparison are the named agents’ own published fee pages and Terms of Business, accessed late May 2026. Where a competitor doesn’t publish a figure we’ve marked it “—” rather than guess. Comparison refreshed annually or when a competitor materially restructures their fees.