Letting Agent Fees in the South Hams and Tavistock: Totnes, Kingsbridge and Ivybridge
6 October 2026 · AgentCheck Editorial · 8 min read
Part of our UK Landlord Legal Guide
Landlords in the South Hams and Tavistock typically pay a full management fee of about 13.2% to 15.6% of rent including VAT, and one agent advertises from 12%. The five agents in this patch that publish a single comparable rate on AgentCheck average 14.7%. Totnes, Kingsbridge and Ivybridge need a direct quote, because few agents there publish their rates.
If you let a property around Totnes, Kingsbridge, Ivybridge or Tavistock, you are in a market that behaves differently from Plymouth. There are fewer agents, many of them independents with a long local history, and fee pages that are often vague or missing altogether. This guide sets out what the published figures show, where the gaps are, and how to get a like-for-like quote before you sign anything.
AgentCheck currently tracks 14,354 letting agents across 774 areas. Within this patch we list 18 agents in Tavistock, 7 in Totnes, 5 in Kingsbridge and 2 in Salcombe, plus a handful of Plymouth-based agents who cover the surrounding villages. Every percentage quoted below comes from our comparable-fee data, where we have confirmed whether the figure includes VAT.
What the published management fees show
We hold published fees for six agents in the TQ and PL postcodes that make up this patch. Five state a single full management rate that we can compare on an inclusive-of-VAT basis, and one advertises a starting rate.
| Agent | Base | Full management (inc VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Bond Oxborough Phillips | Tavistock (PL19) | From 12.0% |
| Luscombe Maye Equestrian Property | Modbury (PL21) | 13.2% |
| Mansbridge Balment | Tavistock (PL19) | 14.5% |
| Mansbridge Balment | Covering PL20 | 14.5% |
| Fulfords | Tavistock (PL19) | 15.6% |
| Miller Town & Country | Tavistock (PL19) | 15.6% |
The five single rates run from 13.2% to 15.6%, a spread of 2.4 percentage points, and their simple average is 14.7%. One agent advertises from 12%, which is a starting rate, so we have left it out of the average. Treat the average as a guide, not a market price: five agents is a small sample, and three of them are in Tavistock.
Tavistock: the best-documented market
Tavistock has the most agents and the most published fees in the patch. The three Tavistock agents with a single published rate range from 14.5% to 15.6%, averaging about 15.2%, and a fourth advertises from 12%.
The lowest figure deserves a closer look. Bond Oxborough Phillips advertises full management from 12% including VAT. That is a starting rate, so ask what rate would apply to your property. It also lists a £600 tenant introduction fee including VAT. A low headline rate can sit alongside a higher set-up cost, so always compare the total across the first twelve months.
Totnes, Kingsbridge and Ivybridge: why quotes matter more
We list 7 agents in Totnes and 5 in Kingsbridge, and we hold no agents based in Ivybridge itself, so landlords there are served from neighbouring towns and Plymouth. None of the Totnes or Kingsbridge agents currently has a verified percentage fee in our comparable set. We would rather say that plainly than guess a number.
In practice that means you should ask for a written fee schedule from at least three agents. Rural and coastal stock is also priced differently: agents may add travel, key-holding or out-of-hours charges for outlying villages, and furnished holiday-let conversions often come with their own terms.
Our Totnes and Kingsbridge pages list each agent with the information we hold, so you can see who to approach first. If an agent has not published a fee, treat that as a prompt to ask, not as a sign that it is cheap or expensive. Independent agents in smaller towns often quote bespoke rates, and a landlord with two or three properties can sometimes negotiate a lower percentage.
What the percentage means in pounds
Percentages hide the real cost, so here is the same rent under three rates. The figures assume rent of £900 per month, or £10,800 a year, and fees that include VAT.
| Fee rate | Cost per year | Cost per month |
|---|---|---|
| 12.0% | £1,296 | £108 |
| 14.7% (patch average) | £1,588 | £132 |
| 15.6% | £1,685 | £140 |
The gap between a 12% rate and a 15.6% rate is £389 a year on this rent. Over a five-year hold that is almost £2,000, enough to pay for a boiler replacement or a full redecoration between tenants.
Fees beyond the headline percentage
The management percentage is only part of the bill. When you compare agents, ask about each of these and get the answer in writing:
- Tenant-find or set-up fee: either a percentage of the first month or a flat sum.
- Tenancy agreement and inventory: sometimes included, often charged separately.
- Renewal charges: less relevant now that periodic tenancies are the default.
- Maintenance handling: some agents add a percentage on top of contractor invoices.
- Exit terms: notice periods and any fee to move to another agent.
Is VAT included? The check that catches people out
Some agents quote 10% or 11% plus VAT, which becomes 12% or 13.2% once VAT at 20% is added. Others quote an inclusive figure. Comparing a plus-VAT rate with an inclusive one makes the first agent look 20% cheaper than it is. Every figure in this article is shown including VAT. If you are VAT-registered you may be able to reclaim it, but most individual landlords cannot, so the inclusive figure is the one that hits your account.
Rural and coastal lettings: what changes
The South Hams is a mix of market towns, estuary villages and farmland, and that affects both fees and practicalities. An agent managing a cottage near Modbury or a barn conversion outside Kingsbridge may spend far longer on a single visit than a Plymouth agent does on a city flat. Some price that in through a higher percentage, others through call-out or inspection charges.
Ask directly how often the agent inspects, how quickly a contractor can reach the property, and whether they keep trusted local tradespeople on call. In areas where plumbers and electricians are thinly spread, a well-connected agent can save you real money and weeks of delay. The cheapest percentage is not always the cheapest service once a boiler fails in January.
Full management, let-only or self-managing
Not every landlord needs full management. A let-only or tenant-find service usually costs a one-off fee and leaves you to handle repairs, rent collection and compliance. Self-managing saves the percentage entirely but takes time, and you remain legally responsible for deposit protection, gas and electrical safety, and the rules on ending a tenancy.
If you live locally and your property is straightforward, let-only can be sensible. If you live elsewhere, own several properties, or let a rural home that needs regular attention, full management often earns its fee. Whichever you choose, compare services as well as prices, because a 12% agent who rarely visits is not better value than a 14% agent who solves problems quickly.
How the Renters' Rights changes affect what you pay for
With periodic tenancies now the default, agents have less renewal income, and some are reshaping their fee structures as a result. That makes it worth asking each agent how their charges have changed and whether any fee is triggered when a tenancy rolls on rather than being renewed. A fee that made sense under fixed-term agreements may no longer apply, so do not accept an old schedule without checking it.
How to get a like-for-like quote
- Contact three agents, ideally including one in your nearest town and one that covers your village.
- Ask each for the full management fee, tenant-find fee and any other charges, stating whether VAT is included.
- Request their terms of business and check the notice period.
- Confirm they offer client money protection and belong to a redress scheme.
- Convert each quote to a yearly cost on your actual rent.
- Ask what the fee covers when the property is rural, such as visits and out-of-hours calls.
Fees are also an allowable expense against rental income, so the real cost after tax is lower. Our guide to claiming letting agent fees explains how.
Finally, remember that a fee is only one input. Void periods, tenant quality and how quickly rent arrears are chased all affect your return more than a point or two on the management rate. Ask each agent for their average time to let and their rent-arrears process, and weigh those answers alongside the price.
Related guides
- Letting agent fees in Plymouth 2026: what landlords actually pay
- 12 ways UK landlords can save money on letting agent fees
- Are letting agent fees tax deductible? How to claim them
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