Google reviews for letting agents: the move-in moment
Renting a home runs on stress and relief in equal measure: the viewings, the referencing, the deposit, the wait for a move-in date, and then the keys. If you email a review link two weeks after moving day, it lands while your tenant is surrounded by half-unpacked boxes and a Wi-Fi setup that will not connect. The moment is lost. And because management fees and landlord instructions depend entirely on local trust, every one of those lost reviews has a price.
BY CHRIS EVANS · UPDATED 26 SEPTEMBER 2026 · 7 MIN READ
Ask tenants at move-in, in the branch, as they collect the keys and welcome pack. Ask landlords when a let is agreed or a renewal goes smoothly. Set Letting Agent as your primary category, reply to every review without ever mentioning a property or tenancy detail, and ask every tenant the same way, including those who raised a repair. A stand on the lettings desk turns the key handover into a ten-second ask.
Why lettings is different
Two audiences read your reviews
Tenants choose agents when they search for a home. Landlords, who pay your fees, read the same reviews when deciding who should manage their property. One listing has to reassure both.
Volume is on your side
A branch doing twenty lets a month has twenty in-person key handovers, plus renewals. That is far more natural moments to ask than a sales-only agency ever gets.
The unhappy reviews come easily
Deposits, repairs and move-out inspections produce the reviews that do get written. Hundreds of smooth tenancies say nothing unless someone asks.
Set up the profile to rank for lettings
Verify each branch listing
Every office needs its own verified Google Business Profile at its real address. Search for duplicates left by previous branch names or old staff logins, and ask Google to merge them.
Set Letting Agent as the primary category
If lettings is most of the office's business, use Letting Agent as the primary category. Add Property Management Company if you manage properties, and Estate Agent only if the same office also sells.
Only split sales and lettings if they are genuinely separate
Google allows separate listings for distinct departments with their own public-facing team, entrance or phone line. If one team does both from the same desk, keep one listing with both categories.
Describe the services landlords look for
List let-only, rent collection and fully managed services, with the areas you cover. Landlords comparing agents read this before they read your reviews.
Reply to every review
Tenants and landlords both read replies. A calm, professional reply to a critical review often persuades a prospective landlord more than a dozen five-star ones.
Ask at the moments that happen in person
Move-in, renewal signing and landlord meetings. The rest of this guide covers how.
The completion trigger: move-in day
Move-in is the lettings equivalent of completion. The referencing is done, the deposit is protected, and the tenant walks into your branch to collect the keys to their new home. It is the most relieved they will be at any point in the tenancy, and they are standing at your desk with a phone in their hand.
Where to place it: on the main front counter or lettings desk, exactly where keys are physically held and handed over.
The script: hand over the house keys or the welcome pack, point to the stand, and say:
“Congratulations! While you’re holding the keys, could you do us a massive favour? Just tap your phone right here and leave us a quick review about how the team looked after you.”
Then stop talking and let them tap. The review box opens directly on your branch listing, no searching and no app.
The other moments worth using
- Renewal signing. A tenant choosing to stay has just told you they are happy. If they sign in the branch, ask.
- Let agreed. A landlord whose property let quickly to a good tenant is at their most pleased with you. Ask in person if they come in, or send one short personal message.
- A repair handled well. A problem fixed quickly often earns a warmer review than a tenancy with no problems at all.
Avoid asking at move-out or during a deposit discussion. Nobody writes their best review while money is being negotiated.
Reviews and privacy
Tenants and landlords are both entitled to confidentiality, and a review reply is a public document.
- Never mention the property. No addresses, rents, deposit amounts or arrears in a reply, even if the reviewer mentioned them first.
- Take disputes offline. Acknowledge the concern in general terms and invite the reviewer to contact the branch manager. Deposit disputes belong with the tenancy deposit scheme, not in public.
- Ask everyone. Leaving out tenants who reported a repair is review gating, which Google prohibits. Fix the issue, then offer the same chance as everybody else.
- Offer nothing in return. No fee discounts, vouchers or prize draws. Read the full rules.
A stand on the lettings desk
An EvoMaxTap stand sits where the keys change hands, programmed to that branch’s own Google review link. Every tenant who collects keys hears the same line and taps the same stand, so reviews build every week from the handovers your branch is already doing. Offices running several branches can programme each stand to its own listing. Our multi-branch guide covers the rest.
Turn every move-in into a review
Programmed to your branch’s review link before it ships. One payment, no subscription, free UK delivery, with our thirty-day money-back guarantee and five-year hardware guarantee.
Get Your StandCommon questions
When is the best time for a letting agent to ask for a Google review?
At move-in, as the tenant collects the keys and welcome pack in the branch. It is the moment of greatest relief in the whole process, and the tenant is standing at your desk. An email two weeks later lands among half-unpacked boxes and is easily ignored.
Should letting agents ask landlords for reviews too?
Yes. Landlords are the clients who pay your fees, and prospective landlords read what other landlords say. Good moments to ask are when a let is agreed quickly, after a smooth renewal, or when a repair is resolved well.
What if a tenant has a complaint about repairs or a deposit?
Deal with the issue first, and still offer them the same chance to review as everyone else. Asking only tenants you expect to be happy is review gating, which Google prohibits. Deposit disputes are handled by the tenancy deposit scheme, not in public replies.
How should we reply to a negative tenant review?
Briefly and professionally. Never mention the property address, rent, arrears, deposit amounts or any personal details, even if the reviewer did. Acknowledge the concern in general terms and invite them to contact the branch manager directly.
Should lettings have its own Google listing?
Only if lettings operates as a genuinely separate department, with its own public-facing team, entrance or phone line. Otherwise keep one listing per office with Letting Agent and Estate Agent as categories.
Can we offer tenants something for leaving a review?
No. Google prohibits incentives of any kind, including discounts on fees, gift cards or prize draws. Incentivised reviews can be removed and put the listing at risk.
Where should the stand go in a lettings office?
On the lettings desk or reception counter, exactly where keys and welcome packs are handed over. If tenants sit down to sign, put it within reach of the chair they use.
Do you offer support?
Yes. We are a UK team and you can reach us seven days a week during normal office hours at sales@evomaxtap.com.