What a relocation agent costs in the UK

What does a relocation agent cost in the UK?

First, what this guide is not about. Searches for what relocation services cost often bring up removal firms. A removal firm moves your belongings. A relocation agent, also called a relocation agency or a destination services provider, finds your home, shortlists schools and does the registration steps with you. In British usage the two words “agent” and “agency” mean the same thing here. The numbers below are for the second kind.

Few UK agents publish a price. We found two London agencies that do. Their figures are marketing pages, not price lists you can hold them to, so read them as a guide to the order of magnitude.

Simply London Relocation, before 20% VAT:

• Home search: GBP 2,000, GBP 2,500 or GBP 2,800, at three levels.
• School search: GBP 1,200.
• Settling-in: GBP 800.
• Employee-with-family package: GBP 3,200.
• Comprehensive package: GBP 2,000 to GBP 6,000, excluding the move itself.

London Relocation, VAT not stated:

• Accompanied or remote home search: from GBP 2,500.
• Corporate per-assignee package, with home search, temporary housing, orientation, school search and settling-in: from GBP 2,500.

The first list comes from the agency’s price pages as recorded in our research on 5 October 2026 (price page, FAQ). The second comes from a services page last updated in July 2026, which says fees are confirmed in writing before work starts, on one invoice (London Relocation). That page does not say whether VAT is included.

Which price models exist?

• A fixed fee per service. The first agency sells home search, school search and settling-in separately. You pick the ones you need.
• A package. A bundle for an employee with a family, or a comprehensive package, priced as one figure. The first agency gives a family package of GBP 3,200 and a range up to GBP 6,000.
• A “from” price. The second agency prices from GBP 2,500 and fixes the fee in writing after it knows your brief.
• An hourly rate. We found none published by a UK agent in the pages we read.
• A success fee as a share of the rent. We saw none published by a UK relocation agent either. If an agent offers one, ask for the percentage, what rent it applies to and whether you pay if you find a flat yourself.

The Association of Relocation Professionals (ARP), the UK trade body, says its members range from corporate relocation specialists to property finders who help individuals search for a home (ARP). The pricing differs by type, which is one more reason the published figures are thin: many agents quote per case.

How does the fee compare with a month’s rent?

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) put the average private rent in London at GBP 2,332 a month in August 2026 (ONS, 16 September 2026). Our arithmetic against that average:

• GBP 2,000 is 0.86 of a month’s rent, GBP 2,500 is 1.07 and GBP 2,800 is 1.20.
• With 20% VAT added, those fees become GBP 2,400, GBP 3,000 and GBP 3,360.

That is the size of the decision. If you land with a few days and a job to start, a fee of about a month’s rent buys back time. If you have weeks, are flexible on area and can view in person, it may not. We found no study that measures what a UK relocation agent saves or costs a tenant, so we do not claim a saving.

Is VAT extra, and when do you pay?

The standard VAT rate is 20% (gov.uk, VAT rates). The first agency states its prices without VAT, so the invoice is a fifth higher. It also says payment is usually 50% upfront and 50% on completion. Ask every agent three things in writing: the total with VAT, what is due before the first viewing and what is due if no flat is found.

Who usually pays, you or your employer?

Both happen. The ARP says corporate relocation specialists assist organisations to move their staff into and within the UK. Our research notes that many UK agencies work for employers and relocation companies, not for private movers. If you move for a job, ask for the relocation policy in writing before you book anything yourself. We found no public figure for what employers pay.

What moves the price?

• Scope. Home search alone, or with school search and settling-in.
• Accompanied or remote. The London Relocation page describes a one-day viewing tour, and a remote option with live virtual tours.
• Family size. Children add school search, and a family package costs more than a single person’s search.
• Housing. Temporary housing while you search is a cost on top of any fee. We found no sourced figure for it in London.
• Speed. A tight arrival date narrows the shortlist and the agent’s time.
• VAT and payment terms, as above.

Does the Tenant Fees Act limit what an agent may charge you?

The government’s guidance for tenants in England lists the fees a landlord, letting agent or estate agent may charge you: rent, a refundable deposit, a refundable holding deposit, some default and change-of-tenancy payments and a few others. A search fee is not on the list (gov.uk, Tenant Fees Act guidance, updated 7 July 2026). The guidance speaks of the person you pay the rent to. It does not say whether it covers an agent you hire yourself to find the flat, and we found no official answer.

What we can say is narrower. The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 defines “lettings agency work” to include things done for a person seeking a home to rent in England (section 83). Our guide on how to choose a relocation agent in London turns that into a question you can put to any agent. Whether the Tenant Fees Act applies to a particular service is a question for a lawyer or Citizens Advice.

Is it worth paying when the portals are free?

Listing portals are free to search, and you can do the whole search yourself. What you pay an agent for is time and access: a shortlist built from your brief, viewings booked, negotiation and referencing. The second agency describes a needs assessment, a shortlist, a one-day viewing tour, negotiation, referencing and tenancy support, and says its tour can cover up to 20 properties in a day (London Relocation). That is the agency’s claim, not a measured result. Our guide on how to find a flat in London shows how to run the search yourself and when an agent starts to make sense.

How to compare two quotes

1. Ask for the scope in writing: number of viewing days, cities and what is excluded.
2. Ask for the total with VAT and the payment dates.
3. Ask what happens if no flat is found, and what is refunded.
4. Ask for the agent’s membership of a redress scheme and a trade body.
5. Ask who does the work: a named consultant, or a pool.

If you are moving for the first time, read moving to the UK: your first weeks, in order for the costs outside the agent’s fee, and renting in London without a UK credit history for what a landlord may ask for upfront. To see agencies for your move, get matched or open the United Kingdom directory. How we rank explains the order.

What we could not source

We did not find a UK hourly rate, a success fee as a share of rent, a price for temporary housing, a figure for what employers pay, or any price from an agent outside London. The Simply London Relocation pages could not be opened again on 7 October 2026 because the site showed a robot check, so its figures are those recorded in our research on 5 October. Whether the Tenant Fees Act covers an agent you hire yourself is unsettled in the guidance we read. Check any figure with the agent before you rely on it.