How to use this comparison
The entries below were selected because their official pages describe a service relevant to this guide. They are listed alphabetically, with sources for scope and coverage. This is a starting point for provider research, not a performance ranking or an exhaustive market list. Fees and availability must be confirmed directly.
Pearl Lemon Properties publishes this guide and offers the acquisition services linked below. We have a commercial interest in enquiries. The provider list does not imply a partnership or endorsement.
Provider services at a glance
Compare the role and coverage first, then check fees and exclusions in the provider details below. On a small screen, swipe the table sideways.
| Provider | Role | Published scope | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coapt | Student lettings and HMO management | Student lettings and management of properties and portfolios | Brighton and Hove |
| Hunters Southampton | Local lettings and property management | Local lettings and management; published HMO property experience | Southampton; this is not a claim about every Hunters office |
| Purple Frog | Student-property management | Property management with published HMO licensing support | Birmingham, Bristol and Nottingham |
What to check with each provider
Coapt
Coapt describes specialist student lettings and HMO investment experience in Brighton and Hove. Confirm its management responsibilities for your property, including tenant changeovers, repairs and licensing-related administration.
Ask before instructing: Will the appointment cover individual rooms or a joint tenancy, and who is responsible for changeovers and licensing tasks?
Fees: Confirm directly: request the fee basis, VAT, payment stages and any third-party charges in writing.
Official service information: Coapt · Checked
Hunters Southampton
The Southampton office describes local lettings and property management alongside HMO investment experience. Confirm that it accepts your HMO and ask for the local office's management terms rather than assuming a network-wide service.
Ask before instructing: Will this office manage your specific HMO, and which room-letting, inspection and maintenance duties will it take on?
Fees: Confirm directly: request the fee basis, VAT, payment stages and any third-party charges in writing.
Purple Frog
Purple Frog's published management information describes support for student-property landlords, including HMO licensing-related services. Verify current coverage, the precise appointment and responsibilities for your building.
Ask before instructing: Which licensing tasks are included, what is charged separately, and how are room vacancies and changeovers handled?
Fees: Confirm directly: request the fee basis, VAT, payment stages and any third-party charges in writing.
Compare management responsibilities, not just percentages
Ask each shortlisted manager to price the same property and tenancy arrangement. A low headline percentage may exclude letting, renewals, inspections or maintenance administration. Keep the property owner's responsibilities explicit rather than assuming an agent takes on every obligation.
- Does the appointment cover room-by-room or joint tenancies, and how are voids and student changeovers handled?
- Who arranges inspections, safety documentation and licensing administration, and what requires owner approval?
- What repair spending limit, emergency process and contractor charges apply?
- What arrears reporting, deposit administration and owner statements are included?
- What are the termination terms and how are keys, records and tenant communications handed over?
Local coverage and licensing questions
An HMO specialist in one city is not automatically suitable elsewhere. Give the manager the address, occupancy, existing licence information and intended tenancy arrangement. Ask how it will establish the applicable local requirements and refer legal or regulatory questions to the appropriate professional or authority.
Before buying or appointing a manager for an English HMO, HMO Intelligence, a related Pearl Lemon property research site, offers a licensing and Article 4 screening tool to organise initial due-diligence questions. Its postcode-based screening is indicative, not an address-level licence or planning decision; confirm requirements with the council and your advisers.
If you already own the property and need ongoing room lettings or management rather than acquisition support, you can also review HMO Management Company, a related Pearl Lemon specialist website. Confirm local coverage, appointment terms and responsibilities directly; this reference is separate from the neutral provider comparison above.
Acquiring an HMO is a different brief
The provider comparison above concerns third-party management. Pearl Lemon Properties also delivers HMO management through its own team under a separate appointment; the management-review link sets out that scope. If you are researching a UK HMO purchase instead, establish acquisition criteria and seek property-specific checks before proceeding. The buying form below concerns sourcing and acquisition support, not a management instruction.
Before asking a managing agent for a quote, it helps to know which duties still sit with the landlord. A separate Pearl Lemon Group website has an overview of day-to-day HMO management responsibilities. This is a related-party resource, not an additional provider ranked or endorsed by this comparison.
Acquisition support from Pearl Lemon Properties
Tell Pearl Lemon Properties your target area, HMO type, budget and timing. For management enquiries, contact your chosen provider directly.
- HMO property sourcing
See our acquisition-support scope and prepare a property buying brief.
Looking to acquire a UK HMO?
Tell Pearl Lemon Properties your target area, HMO type, budget and timing. For management enquiries, contact your chosen provider directly.
UK HMO sourcing and acquisition support, not management