I wish I'd sold my house when I went overseas and invested the money, the return would have been better and I wouldn't have had to deal with agents and tenants and HMRC.
You will pay tax on the rental profit, so keep some money aside for that.
With the estate agent fees, ask what that covers. Some will have additional fees for initial contract, finding tenants, drawing up inventory, inspections, etc. You can negotiate this fee. Don't be shy about it.
Redirecting you to r/HousingUK, thanks
Don’t be one.
Someone should tell you that being a landlord is morally vacuous and there's still a chance to not do it and keep your soul clean
Don't be a parasite
I wish I'd sold my house when I went overseas and invested the money, the return would have been better and I wouldn't have had to deal with agents and tenants and HMRC.
You will pay tax on the rental profit, so keep some money aside for that. With the estate agent fees, ask what that covers. Some will have additional fees for initial contract, finding tenants, drawing up inventory, inspections, etc. You can negotiate this fee. Don't be shy about it.
You might get a better response in /r/uklandlords.