Britons place estate agents in the top three least trusted professionals to be left alone in their home, reveals new research.

Nearly twenty per cent of homeowners distrust estate agents to be in their property alone along with 31 per cent who are uneasy about having window-cleaners there and 26 per cent of people who dislike leaving builders and decorators unattended.

The figures, from insurance providers More Than, also found one in ten people have had property-related disputes with estate agents concerning fees and commission.

More than half of all homeowners make sure they can be there at an estate agent's viewing as 69 per cent feel uncomfortable with the property professionals showing people around their home when they are not there.

"Moving home is stressful enough without having to consider whether the person who is supposed to be assisting you is trustworthy," said Craig Allen, home insurance manager at More Than.

"While we hope that for most people, the experience of dealing with estate agents is a smooth one, there are those for whom problems do arise."

More Than advises people to take advantage of legal services that can be attached to an insurance policy.