21st
Jul 2016
In just two years the average length of tenancy in rented homes has shot up by nearly 300% from 2014’s 16 months to an average of four years in 2016.
The government has just released a report that shows that 2015’s the average tenancy was three and half years and 2016’s average of four years is the highest for five years. There are associations that are calling for the government to ditch its existing barriers so that even longer tenancies can be agreed. These include restrictions imposed by lenders on landlords and by freeholders of leases.
In the majority of cases longer tenancies work for both the tenant and landlord, however it does mean that an inventory at the beginning of any tenancy, must be precise and clear to help determine whether general ‘wear and tear’ becomes wilful damage.
It is guesstimated that landlords are losing more than £5bn every year through unpaid rent and property and furnishings’ damage.
Jax Kneppers, founder and CEO of a company that sells a web digital property inspection app for landlords, said: "Property damage and ‘wear and tear’ are big issues in the property over a longer tenancy period.
“The longer a tenant stays in a property, the more likely it is that the property will be subject to wear and tear. When this occurs, a landlord may decide to hold onto the deposit in order to cover the cost of repairs, redecoration and cleaning bills at the end of a long-term tenancy."
He concluded: “Damage and fair wear and tear needs to be independently and expertly assessed in order to provide solid grounds for any charges raised against the tenant. Clearly landlords and tenants have different expectations when it comes to fair wear and tear issues. However, if landlords wish to avoid the hassle of arguments over who is responsible for damage, they need to prepare a thorough inventory of the condition of the property that details the condition of everything in it.”
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