10th
Jan 2024
Research from an Insurance company has found that 83 per cent of UK landlords have had to deal with renters breaching their tenancy agreements.
From the insurer’s survey results the company is telling landlords they should hold regular inspections to avoid or reduce potential problems.
The research found the most frequent issues that landlords are having to face involve maintenance and cleanliness with 36 per cent of respondents citing this, and a further 29 per cent said their tenants had not bothered to let them know of repairs that needed to be rectified.
The insurers spokesperson, said: “Property inspections shouldn’t feel intrusive for tenants and are all about building good relationships and keeping an eye out for any emerging issues.
“Early intervention can often stop these from developing into a bigger problem that requires landlords to take further action.
“Landlords should also make sure that tenancy deposits are held in a government-approved tenancy deposit scheme to help cover costs if, for example, the tenant leaves the property in a filthy state, has broken furniture or removed property supplied by the landlord.”
Landlords also listed other common tenancy issues with renters which included pets, smoking or vaping, decorating and alterations to the ;property without their permission, and anti-social behaviour reported by 25 per cent of landlord respondents.
The research also found that 55 per cent of landlords carry out property inspections every six months and 21 per cent only once a year.
The survey’s report says that only 10 per cent of landlords visit their properties at the start of the tenancy and at the end, whilst 14 per cent said they rarely visit the property and only do so when there is a problem.
The insurer reminds landlords of the importance of regular inspections and also a clear and thorough tenancy agreement must be provided to explain the rights and responsibilities that landlords and tenants should follow.
The most frequent/common sanctions for tenants who failed to comply with the tenancy agreement are 38 per cent of landlords making deductions from the deposit, 32 per cent issuing written or verbal warnings, and 28 per cent of landlords made tenants pay for damages to the property.
Landlords who had issues with tenants of those 26 per cent kept hold of the deposit, 23 per cent evicted their tenants and 23 per cent made sure their tenants rectified the issue.
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