22nd
Mar 2017
According to an association of inventory clerks, landlords should welcome and give the green light to tenant's requests to carry out home improvements to their rented 'homes'.
The association claims that more and more private tenants are wishing to 'personalise' their 'homes' as a British online home marketplace carried out a recent study and found that just under three quarters of tenants that took part, (73%) had in fact carried out their own DIY projects which they paid for themselves.
The study polled over 2,000 private tenants and 23% had spent more than £500 on home improvements to their rented 'home'.
The chair of the association, Pat Barber, said: “It's clear that tenants are increasingly willing to spend their own money on improving their rental property and this is certainly something landlords should think about.”
She firmly believes that those landlords who do allow their tenants to make home improvements (obviously within reason) could make long term gains from the initiatives.
Barber continued by saying: “We’re seeing more long-term tenants and they’re clearly committed to living in a higher standard of property.
“Landlords who cautiously allow tenants to put their own stamp on a property could benefit from a lower turnover of tenants and an improved and well-maintained property at the end of the contract.”
She does however advise landlords that they should always keep an up to date journal of the condition of the property before and after any tenancy.
She said: “If rental properties are noticeably changing over the course of a tenancy, it’s vitally important that there is an inventory which comprehensively details the condition and contents of the property at the start of the tenancy.
“This way any fair deposit deductions can be made by the landlord and the chances of a [tenancy] deposit dispute are minimised.”
Hayley Cowburn the Brand and Marketing Manager, said: "In our experience with talking to landlords about this as if tenants wish to make improvements to their rental property and fund it themselves, so long as they are reasonable requests, then it is their form of 'ownership' and of course they will always respect the property"
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