It is being reported by Landlord’s Today that property owners and tenants sometimes hold varying views on what constitutes fair wear and tear.
The recent move by the Nationwide Building Society Group to enable its borrowers to offer their tenants the option of a longer-term contract looks like good news for property owners. In fact the latest statistics* reveal that landlords are now seeing tenants stay in their properties for a record average duration of 20 months, an increase on the average of 19 months recorded in the first quarter of 2012 (* Source: Research from the Association of Residential Letting Agents).
However, according to Association of Independent Inventory Clerks (AIIC), longer tenancies will inevitably lead to a rise in wear and tear disputes. On the one hand this is a good thing as landlords do not need to worry about having an empty property, but on the other hand, longer tenancies mean
tenants and landlords are more potentially likely to end up in a dispute over the deposit. The longer a tenant stays in a property, the more likely it is that the property will be subject to wear and tear, and when
this occurs, a property owner could decide to request some of the deposit in order to cover the cost of repairs, redecoration and cleaning bills at the end of a long-term tenancy.
Damage and fair wear and tear needs accessing in order to provide solid grounds for any charges raised against the tenant. As any damage missed at checkout cannot be later charged to the former tenant, ultimately leaving the property owner to foot the bill.
Pat Barber, Chair of the AIIC comments: “Landlords and tenants have different expectations when it comes to fair wear and tear issues, so it is no wonder that so many tenancies end in dispute.’’
Bali at Belvoir Coventry Central adds
“Normal wear and tear is a fact of life with rental properties, just as it would be at home, but the best way to avoid the hassle of arguments over who is responsible for damage”.
A thorough inventory of the condition of the property that details the condition of everything in it. And since a detailed inventory is designed to protect both the landlord and the tenant, “Most tenants are aware when they have caused actual damage to a property and usually try to hide the damage subtly, which is why is it absolutely vital for landlords and agents to ensure that no proverbial stone is left unturned when looking for damage at check out.
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