Deposit disputes are fairly common in Lettings but don’t need to be a problem for you as a Landlord if you protect yourself. As an agent we often see rental properties returned in fair but not totally acceptable condition at the end of tenancy. More often than not there is usually further cleaning to be done, gardening and removal of items to name a few.
How Can I Protect Myself?
It is essential to keep accurate records of the status of the property and all its contents both inside and out at the start of any tenancy. We call this the ‘property inventory’. For more of an insight into Inventories check out Inventories – Northwich (belvoir.co.uk). This enables you to provide watertight evidence should you need it. If there is a dispute at the end of a tenancy, this has got to be substantiated with clear and unambiguous evidence to support your argument. If the inventory prepared at the start of a tenancy is lacking in detail and a tenant disputes any proposed charges at the end of tenancy, the likelihood is that if it did go to dispute resolution via an independent adjudicator then it would be dismissed in favour of the tenant.
As a landlord, accurate bookkeeping for a rental property is paramount. This can ensure you get paid on time and to make life easier when you come to do your tax return. Sometimes it can be difficult to track incomings and outgoings from your rent account and it could be quite easy to mistakenly under or overcharge a tenant, perhaps leading to ill feelings. If you do not already, it would be worth instructing an agent to collect your rent to give you peace of mind
What About During Tenancy?
Properly documenting maintenance during the course of a tenancy is also important. This can prevent a dispute before it even arises. Conducting regular inspections will help to identify any problems that tenants may not have necessarily reported or have been genuinely missed. I have been to a number of inspections and highlighted problems to tenants that they have either not noticed or did not deem important enough to report immediately. Without regular inspections vital issues can be missed and prove very costly . Further to this establishing a good working relationship between Landlord & Tenant from the outset is paramount ensure open lines of communication and to reduce any potential disputes down the line.
The Importance of The Inventory & Checkout
The inventory and checkout report need to show a thorough representation of the condition of a property to protect both landlord and tenant. If either of these documents are less than comprehensive then the chance of dispute will rise proportionately. We’ve seen a lot of poor inventories over the years, with some not being worth the paper they’re written on! At Belvoir we pride ourselves on the quality of our inventories and checkout reports, leaving no stone unturned. A good inventory should contain both pictorial and narrative information, especially to reflect the cleanliness of a property which is the overwhelming reason for end-of-tenancy disputes. We tell all our new landlord clients that the property has got to be presented in its best possible light to ensure it is kept to the highest possible standard over its rental lifecycle.
To summarise, effective communication between all parties privy to a tenancy is vital to ensure disputes are kept to a minimum. Here at Belvoir we ensure that dialogue is kept open and transparent at all times to protect the interests of both our tenants and landlords. We inspect properties in a timely manner and produce a feedback report for both parties so each knows what is expected of them.
Landlords- do check out our Property Preparation Checklist – Northwich (belvoir.co.uk)
Tenants- for help in Vacating A Property & Protecting Your deposit check out Guidelines for Vacating Tenants – Northwich (belvoir.co.uk)
If you would like to know more about the tenancy journey and how we can help to avoid and resolve conflict then feel free to give us a call for more information
📞Northwich 01606 783599
📞Congleton 01260 272737
We are here to help
