The study, conducted by My Property Inventories, reveals that 65% of landlords complain that tenants do not communicate enough by telephone and email and half of landlords claim that tenants expect too much of them.
A further one in ten landlords said that tenants try to conceal damage to the property, 10% think tenants expect repairs to be carried out too quickly and 4% claim tenants are often slow to inform them of problems paying the rent.
Danny Zane, Director of My Property Inventories comments: “Cleaning is a great bone of contention between tenants and landlords and remains the biggest cause of deposit disputes (53%). Unfortunately, it is a growing problem and we have seen a sharp rise in cleaning issues over the last 12 months.
According to the TDS, many tenants claim that the cleanliness of the property at the start of the tenancy was not clear, or that the tenancy agreement did not make clear what was expected of them.
It’s vital that landlords have a professional and thorough inventory and check-in, so that the condition of the property is recorded in pictures and descriptions and then shared with the tenant. If tenants know that the floor coverings, fridges and ovens are clean at the start of the tenancy, they are more likely to ensure that the property is handed back in the same state.
Very often, tenants just aren’t aware of the importance of cleaning and leave filthy ovens and fridges; mucky bathrooms; and pet hair and excrement on floor coverings and furniture.”
