How to Avoid the Most Common Rental Deposit Disputes
This year’s most common tenancy deposit dispute has been revealed. Here’s what agents and landlords (and tenants) can do to avoid the delays, costs and stress associated with deposit disputes at check-out.
The Tenancy Deposit Scheme recently published its latest annual review report which has revealed which tenancy issue accounts for over 50% of disputes.
Cleaning has again topped the list, with half of all disputes related to cleaning issues in the 21/22 period. It’s no surprise, either. Cleaning continues to be the most frequently cited gripe, year on year.
Too much focus on the end of tenancy
There are a few reasons why cleaning keeps rearing its dirty head, but one is the heavy focus on cleaning at the end of the tenancy, rather than maintaining a certain standard within a property during the term.
Of course, you can’t tell tenants to carry out a professional clean every month (and certainly not if you didn’t do that prior to tenancy!) but inspections can offer a solution that will benefit all.
Often, the issue lies in miscommunicated expectations. The tenant may not be clear on the standard of cleaning expected. Maybe the initial condition of the property wasn’t satisfactory in their eyes, and they feel they have returned the property to the state it was in when they moved in.
It’s therefore essential that all inspections prepare for that, to avoid misunderstanding.
Comprehensive inventory reporting to avoid misunderstanding
Initial inventories at check-in don’t always go to the level of detail required on the standard of cleanliness. What they should cover, as standard, is whether the property has been professionally cleaned (with a dated receipt included) and detailed notes on how the property smells, the cleanliness of cupboards, surfaces, walls, windows and furnishings – supported by dated photo evidence.
This comprehensive audit at the start of tenancy provides a benchmark all parties can work with.
It shouldn’t stop there, either. Interim property visits should look for areas of concern alongside natural wear and tear, to keep a record of any deterioration. By flagging these early, tenants can remedy problem areas whilst agents can arrange maintenance. This stops small issues becoming bigger ones, and helps to keep the landlord’s asset in good condition.
Communicate with tenants
By collating the details from interim checks in a central hub that tenants, agents and landlords can access, everyone can see which issues remain outstanding and who is responsible for each. Reminders can be sent by automated emails too.
This open communication and transparency goes a long way to maintaining relationships and property cleanliness. It can also be used as a helpful checklist at a pre-check-out visit to help the tenants understand what they need to do ahead of moving out.
These extra checks, reports and communications don’t have to add to the agent’s workload either. The Inventory Hive app comes with built-in prompts, inventory report templates, before-and-after comparisons, and a mobile-friendly communication portal. All relevant parties can have secure access to view status of issues, inventory details and critical dates.
By introducing these simple measures, cleaning issues can be reduced simply by making all parties aware of what is expected, by when and to what standard.
Learn more at Inventory Hive
