Any landlord will know how easy it is to fall out with tenants, particularly at the end of a tenancy when the property needs to be vacated and tenants’ deposits are at stake. However, there are simple steps that both parties can take to ensure that such disputes never arise or are kept to a minimum. Here is a look at the main causes of tension between landlords and tenants and how disputes can be resolved to everyone’s satisfaction.
According to the BBC, there are more people in the UK renting from private landlords than living in social housing than at any time since the 1960s. Whether you are a private landlord or a tenant in a private property, it is vital that you both understand your rights and obligations when you end up in a dispute.
Duty of the Landlord
During the tenancy, the property should be properly maintained. If you are not the point of contact, you need to make sure that you have a reliable agent or someone to carry out maintenance on your behalf. Before your tenant moved in, you should have walked through the property and conducted an inventory, including the condition of the property. This can help to avoid disputes at the end. Using property inventory software can make this a much easier task.
Duty of the Tenant
If you are the tenant in a privately rented property, it is your responsibility to make sure that the property is kept clean and that issues relating to maintenance are brought to the attention of the landlord or their agent. At the end of the tenancy, the landlord may want to use some of the security deposit to pay for the property to be cleaned, and this is where disagreements can arise. Using property inventory software such as Property Inventory Software for Landlords can avoid such disputes, as can taking photos at the start of a tenancy so everyone has a clear record of how the property looked at the beginning.
Landlords and tenants alike need to make sure they are protected in case of a dispute at the end of a tenancy. Making sure that you have captured in writing and pictures how the property looked at the start should help to avoid some awkward and potentially costly disputes.