What to Do If a Tenant Damages Property?
- Landlords
The ideal landlord/tenant relationship should be an open and honest one. If a tenant causes damage to the fixtures or fittings of a property, they should immediately inform the landlord or property management agency. Accidents happen and, with the right conditions placed in the shorthold tenancy agreement, damage will be paid for and no party should be aggrieved.
Shorthold Tenancy Agreements
It is essential that a landlord and a tenant have a contract in place detailing exactly who is responsible for what. That way, the tenant knows exactly where they stand and under what circumstances they may be charged for damage to property. The standard contract detailing this relationship will be a Shorthold Tenancy Agreement.
Inventory
Before a tenant moves into a new property, they should be given a full inventory of the contents and condition of the accommodation. Tenants should check this against their own observations and document any discrepancies that they spot before signing it off.
Damage Deposit Scheme
Since 2007, all damage deposits for tenants on shorthold tenancy agreements have to be held in a government-backed Tenancy Deposit Scheme such as the one run by the Deposit Protection Service. A landlord can make deductions for the cost of replacing or fixing damaged property before returning the remainder of the deposit at the end of a tenancy.
Wear and Tear
Deductions will not be made from the deposit for costs incurred as the result of reasonable wear and tear of a property. If a tenant has lived in a property for five years, the carpets may be more worn in high-traffic areas than they were than the tenant moved in. However, it would be unreasonable to expect the tenant to pay for their replacement, as carpets need updating periodically anyway.
Best Practice
All these best practices are standard procedure here at Pearl Lettings. By treating the tenants of our managed properties with respect, we find that they tend to respect our landlords’ properties, fixtures and furnishings.
If you like the idea of somebody else taking care of managing your property and its tenants, then please get in touch. You can email us on hello@pearllettings.co.uk or call our office on 01603 980770.
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