Landlords say tenants causing damage is big concern

The biggest cause for disputes between landlords and their tenants is about damage to the property, according to research. Online Letting Agents has revealed that more than half of landlords (58%) said damage was the biggest source for disputes followed by redecoration issues (50%) and rent arrears (42%). This is also a costly process since two-thirds of landlords have been to court in a bid to settle their tenant disputes and for a fifth of all landlords the disputed amount was for more than £1,000. A director for Online Letting Agents, Eleanor Carroll, said: “During, and at the end of, a tenancy damage to a landlord's property is a major problem and rent arrears is also a big issue. “Landlords should make regular visits during a tenancy to check for damage and to avoid disputes and a professional inventory at the start and end of the tenancy should be carried out to protect the property and the tenant's deposit.”

Landlords worries over rent arrears

The survey also reveals that when it comes to rent arrears the average time for late payment was six weeks while around a fifth of landlords had to wait for more than four months for outstanding rent arrears to be cleared. A fifth of landlords also admitted that they had failed to carry out check-in and check-out procedures which caused an issue because the inventory had not been carried out. The research also reveals that increasing numbers of landlords are heading to the courts when faced with a dispute and that around 525 claims for repossessions took place every day in English and Welsh courts in the first three months of this year alone.

New landlord service 'Consider-Rate' launches

A new service for tenants, landlords and letting agents in Leeds called Consider-Rate has been launched with the aim of creating an accurate ratings system for all parties. It will make up part of the city's Landlord Accreditation Scheme and enable participants to see what their previous rental performance has been like. Those behind the scheme stress it's not just about rating the quality of a landlord's property but also for the service provided by letting agents and landlords alike. It's also a way for tenants to build up a positive history. Scheme director Tim Gorton said the Consider-Rate scheme was developed because all rental parties have been 'stung' in the past with poor experiences of bad landlords, poorly performing agents and destructive or non-paying tenants. He added: “Most landlords, agents and tenants are trying to do a good job and Consider-Rate will bring them all together to minimise risk through known performance.”

Landlord blog

Further reading

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