Not all tenants treat their rented homes well – and students are some of the worst offenders, leaving landlords to deal with broken furniture, smashed windows, holes in walls or ripped carpets.
Part of the landlord’s job is minimising the potential for damage at letting properties.
Lawyers and letting agents advise regular inspections – at least at six monthly intervals or even less providing they are not intrusive and over bearing to tenants.
Niteji Davda, associate at law firm Cripps Harries Hall, said: "Under the terms of tenancy agreement, the tenant is required to keep the interior of the property in good condition, including walls, carpets and furniture.
“If they fail to do so and you want the tenants out, you can bring an order for possession under terms of Section 8. The process is the same as with rent arrears and the landlord must wait two weeks after issuing the notice to tenants before proceeding to court for the possession order."
A recent case in point involved private landlord Edward Gil, a Burnley based landlord who was shocked to discover a missing copper pipes and hot water cylinder, no kitchen and a smashed a double-glazed window when a tenant moved out.
Gil admits he failed to keep an eye on his letting property – which left him hundreds of pounds out of pocket when the tenant left as he failed to prove his case for compensation.
Regardless of taking up references and other inquiries, bad tenants will slip through the net from time to time.
Taking a guarantor can give some extra security – but only if they own their own home and are risking a court judgement if they don’t pay up.
Proving the damage is another issue and tenancy deposit protection providers warn time and again that a comprehensive inventory agreed and signed by the tenant on moving in and out is often the difference between a successful compensation pay out and a failed claim.
