When tenants are planning to leave a property, landlord insurance policyholders are being advised to meet with them in order to avoid disputes over the amount of deposit to be returned.
According to a survey by mydeposits.co.uk, the main reasons for disputes are disagreements over the amount that should be held to cover cleaning costs or repairs, redecorating without the landlord’s permission and leaving unpaid bills. Eddie Hooker, chief executive of mydeposits.co.uk, said that while most tenancies end without any issues, good communication is essential to avoid unnecessary problems.
He advised: “We recommend the landlord and tenant meet when the tenant is moving out, inspect the property together and come to an agreement over the amount of deposit to be returned. This avoids taking the matter through to the dispute resolution process .”
Recently, Helen Adams from FirstrungNow.com said that house prices should be adjusted to reflect a “true market value”, as they are currently over-inflated.