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Discovering a property is absolutely filthy at check-out is not uncommon. According to research carried out by an online letting agent, 70% of landlords claim their properties have been returned at the end of a tenancy in a ‘dirty condition’. Some even claim that they were forced to completely renovate their property to bring it back up to scratch.
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“Unfortunately tenants fail to treat a rented property like they would if it was their own home,” says the PropertyLetByUS managing director.
Different Degrees of Dirt
The research found that ovens are the biggest bone of contention. Nobody likes cleaning ovens, but tenants seem to find it especially difficult. Ovens were closely followed by filthy carpets and flooring. Next on the list were mucky showers, sinks, fridges and baths.
Not surprisingly, cleaning, or a lack thereof, accounts for 50% of property disputes registered by the TDS. The scheme says that the number of cleaning disputes they deal with is now higher than ever before.
How to Prevent Cleaning Disputes
It is foolish to hand over the keys on day one of the tenancy and then ignore the place until check-out day. By the time the tenant moves out, you could be facing piles of rubbish and months of filth.
Always carry out periodic property inspections, particularly in the first six months when a tenant is an unknown. Flag up any cleaning issues at the property before things get out of hand. If there is a problem at check-out, let your tenant know how much it will cost to put the matter right.
