According to recent research carried out by AA Home Membership and published in the Independent, 22% of landlords have had a dispute at some point with one of their tenants. The reasons behind the dispute vary but the main reason why landlords and tenants fell out was over the condition of the property.
Property Damage a Major Issue
40% of landlords were unhappy with the condition of their property as a result of tenants moving on without doing enough cleaning. Other problems between tenants and landlords were caused by properties being damaged and gardens not being looked after during the tenancy.
Rent Arrears a Problem for Many Landlords
Another common complaint from landlords is tenants failing to pay their rent on time—44% of landlords had something to say on this subject. Neighbour complaints about noisy or antisocial tenants were another bugbear and unwelcome pets caused 14% of landlord-tenant disputes. One of the most unusual reasons for a dispute involved underwear being left in a fridge…
However, despite the large number of tenant and landlord disputes, it appears that not all is lost as more than 50% of landlords said they were keen to try and maintain a good relationship with their tenants in order to ensure a longer tenancy.