Cleanliness...the biggest hit to tenant's deposits.

I saw an article in the Property Reporter which states:

Since the introduction of tenant deposit protection in 2007, cleaning has been the number-one cause of disputes and the problem is getting worse, according to Imfuna Let.

The latest data from the Tenant Deposit Scheme shows that cleaning continues to take the lion’s share of deposit disputes, up almost 50% over the last five years. Cleaning has consistently been the most common dispute in cases brought to the TDS and arises in around half of the cases they deal with (58%).

This really resonates with our experience in Oxford, and it is interesting to note that it is not uniquely an Oxford problem.  For letting agents, cleanliness is a difficult issue, because for the most part, tenants are allowed to live however they choose, provided it does not do permanent damage to the fabric of the property.  During management inspection visits, cleanliness can be identified as an issue, and can be reported to the landlord, and we can notify the tenants of their obligations to leave the property in the condition it was in at the start of the tenancy.  We can point out the risk of a deposit deduction for professional cleaning, but even then tenants are not obliged to take action.  Those same people are then very often deeply shocked at the true cost of a ‘deep clean’ particularly when it is combined with disposal of items they may have left behind and perhaps some work in the garden to return the outside space to its original condition.

Only where a cleanliness issue has the potential to result in damage to the property can action be taken to avoid that damage.  Issues such as mould caused by condensation on walls close to windows, around showers and baths can be surprisingly problematic if they are left unattended.  So constant vigilance, good communication with landlords and tenants are key.