In a recent Bristol court case where a group of six student
tenants claimed back in excess of £750 of deductions made by their letting
agent.
The six took letting agency Digs to court after the
firm - acting on behalf of a landlord client - informed the tenants that £756
would be deducted from their deposit to cover cleaning and reprinting.
One of the tenants - Ed Straw - disputed the deductions and
took Digs to court, using photographic evidence to support his case. Digs
was subsequently ordered to repay the deductions in full, plus interest and
court costs.
In times when landlord costs are rising, it is tempting to
look for places to save money, but comprehensive inventories protect both
landlords and their tenants, ensuring that there is a detailed record of
condition prior to a tenancy and following the end of a tenancy. Tenants should be given the opportunity to
review and make comment/amendments to the inventory on taking-up residency, and
be given every opportunity to rectify any damage or cleanliness issues on
departure. Letting agents have a
critical role to play, to ensure amendments are reviewed and agreed based on
physical inspection, and to communicate any developing issues through the term
of a tenancy – a ‘no surprises’ approach is critical as is a good working
knowledge of how deposit protection agencies will adjudicate to ensure
retentions are most likely to be seen as reasonable.
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