Cleaning costs the number one cause of withheld deposits.

 

Landlords have been encouraged to inspect properties with their tenants towards the end of their contract to avoid any disputes over the return of the deposit.
This could help the landlords avoid any nasty surprises after the tenant has left which may lead to them needing to claim on their buy-to-let insurance. It comes after a survey by deposit protection scheme mydeposits found that the cost of paying for professional cleaning is the number one reason for landlords withholding deposits from tenants.

The poll revealed that, of those landlords that have kept some or all of a tenant's deposit, 78 per cent did so to cover cleaning costs.
Unpaid rent was also a major cause for withholding the deposit, while damage to property, furniture and carpets were other key reasons why tenants did not receive all of their money back.

Mydeposits warned that August is one of the busiest months for tenancy deposit returns, with university students moving out of their rented property, and that communication between landlord and tenant is key to avoiding disputes.
"Tenants can avoid having any of the deposit withheld by ensuring the property is clean, any damage is repaired, and the rent is paid up to the day they move out. But general wear and tear should also be taken into account by landlords and agents," said Eddie Hooker, chief executive of mydeposits mydeposits.

"This is the busiest time of year for deposit returns as students vacate properties for summer. It is important they meet with their landlord or agent when moving out, inspect the property together, and then come to an agreement over the return of the deposit." Line break

He added landlords should note that fewer than two per cent of tenancies end in a dispute over the deposit. Alan Ward, chair of the Residential Landlords Association, recently advised landlords to maintain good communication with their tenants throughout the rental period to deal with any issues as they arise.