A survey conducted by Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) asked over 600 landlords and agents about cleanliness in their private rented properties.
Cleaning topped the list of most frequent reasons for tenancy deposit disputes in 2020 and 2021, so TDS were keen to find out more about the experiences of property professionals at the end of tenancy.
64% of respondents said they had raised a deposit dispute due to cleanliness issues in the property. This was despite 83% specifically stating tenant cleaning obligations in their tenancy agreements.
The poll asked landlords and agents which rooms of the home suffered the most issues regarding cleanliness. 84% of those surveyed reported that kitchens were the dirtiest room at check-out, closely followed by bathrooms.
Bedrooms, living rooms, appliances and windows were frequent offenders too.
Whilst less than half of property professionals don’t carry out interim cleaning checks during the tenancy, three quarters made it standard practice to professionally clean their rental properties before the start of each tenancy, regardless of the cleanliness from the previous tenancy.
“We hope this information helps tenants to understand their obligations when they move out, and which rooms require deeper cleaning before they leave their rented property.
“By putting in the extra effort, many tenants can avoid any of their deposit being deducted at the end of tenancy.
“It’s encouraging how many property professionals include specific points in their tenancy agreements regarding cleaning, and also the number that ensure professional cleaning happens as standard,” commented Steve Harriott, Chief Executive at TDS.
The Dispute Service has recently published further findings in its Annual Review 2020/21 report, which goes into detail about other common causes of deposit disputes, resolutions and adjudication times.
What about the gardens?
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A lot of tenants go for an eco- garden that also doubles as outdoor storage for empty beer cans, broken swings and rusty garden furniture. All generously left for you when they move out, along with the courtesy touch of providing you with jam packed miss-filled bins, giving you hours of fun taking it to the dump or sorting it all out so the bin men will take it.
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Not forgetting the mandatory sofa on the front jungle lawn and the fridge hidden under the nettles at the rear.
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Thank you, this comment made my day!
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