Deposits and Dilapidations

Any deposit that is paid by the Tenant is secured within 30 days of the monies being received, this has been the case since 6^th April 2007. This gives both the Landlord and Tenant protection of the money.

The Tenants Fee Act 2019 whereby the UK Government introduced that legislation that states an Agent is only permitted to take 5 weeks’ worth of monies which totals the full Deposit for the property, they also abolished additional charges such as a pet deposit.

Should a deposit go to dispute, we are required to present all the evidence to the DPS and their independent case reviewers would look through the evidence presented to them for them to have the final decision, this decision is the final.

Some of the regular deposit’s disputes are:

End of tenancy cleans including oven cleans and carpet cleans.
Mould/damp build ups where the Tenant has not cleaned this off.
Gardening
Decoration work

It is always better for Tenants to seek advice before they vacate if they have any concerns about damage or cleaning standards, remember to always review the move in inventory before vacating.

As Landlords you have to factor in ‘Fair Wear and Tear’ and age if the items, which can be frustrating if items are old and have been mistreated. We are happy to discuss deposits with Landlords and how their property may be impacted by the change of tenancy.

Contrary to popular belief Agents do not want to make deductions it is much better to receive a property back in a good condition ready for the next Tenants to move in, this reduces the amount of work and time between Tenancies.

If you have had any of the above disputes occur and you require our expertise, please give us a call on 01223 624640.

Below are the links for the Deposit scheme advice on lifespans of items.

https://www.depositprotection.com/learning-centre/disputes/in-disputes-be-fair

https://www.tenancydepositscheme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Product_Lifespans_Guide_NRLA_version_Updated_Feb_2021.pdf