One of the leading
causes of problems or disputes between landlords and tenants is a
misunderstanding of the landlord's rights
towards a property. Soon, disputes can arise, because of a time when it feels
as though the rights you both possess are conflicting with one another. There
is no denying the fact, that disputes between landlords and tenants can usually
be stressful for both parties.
The good news is that if you follow some simple
tips and consult your estate agents in Dulwich, you can avoid some of the common causes of disputes and help to
establish a better relationship with your tenants.
Here are some of the
common causes of disagreements with some tips on how you can avoid them.
1. Cleanliness
Usually, cleanliness
is the top cause of disputes between landlords and tenants. There many things
you can do in order to help prevent the cause of dispute over a clean home. The best thing to do here is to write to the
tenants before the end of the contract approaches, through a Fish Need Water estate agent, you can
remind them about their obligations. It is also advisable that you keep a copy
of the check in documentation and send it along with any photos at that time to
remind your tenant’s o the condition of the property before they shifted in to
help them compare the condition.
Doing so helps to
provide a useful reference for both parties to make sure they leave the
property in the best condition, just as they found it. Before putting up your property for rent, if you organised or hired a company cleaning service before the tenants
moved in, you could pass the details to them so your tenants could use them to
clean it before they hand back the property to you.
2. Maintaining the Garden
Most tenants are not
professional gardeners, so having an easy to maintain garden is always a good
idea in any property you plan to let. You can also think of hiring a regular
gardener into the price of the house rent and bring them to an open negotiation
if the tenant wants to be able to do the gardening. You can also check the
garden periodically with the rest of the property, so it has poor maintenance, tell your tenant they
must think of tidying it up or the tenants will need to arrange a gardener
before they hand over the property back to you.
In addition, you have
to remember that your own standards could differ from the tenants and if they
make a reasonable effort, even if it is not up to your standards, they have not
done anything wrong. In order to avoid this, you may also prefer to organise a gardener as a part of the tenancy
agreement.
3. Damage to the Property
Tenants have to take
care of their landlord's property, but
landlords must equally allow some room for reasonable wear and tear. Often, a
common issue is tenants wishing to hang their mirrors and paintings on the
walls or shelves up. Before they do so, they have to ask your permission as the
landlord and you can advise them at the time of repair if they need to make
holes in the walls and leave the area just as they found it. Of course, unless
you are willing, to have shelves up permanently.
As the landlord, you
also have the right to suggest alternative fixings for the wall hangings, such
as the use of sticky fixtures to hold kilos of weight. Accidental damage is
something unavoidable and it is best that you make it clear of what you expect
from your tenants if they end up damaging something accidentally in the
check-in phase.
You should also have a
thorough check in and check out to help in avoiding any disputes over things
like whether there was some damage before the tenant moved in or not.
4. Overall Maintenance of the Property
Having a property well
maintained is the right of every tenant and the duty of a landlord. When
problems occur, such as issues with the damp (could cause health damage too),
boiler breaks down, it is important to
address these quickly. Tenants who get the hint that their landlord is taking a
long time to resolve these issues can often withhold the rent until the issue resolves.
Clearly, this is not an ideal situation and it is important to prevent it as
much as possible.
5. Costs of Repairs and Cleaning
Usually, disputes
could arise over repairs and cleaning, in which case both parties may agree or
not over the cost incurred over these things. You should remember that legally,
the money in the deposit is the tenant's money, so as a landlord; you need to
have a strong case for claiming it. You will agree with the tenant when things
need attention and be able to show any costs incurred are justified.
In order to avoid
disputes between your tenants, it is best that have a transparent process and a
clear document stating the rights of both parties. An agent is the best person
to help you with this, so make sure that you choose the best one in your area.
