Latest Property News around Barry, Cardiff
Tenants Advised to Discover the Truth about Tenancy Deposit Schemes...
Fewer than one in seven tenants in England and Wales are aware of the new regulations regarding the Tenancy Deposit Schemes which were designed to protect them from dishonest landlords.
The report shows that tenants remain largely unaware of the new rules, with just 15% saying that they knew of its introduction.
From the 6th April any landlord or agent that accepts a deposit from a tenant under a new assured shorthold tenancy (AST) must, by law, protect that deposit under a government authorised tenancy deposit protection scheme.
Taking a cash deposit (bond) usually amounting to one months rent or sometimes more is regarded as common practice in the lettings market. It is looked upon as one of the few safeguards available to a landlord. Research shows that common reasons for deposits being withheld in the past have been cleaning, damage to carpets and / or furniture, gardens being left untidy, damage to kitchens / bathrooms, Flood or water damage and cigarette burns.
One of the major issues that was revealed from tenants in these studies was that almost half of landlords do not provide an inventory and only 2% of these also provided photographs showing the condition of the property, it’s fixtures and fittings etc at the beginning of the tenancy. It is suggested that tenants and landlords alike insist that an inventory with photographic evidence is acquired at the beginning of any tenancy; this can help to avoid unnecessary disputes at the end of a tenancy agreement.