Being a landlord can be hard work! You’ve got to juggle the needs of your property with the needs of the renter and sometimes, there can be conflict on what’s allowed and what isn’t.
That’s what research by Direct Line Insurance found. The study found that 15% of those asked admitted to breaking a rule of their tenancy, with many claiming they didn’t know because they didn’t check their tenancy agreement thoroughly.
A further 65% of those asked claimed they never broke any of the rules, 9% claimed that they were never presented with a contract or tenancy agreement, and 11% claimed they were unsure as to whether they’d actually broken any rules or not.
Of those who broke the rules the most common breach came from those who failed to pay their rent on time at 25%, smoking in the house came in at 21%, 18% admitted to keeping a pet without asking for permission and 17% admitted to damaging or altering the property.
‘The relationship a tenant has with their landlord can be crucial in the smooth running of a rented property. It is therefore of utmost importance for tenants to keep in touch with their landlords should anything arise that may be in breach of their rental agreement,’ said Nick Breton, head of Direct Line for Business.
‘Many landlords may be accommodating of requests to have a pet or to make changes to the property, but it is always safest to ask before doing anything to ensure that you are not breaking your contract in the process,’ he pointed out.
‘Tenants who break the rules of their contract can face anything from the loss of their deposit to eviction, so for peace of mind, landlords should ensure they have a watertight legal contract in place to fall back on should anything happen to their property,’ he added.
There are way to offset these problems. The broken rules listed above are quite common for landlords, so make sure you’re clear from the very beginning what you expect of the tenant. If they’re told from the beginning verbally and by written contract, they won’t have a leg to stand on.
However there’s nothing wrong with giving a little. For example you could allow pets. Pet owners will generally be allowed to pay a little extra for their pet to be welcomed into a home and usually they’re respectful of the house.
