April, 2017
Landlords should give more freedom to tenants, and allow them to make improvements around the property.
That’s according to The Association of Independent Inventory Clerks (AIIC). In a recent report they compiled, it was suggested that a growing number of private tenants are keen to personalise their accommodation.
The results of a recent survey conducted by Plentific found that 73% of tenants have carried out DIY improvements out of their own pocket.
Of the 2000 tenants involved in the survey, 23% of them claimed to have spent more than £500 on home improvements.
Patricia Barber, chair of the AIIC, observed: ‘It’s clear that tenants are increasingly willing to spend their own money on improving their rental property and this is certainly something landlords should think about.’
Barber suggests that landlords who permit tenants to make reasonable alterations could see long-term rewards, with tenants being more likely to stay for longer tenancies.
Whilst allowing changes could be an excellent way to foster a long term relationship between landlord and tenant, it’s important to communicate. Make sure you’re both happy with the changes and can both see how they’ll be beneficial.
As the landlord, it’s also worth keeping an intricate inventory of the state of the property. Not so much for the usage of settling a debate, but for eradicating the risk of a dispute in the first place.
Concluding, Barber said: ‘If rental properties are noticeably changing over the course of a tenancy, it’s vitally important that there is an inventory which comprehensively details the condition and contents of the property at the start of the tenancy. This way any fair deposit deductions can be made by the landlord and the chances of a [tenancy] deposit dispute are minimised.’
