With so much confusion among the landlord community about the rules surrounding fair wear and tear, a government-authorised tenancy deposit protection scheme has created a guide for landlords, offering advice on how to make a fair judgement call at the end of the tenancy period.
Although the topic of wear and tear is subjective and there are no hard and fast rules on what is ‘reasonably acceptable’, the mydeposits ‘Wear & Tear – when is it fair’ guide aims to help landlords consider and weigh up the different factors involved in the decision-making process.
The guide also highlights the importance of communication between landlord and tenant, particularly at the outset of the tenancy, when the landlord can set expectations of the tenants and the final condition of the property.
The mydeposits guide explores a number of different areas from the length of the tenancy period and the occupants themselves, to looking at the difference between wear and tear and actual damage to property.
Eddie Hooker, chief executive of mydeposits.co.uk, said, “Wear and tear is always a hot topic of debate and is very much situation-dependent.
“We have worked with landlords and our in-house disputes team to compile the guide, which is by no means definitive, but hopefully gives landlords some benchmarks and examples to consider when checking out their tenants.”
• Private landlords in Northern Ireland must carry out thorough checks on their tenants, as organised crime gangs are using their rental properties for cannabis factories.
This is the advice from The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) which has recently shut down a considerable number of drugs dens in houses owned by private landlords who did not realise their property was being used for crime.
The most recent incident involved a cannabis factory in County Down. PSNI Detectives from the Organised Crime Branch removed cannabis plants with a potential value in the region of £500,000 from a property on the Newtownards Road in Bangor.
The property had a considerable amount of heating and lighting equipment that is known to be used in hydroponics, a method adopted by organised crime gangs to grow large amounts of cannabis plants.
Detective Inspector Douglas Grant said while a substantial amount of drugs have now been removed from the streets, cannabis factories like the one shut down today pose a serious health risk to the public.
“We have taken a huge amount of drugs out of circulation and believe today’s actions may have saved lives and prevented substantial damage to property. The equipment these criminals were using was installed in a dangerous manner, which exposed the property, adjoining properties and members of the local community to the danger of fire.
“It is important for members of the community to report any suspicious activity to police. If a house or any other type of dwelling near you has blackened windows or is giving off a pungent smell, or there are people coming and going from the property at strange times of the day, there could be cannabis growing inside.
“Landlords who need advice on what to look for if they suspect their property is being used as a cannabis factory can visit the PSNI website on www.psni.police.uk or call their local Crime Prevention Officer ”
