A good estate agent will always advise landlords to carry out an inventory and check out report to ensure there’s evidence should there be any reason to make a claim against the tenant’s deposit.
It is protection for all in case there are any discrepancies that arise, and as a landlord it gives a bit of peace of mind.
Deposits are usually held within a secure account with an accredited scheme such as the Deposit Protection Service (DPS).
With high inflation rates not going anywhere soon, many landlords are facing rising expenses and costs for work on the property, so it is worth having as much evidence as possible to support a claim.
The DPS is advising, amongst other things, that as a landlord that you be sure to keep all invoices related to the cleaning or property damage repairs and send them on.
The DPS says “this evidence is vital in helping adjudicators understand the true costs behind your claim”.
Given the higher-cost-of-living, it may be that expenses are higher than usual, so it is vital to take the time to document why this is the case.
The DPS explained that if the adjudicator feels the claimed cost appears high, and there is no supporting documentation such as quotes or invoices, they may be forced to estimate reasonable costs from their own research which could result in you receiving less than the value of the claim.
Here at Clarendons, thanks to our managed services we will always have invoices on file for our properties, and given that we do inspections, we can easily support any claim with further images should it be required. We will always work with our contractors and our landlords to ensure we get the best value and quality work done, so we can then help maintain the property – and where needed – support the claims on the deposit.
If you have any questions or would like to have a chat about letting your property, get in touch with our experienced team today.
