How to avoid deposit disputes

Date:Wednesday 15th October 2008
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Tenants should be given signed copies of property inventories and be present at check-out to avoid deposit disputes.

This is according to Tom Entwistle, director of Landlordzone, who said such measures were "critical".

Mr Entwistle explained that tenants who do not appear at check-out can be surprised if demands are made after they have left.

He also told renters to take photographs of the property when they leave to prove what condition it was in and urged them to insist on being present at check-out.

Landlordzone is an online portal for landlords of all levels of experience.

According to research released by mydeposits.co.uk this month, 38 per cent of deposit disputes are about cleaning costs.

Damage accounted for 11 per cent and late payments for four per cent.

The website found that tenants lost more than £15,000 per month by not adhering to the terms of their contracts.

In September, the Association of Residential Letting Agents said there had been a rise of nearly 20 per cent in the number of new tenants in the three months to August.