Cleaning is the most common cause for deposit disputes
The Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) statistical briefing for 2020/21 reported on the most common reasons for tenancy deposit disputes with cleaning leading the way at 49% of the total disputes handled, up from 42% in the previous reporting year. Click here for the full report.
Damage disputes rank second with 35% of disputes, down significantly from the average of previous years, followed by redecoration at 26%, rent arrears possibly surprisingly only at 15% given the pandemic and gardening at 12%.
75% of disputes were raised by tenants with 17% raised by agents and only 8% raised by landlords.
However, the consistent experience of the schemes is that disputes are raised in a low proportion of cases, typically fewer than 1% of tenancy deposits protected.
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Member Since October 2013 - Comments: 1630 - Articles: 3
11:46 AM, 6th September 2021, About 5 years ago
Looks like this report covered the year to March 2021, when there had been massive rent arrears but no evictions and therefore few tenants leaving. Expect a deluge! I finally evicted my feckless tenant in July after 17 months arrears, and he left the flat in a filthy state, with broken dishwasher and washing machine. Even assuming I can get the full deposit back on a Statutory Declaration, it won’t go close to the £2000 for clearance, deep cleaning, decorating and new DW and WM, not to mention the £10,000+ in arrears and costs!
Member Since July 2013 - Comments: 61
7:44 PM, 14th September 2021, About 5 years ago
It always baffles me as to why tenants think a property must be pristine when they move in but can be left like a pigsty when they move out. They seem to think that filth and dirt comes under wear and tear and that cleaning is included in the rent.