Wear and tear rules are ‘outdated’ as remote working surges

The shift to remote working has transformed how homes are used, but rental laws lag, causing disputes and financial strain for tenants and landlords alike, a report reveals.

According to Inventory Base, furnishings in rental properties, such as carpets and sofas, are deteriorating 30% faster than before the pandemic due to increased home use.

With 41% of the workforce now working from home at least part-time, compared to 26.7% pre-COVID, the daily strain on household fixtures has intensified.

It says that a medium-quality carpet, once expected to last eight years, now endures only 5.6 years.

And a standard sofa’s lifespan has dropped from eight to 5.6 years, and interior paintwork, previously lasting three years, now fades in just 2.1 years.

This accelerated wear, driven by normal use rather than neglect, is creating tension under outdated regulations, the firm says.

What is fair wear and tear?

The firm’s operations director, Siân Hemming-Metcalfe, said: “Over the past few years, I’ve had countless conversations with landlords, inventory clerks and property managers, all grappling with the same challenge: what exactly constitutes fair, wear and tear in today’s rental market?

“With so many of us working from home, the pressure on rental properties has changed.

“Yet, the guidelines and expectations around wear and tear haven’t kept up.”

She added: “That disconnect is causing confusion, disputes and unnecessary friction between landlords, tenants and ultimately the property manager and inventory clerks who manage the dispute process.”

She goes on to say that rental regulations need to catch up with reality and with ‘clear guidance, open communication and fair expectations’, a tenancy should run smoothly.

Tenants face unfair deposit deductions

Inventory Base also says that tenants are often penalised for ‘damage’ that reflects typical wear in today’s context, facing unfair deposit deductions.

Landlords, meanwhile, bear higher replacement costs.

For instance, the annual cost of a carpet has risen from £138 to £196, a sofa from £63 to £89, and painting and decorating from £533 to £762.

Now the firm is calling for reform and has published a whitepaper calling for updates to The Housing Act 1998 to redefine ‘normal use’ considering remote work.

It also calls for aligning with the Renters’ Rights Bill’s push for fairer conditions and for tenancy deposit schemes to revise depreciation schedules.

The paper also wants courts to reinterpret ‘reasonable use’ in disputes.