Deposits remain an issue between landlords and tenants

According to a recent study carried out by online claims management company, Veriwise, 30% of the most serious tenant complaints relate to the misuse of a deposit. Around 25% of clients are unsure if or indeed where, their deposit is protected. 21% of complaints made to the company relate to damp and mould.

At Intercounty, we know there are many issues which impact the rental market, but there is no denying that these issues occur most commonly. We do our best to liaise between landlords and tenants, and if you require any assistance in this area, we are more than happy to assist you?

Are local councils doing enough?

Information published by the National Residential Landlords Association perhaps suggests that local council authorities are not doing enough to support landlords. It was found that two-thirds of councils in England haven’t prosecuted any landlords for offences relating to the management of private rented housing in the past three years. This study found that 20 local authorities have been responsible for 77% of successful prospections in these cases.

At Intercounty, we don’t believe landlords and tenants need to be enemies. It should be possible for both sides to work together, and this is something we take seriously. It is always better to be proactive when it comes to managing rental property, and if you would like to learn more about how we can help you, please get in touch.

Landlords and tenants need more support

Ajay Jagota, Veriwise founder, commented: “Veriwise was created in response to Britain’s epidemic of poorly maintained and unrepaired rented homes – but we’ve been startled at how many of the most serious complaints we’ve received about landlords continue to relate to deposits. The situation could be even worse than it looks – it’s truly alarming how many of the renters who come to us to complain about things like broken central heating, rodent infestations and dangerous electrics are also unable to tell us if and where their deposit is protected.”

Ajay Jagota continued by saying; “It stands to reason that the same landlords who don’t care about their legal responsibilities when it comes to living conditions would be equally negligent when it comes to deposits. As always, my questions are who is enforcing these regulations? The NRLA research suggests next-to-no-one.”

Ajay concluded by saying; “Legislation only works if it’s enforced. It is 14 years since tenancy deposit protection became mandatory – and there are countless other laws and regulations designed to protect tenants which may as well not exist. But by the looks of things even major players like Purple Bricks are being accused of failing to adhere to them. Veriwise was set up to make sure that renter’s rights are protected – regardless of how much money or legal knowledge they have.”

For all rental enquiries in Braintree, please feel free to call us on 01376 322988 or why not email us at braintree@intercounty.co.uk. With considerable experience in the local rental market, and free valuation services, we look forward to helping you make an informed decision in the Braintree rental market.