Preparing the Property to Rent

According to the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) – most deposit disputes result from cleaning problems at the end of the agreement.

Source: J. Daines – LettingaProperty.com

These problems can be overcome if you set out your stall right from the start. All I can say as a private landlord myself is, pay for a professional cleaner to give the accommodation a good once over. This could set you back ₤100 – ₤300 including carpets but it is well worth it in the end.

Once you have had the property professionally cleaned and you have kept hold of the receipts, you must ensure that you and the tenants agree (and it is a clause in the tenancy agreement) that the property is to be cleaned to a professional standard at the end of the agreement.

I would also always recommend that you have a professional inventory on the property which has been commissioned by a member of the Association of Independent Inventory Clerks, visit http://www.theaiic.co.uk/ to find a clerk in your area. This will most certainly help to avoid unnecessary costs and legal disputes at the end of the agreement.

Always start as you mean to go on!