Lettings sector should prepare for longer tenancies, warn inventory clerks

Letting agents and landlords should prepare for longer-term tenancies by improving their management and giving more choice to interior design, fixtures and fittings.

That’s the view of the Association of Independent Inventory Clerks which says that in the light of findings recently released in the English Housing Survey 2014-15, tenancies are obviously getting longer - now typically four years. 

It also found that some 46 per cent of 25 to 34 year olds lived in privately rented units, up from 24 per cent a decade earlier.

“When tenants stick around for longer, often the chances of confusion and disagreement over certain issues are increased when the tenancy does eventually come to an end” says AIIC chair Patricia Barber.

“The longer time goes on, the more likely landlords and tenants are to forget details from the tenancy agreement or important information about the deposit. That's why stringent administration - keeping copies of everything and organising accordingly - is so important” she says.

“A detailed inventory will help landlords and tenants to determine exactly how the property's condition has changed over the course of the tenancy, what can be deemed fair wear and tear and what needs to be replaced and therefore deducted from the tenant's deposit” according to Barber.

Should a dispute arise at the end of a tenancy, she says a detailed inventory - signed and agreed by the tenant - is the most important piece of evidence available to a letting agent or landlord.