Allow tenants to personalise their homes, agents and landlords told

Landlords and agents acting on their behalf are being urged to help private tenants personalise their rental properties. 

The plea comes from the Association of Independent Inventory Clerks following a recent study by home improvement online platform Plentific, which found that 73 per cent of tenants have carried out DIY jobs on rental properties at their own expense.

According to the research, which included a survey of over 2,000 tenants, some 23 per cent of participants have spent over £500 on home improvements on their rental property.

Patricia Barber, chairman of the AIIC, says landlords who allow tenants to make home improvements - within reason - could benefit in the long-term.

"We're seeing more long-term tenants and they're clearly committed to living in a higher standard of property. Landlords who cautiously allow tenants to put their own stamp on a property could benefit from a lower turnover of tenants and an improved and well-maintained property at the end of the contract" says Barber.

However, she cautions that clear communications are vital. 

"Tenants must be up-front with their landlords about home improvements, particularly if they are thinking about spending hundreds of pounds of their own money" she suggests, with an independently-compiled inventory vital to the process.

"If rental properties are noticeably changing over the course of a tenancy, it's important that there is an inventory which comprehensively details the condition and contents of the property at the start of the tenancy" adds Barber.

"This way any fair deposit deductions can be made by the landlord and the chances of a deposit dispute are minimised."