Many renters in breach of tenancy

A majority of renters may be breaching their tenancy agreement after failing to read their agreements when they move in, research from Ocean Finance has found.

Ocean’s research found that 94% of people who rent their home admit to acting in a way that may breach their tenancy agreement.

The most common potential breach was the burning of candles, which more than half (58%) of respondents who rent admitted to doing and one in two renters (54%) revealed they had redecorated their home.

Another potential breach that could put the tenant’s future in the property at risk was the decision to keep a pet. Half (50%) of all renters polled admitted they had kept an animal at their rented home.

Some of the rule breaks were small, such as using Blu-Tack on the walls (36%) – which can damage the wallpaper or plaster, or leave a mark – and over-filling the bins (22%), which may encourage rodents. However, these breaches were less likely to be made by tenants than some of the more serious rule breaks, like keeping a pet or redecorating.

Perhaps the most serious breach in many tenancy agreements is the sub-letting of rooms in a property. However, one in 20 (4.9%) respondents in rental properties revealed they had done this.

Ian Williams, spokesman for Ocean Finance, said: “Many standard tenancy agreements contain a lot of ‘niggly’ clauses about cutting the grass and emptying the bins.

“Whilst breaking these conditions might seem trivial, doing so could have serious consequences.

“Blu-Tack stains on the walls might be just the excuse the landlord needs to withhold some or all of their deposit, while keeping a pet or sub-letting rooms could result in being asked to leave the property.

”To avoid this, it’s important tenants always read their tenancy agreements and ask their landlord about anything they’re not clear about.”